This Spooky Season episode is inspired by the 405th Anniversary of Ben Johnson's Comedy 'The Devil is an Ass', which appeared first on stage on the 1st October 1616. This play was and is rather special, as it mocks superstition and witchcraft belief, and makes The Devil himself and his lesser demons appear rather behind the times. In the Enlightened Age of the 1600s, the denizens of hell just don't know how to tempt like they once did. This discussion contains everything from the Witchcraft Trials including mention of Pendle, landscapes of superstition, the folklore of archaeology, symbolism within the persecution, and much, much more! Joining me this episode is Prof. D. Purkiss a lecturer in English Literature and History at the University of Oxford.

WARNING: This episode does discuss the witchcraft persecution and some aspects of ritual sacrifice. It goes with the topic, but some people might find these aspects a little disturbing.

Music

Intro/Outro Music - Creative Commons - "Fantasia Fantasia" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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