Summary
The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries – from whispered warnings in folklore to pop culture-driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now?
Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.
A witch has been created in the Thames Valley to protect a family from eviction. India explores the surprising historical relationship between the figure of the witch and the right to land.
Scored with original music by The Big Moon.
Presenter: India Rakusen Executive Producer: Alex Hollands Producer: Lucy Dearlove Producer: Elle Scott AP: Tatum Swithenbank Production Manager: Kerry Luter Sound Design: Olga Reed
A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to quickly tell you about some others. |
| 0:05.2 | My name's Andy Martin and I'm the editor of a team of podcast producers at the BBC in Northern Ireland. |
| 0:11.3 | It's a job I really love because we get to tell the stories that really matter to people here, |
| 0:16.3 | but which also resonate and apply to listeners around the world. |
| 0:19.6 | And because the team is such a diverse |
| 0:21.2 | range of skills and strengths, we have trained journalists, people who love digging through |
| 0:26.0 | archives, we've got drama and even comedy experts. We really can do those stories justice. So if |
| 0:31.8 | you like this podcast, head to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories |
| 0:37.1 | from all around the UK. BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories from all around the UK. |
| 0:40.3 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:45.8 | In this series, I've wanted to find out why so many people are drawn to the idea of the witch now. |
| 0:52.7 | So often the themes of power or resistance come up, |
| 0:56.3 | and late last year, a brightly burning example of this turned up in my inbox. |
| 1:01.6 | We've already looked at ideas of identity and nature, and the history of witches. |
| 1:06.8 | But in this episode, I want to show you how the idea of the witch has carved and shaped the land we live in, and our sense of home. |
| 1:20.5 | Two stories collide here. One of a giant witch created just last year. The other is the story of how the myth of the evil witch |
| 1:30.2 | was created in the early modern European witch hunts. |
| 1:34.0 | They might seem very different, |
| 1:36.3 | but both are born from our connection and disconnection |
| 1:40.1 | with the idea of land and who owns it. |
| 1:43.6 | I'm India Rackson and from BBC Radio 4, this is Witch. |
| 1:50.3 | Episode 4, Enchanted Lands. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.