Witchcraft and Paganism, Part 1

Ever since 1922's Haxan, depictions of pagan practices and witchcraft have been part of cinema, and particularly, of horror cinema.  But do such depictions have more to do with dominant impressions of witchcraft than with witchcraft itself?

 

In the first of a two-part exploration, Kirsty, who knows a thing or two about her subject, guides Stella and Dan on a journey into the history of the witch as a historical reality, as a cinematic fixture (with a spoiler-filled discussion of Robert Eggers' The Witch, 2015, in particular) and as an often-misunderstood part of contemporary culture.

 

It's a bumper-length episode and we hope you'll find it satisfyingly in-depth.  Next time, we're expanding the conversation to include more general portrayals of paganism in horror.

 

Referenced works:

 

The Witch, 2015

 

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