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.
It's one thing to choose to be a witch - it's quite another to be accused. India explores historical and modern witch hunts and the impact of being accused of witchcraft.
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
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| 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. |
| 0:39.7 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:47.3 | Mm-hmm. |
| 0:52.3 | Which means to know also means to dare to be a witch is to have knowledge but also is to dare |
| 1:03.0 | but also is to dare because you need to be brave enough to be who you are. |
| 1:13.6 | Throughout this series, I've met and spoken to many, many people who call themselves witches. |
| 1:21.6 | Sometimes it's a loud and central part of their identity. |
| 1:25.6 | They want people to know. It's often in their Instagram handle or central part of their identity. They want people to know. |
| 1:28.0 | It's often in their Instagram handle or even part of their work. |
| 1:32.3 | Sometimes it's a quieter inkling held close to the chest. |
| 1:38.1 | Some people even see the word as a form of reclaiming something that was lost hundreds of years ago. |
| 1:48.0 | But there is not one definition of a witch. |
| 1:52.0 | And for many people, the word is only met with fear. |
| 1:56.4 | Because, as we know, to be called a witch by someone else, |
... |
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