Witch marks were considered undeniable, damning evidence of a mystical pact with the devil during medieval trials, but in reality, they were literally just ordinary moles, skin tags, or weird freckles.

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Witch marks were considered undeniable, damning evidence of a mystical pact with the devil during medieval trials, but in reality, they were literally just ordinary moles, skin tags, or weird freckles. Inquisitors believed that Satan personally branded his followers, so they would strip accused women and obsessively search for any minor dermatological imperfection to use as a legal justification for execution. The entire history of the European witch craze is horrific enough, but it becomes infinitely more cynical when you realize thousands of people were burned at the stake essentially because they lacked access to a modern dermatologist

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Ursula Southeil, known popularly as Mother Shipton, is widely regarded as one of England's greatest mystical prophetesses, supposedly predicting the Great Fire of London and the invention of iron ships.

Ursula Southeil, known popularly as Mother Shipton, is widely regarded as one of England's greatest mystical prophetesses, supposedly predicting the Great…

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Warlock originally meant oathbreaker instead of male witch

If you call a male witch a warlock, you are technically insulting him. In Old English, the word 'wærloga' literally translated to 'oathbreaker' or 'deceiver.'…

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Helen Duncan was the absolute last person imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act in the twentieth century

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In Eastern Europe, old women left jars of milk at doors said to keep witches from entering homes

On moonlit hillsides of Eastern Europe, families once placed jars of fresh milk outside their doors. This was not for passing cats or neighbors, but for…

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Salem witch hysteria was largely fueled by bored teenagers eating moldy rye bread that acted like LSD

Instead of demonic possession, the foundation of America's most famous witch hunt might have just been accidental psychonauts. Historians theorize that…

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Salem witches were hanged instead of being burned

Contrary to popular belief, the deeply paranoid puritans did not use massive bonfires for execution, opting instead for a standard, incredibly depressing…

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Witch marks were considered undeniable, damning evidence of a mystical pact with the devil during medieval trials, but in reality, they were literally just ordinary moles, skin tags, or weird freckles.

A closer look

A bigger world.One discoveryat a time.

Keep exploring

Ursula Southeil, known popularly as Mother Shipton, is widely regarded as one of England's greatest mystical prophetesses, supposedly predicting the Great Fire of London and the invention of iron ships.

Warlock originally meant oathbreaker instead of male witch

Helen Duncan was the absolute last person imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act in the twentieth century

In Eastern Europe, old women left jars of milk at doors said to keep witches from entering homes

Salem witch hysteria was largely fueled by bored teenagers eating moldy rye bread that acted like LSD

Salem witches were hanged instead of being burned

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.