Medieval Witchcraft - HISTORY

In medieval society, sorcery was condemned and often resulted in practitioners being burned at the stake.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

Witches were perceived as evil beings by early Christians in Europe, inspiring the iconic Halloween figure.

In this History Channel video clip we learn about the New York Village Halloween Parade. Much preparation goes into making all the costumes for the parade through the work of volunteers. The costumes are gigantic paper mache constructions that can take months to build.

In the 1850s, families began commissioning portraits of their deceased loved ones in a trend that came to be known as "memento mori" photography.

Primal Fear explains how the brain works in reaction to fear.

Halloween's commercialization in the United States began in the early 20th century.

Steve Clark, the world's fastest pumpkin carver, takes us through some of his more intricate carvings.