Episode

How One Man Sentenced Hundreds of Women To Death - Matthew Hopkins: The Witchfinder General

Podcast
Macabre London
Published
Jun 25, 2026
Duration seconds
1510
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://shows.acast.com/macabre-london-1/episodes/6a3c09f5e1238e54b00e6990
Audio
https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6422d088b548a8001145fde9/e/6a3c09f5e1238e54b00e6990/media.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/macabre-london-664347/episodes/how-one-man-sentenced-hundreds-of-women-to-death-matthew-hopkins-the-witchfinder-general
Markdown
/podcast/macabre-london-664347/how-one-man-sentenced-hundreds-of-women-to-death-matthew-hopkins-the-witchfinder-general.md

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Summary

When Christianity arrived for the general masses in the late 1500's and Early 1600's, the puritan purge made life hell for a lot of people. As the civil war raged on, people took advantage and one of those people was Matthew Hopkins. He setn hundreds of people, mainly women to their deaths but before him, how did witchcraft become such a hotbed of political tension and how did religion stick it's beak into the ways people had been living for years but now paired it with the devil - a christian invention... In this episode of Macabre London , we uncover the roots of witchcraft accusations in England — from folk magic and protective charms to demonisation, law, religion, and the rise of the “witch” as a feared figure in the public imagination. We look at the key players who helped shape witch panic, including Henry VIII, James VI and I, Malleus Maleficarum , and Matthew Hopkins, and trace how fear turned into prosecution. If you’re into witches, medieval history, the early modern period, dark history, history documentaries, religion and belief, folklore, esotericism, and all things eerie and uncanny, this episode is for you. So if you're interested in magick, the occult, historical beliefs, witchcraft and just how the religion we know today was developed and forged in the old fires, with the occasional human sacrifice thrown in, then make sure you join me, this is just the beginning! This series is sponsored by Snag - Clothing for Every Body! Make sure you check them out www.snagtights.com ------------------------ If you love British true crime, unsolved mysteries, and historical murders, don’t miss this episode! Also available wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/macabrelondon ------------------------- Be sure to check out my other podcast, Killers, Cul…