Historian Answers Witchcraft Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

Historian Mikki Brock joins WIRED to answer the internet’s bubbling cauldron of questions about witches, witchcraft, and witch hunting through the ages. Can men be witches or only women? Do witches really cast spells and create potions? Who came up with the concept of witches flying on brooms and why? Why do cartoon witches always have such a pointy nose? Why do we associate black cats with witches? Why did the Salem Witch trials start? Answers to these questions and an entire coven more await on Witchcraft Support. 0:00 Witchcraft Support 0:17 Boy Witches 2:11 Witch torture in old Scotland 3:59 Whoever is in charge of marketing over at the Salem Witch Trials, amazing job 5:14 Burned in the USA 5:49 Witch Tests 7:01 Concurrent witch trials worldwide? 7:35 Spells? Potions? 8:44 Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? 10:57 Brooms: Why? 12:51 Malleus Malefic arum 15:18 Mass hysteria 16:32 Why are you booing me I’m right 18:02 Witch noses 20:04 Cats and witches through history 21:39 How to spot a witch 22:38 Why did The Salem Witch Trials start? 26:09 Actual witches or ergot poisoning? 27:27 Five-fingered Anne Boleyn 28:56 How does one avoid being accused of witchcraft? 30:52 Regretfully we have not beaten the witch charges 32:41 The witch slander must end 33:33 Blessed to report that we have beaten the witch charges 34:14 Witches: Origins 36:57 Witch hunting never ends 37:43 “Come, we fly!” Correction: An edit in this episode makes out that Elizabeth I was the first queen of England. In fact, she was the first unmarried queen of England; the first queen was actually her half-sister, Mary I. Director: Anna O’Donohue Director of Photography: Ben Dewey Editor: Philip Anderson Expert: Mikki Brock Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi Associate Producer: Paul Gulyas; Brandon White Production Manager: Peter Brunette Production Coordinator: Rhyan Lark Casting Producer: Nicholas Sawyer Camera Operator: Constantine Economides Sound Mixer: Lily Van Leeuwen Production Assistant: Kalia Simms Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen Assistant Editor: Billy Ward Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► Listen to the Get WIRED podcast ►► Want more WIRED? Get the magazine ►► Follow WIRED: Instagram ►► Twitter ►► Facebook ►► Tik Tok ►►@wired Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture.