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The Real History of Witchcraft Course
Live online event · 6 sessions

The Real History of Witchcraft Course

with Prof Diane Purkiss

Starts Sunday 30 August 2026 — 5pm AEST / 7pm NZST / 3pm SGT

  • 💬 All 6 sessions live online, including live Q&A.
  • 📧 Joining instructions emailed closer to the date.
  • 🎬 Miss a session? We’ll send you the recording to catch up.
See ticket options ↓

About this course

Trace the real and mythologised story of witches, from ancient myth to modern magic. Followed by Q&A. Witches have fascinated and frightened people for thousands of years — but how much of what we think we know is actually true? The history of witchcraft is full of surprises, and the reality is often stranger, sadder and more compelling than the legends. In this course, Prof Diane Purkiss separates fact from fiction and takes us on a journey through the history of witchcraft. We start by asking why myths about witches are so powerful and so persistent, before travelling from ancient Greece and Rome through to the infamous trials of Britain and Salem. We look at real people who were accused of witchcraft, discover the links between witches and fairies in Scottish folklore, and find out how modern women have taken the figure of the witch and made it their own.

Everything you get

  • All 6 live sessions with Prof Diane Purkiss, including live Q&A
  • Join from anywhere online — joining instructions emailed closer to the date
  • Miss a session? We’ll send you the recording so you can catch up

The course, session by session

Session 1

Introduction to Myth & History

with Prof Diane Purkiss

Where does the mythology of witchcraft end and the history begin? We untangle some of the most common misconceptions about witches and ask how they came about in the first place.

  • Separating popular witch mythology from documented history
  • How and why the most common misconceptions took hold
  • A framework for reading the rest of the course critically
  • Why the real story is often stranger than the legend
Session 2

Classical Witches

with Prof Diane Purkiss

Classical ideas of witches and their lasting influence, from goddesses such as Hecate and Persephone to literary figures like Medea and Erictho, magical practices, and early persecution.

  • Witch-goddesses of antiquity: Hecate and Persephone
  • Literary witches: Medea and Erictho
  • Magical practices in the ancient world
  • The earliest roots of persecution
Session 3

Meet 6 Witches of Britain

with Prof Diane Purkiss

A deep dive into the stories of six people accused of witchcraft in Britain during the witch trials: why they were accused, how they were judged, and what became of them.

  • Six real, documented accusations examined in depth
  • Why each person was accused in the first place
  • How accusations were investigated and judged
  • What ultimately became of each of them
Session 4

Cunning Fairy Witches

with Prof Diane Purkiss

Meet Scottish witches who believed their powers were granted by the fairies, and explore the connection between witch beliefs and Scottish fairy lore — as well as the Celtic paradox of Ireland and Brittany.

  • Scottish witches who claimed fairy-granted powers
  • The overlap between witch belief and fairy lore
  • The "cunning folk" tradition explained
  • The Celtic paradox: Ireland and Brittany compared
Session 5

Salem

with Prof Diane Purkiss

The most famous witch trial in history is also the most misunderstood. Separate the myths from the history and discover what really happened at Salem.

  • What actually happened at Salem, fact by fact
  • The most persistent Salem myths, corrected
  • Who was accused, and by whom
  • Why Salem became the defining witch-trial story
Session 6

Modern Pagans

with Prof Diane Purkiss

Since the mid-20th century, women have been reclaiming and reinventing the witch. Explore the birth of modern Paganism and ask whether the figure of the witch is a source of power — or something more complicated.

  • The birth of modern Paganism in the 20th century
  • How women reclaimed and reinvented the witch
  • The witch as a source of power today
  • A more complicated look at what that reclaiming means

Your speakers

Prof Diane Purkiss

Prof Diane Purkiss

Professor of English, University of Oxford

Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England’s biggest witch-hunt. She has appeared in more than a dozen television documentaries, and has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

Common questions

Is this course live?

Yes — this is a live, 6-session online course with Prof Diane Purkiss, including live Q&A each session. Joining instructions (a Zoom link for each session) will be emailed closer to the date.

What if I can’t make it live?

Can’t make a session? Don’t worry, we’ll send you the recording afterwards so you can catch up. If you can’t make any of the sessions live, the Recording Only option gives you access to the recordings without participating live.

What’s the deposit option?

You can reserve your place with a deposit at the Early Bird rate. We’ll email you after Week 1 of the course to collect the remaining balance.

Is there a deadline for Early Bird pricing?

Yes — Early Bird pricing (including the Early Bird deposit) ends 9 August 2026.

Book your place

Starts Sunday 30 August 2026 — 5pm AEST / 7pm NZST / 3pm SGT

⏰ Early Bird pricing ends 9 August 2026.

ℹ️ Choosing a deposit reserves your place at that rate — we’ll be in touch by email to collect the balance after Week 1 of the course.