Horrors of the Middle Ages. Witch hunts

Witch hunts were common in Scotland in the 1500s and 1600s.

Witch hunters received 7 shillings for each witch they unmasked, which was good money at the time.

Recognizing a witch wasn’t very difficult.

She had to be thin enough to fly up the chimney, and she had to have red hair.

If a woman was left-handed, had birthmarks, or if she suffered from squinting, it was an indication that she was a witch.

The procedure was simple – a woman with bound hands and feet was drowned.

If she drowned, the family was formally apologized, saying it was a mistake.

But if the woman managed not to drown, she was taken out of the water and burned as a witch.

Often husbands helped drown their wives, and if the wife was recognized as a witch, the entire family was driven out of town.

VIDEO. Darkest chapter of Scottish History. The Scottish WITCH Trials.