Swedish Easter Witches by Jenny Nyström (1854-1946) What is a witch? An old woman on a broomstick? There is a treasure trove of Renaissance folklore about witches, to tell us about these creatures. It was between the 14th and 17th centuries that a fear of Witchcraft gripped Europe. People had a lot of funny ideas about what witches did, and this caused a lot of men, women and children, to be tortured and executed for the suspected crime of Witchcraft. It was imagined that witches belonged to a demonic cult, worshipping pagan gods and goddesses. Of course, any Christian knew that the gods and goddesses of other religions were all devils, out to seduce the weak minded into handing over their souls to Satan. How could Satan convince someone to become a witch? He could promise them all sorts of supernatural abilities such as flying through the air, attaining wealth, fame, beauty, or anything they desired by performing magical spells. There would be nothing to stop a witch from using ...