Four free reads on the Net: On witches

The other day I popped in to the British Museum to see the family photos - well, it was their free exhibition called Witches and Wicked Bodies actually, which looks at depictions of witchcraft from medieval to Victorian times.

So, as it's Halloween and in honour of my illustrious aunties, this week's Free Reads is dedicated to witches.

Short Story

A witch with terrifying iron teeth and a house that walks around on chicken legs - it’s Russia’s Baba Yaga, as presented to the English speaking world by Arthur Ransome 

Baba Yaga

Poem

Double, double toil and trouble;
    Fire burn and cauldron bubble.  

The witches in the Scottish play have all the good lines (and are an early example of #beardpower )

Round about the cauldron go

Novel

So far our witches have been from Europe but over in the USA, but definitely not Kansas, there are witches to the North, South, East and West in L Frank Baum’s classic book for children, but as any reader of Wicked will tell you, there’s two sides to every story:

Download a free copy here

Essay

The biggest witch trial in England took place in Lancashire in the 17th century. Find out why these events still have relevance today.

The Lancashire Witches

Bonus links 

The British Museum free exhibition in room 90, Witches and Wicked Bodies is on until Jan 15 and has works examining the portrayal of witches in art by Durer, Fuseli, Goya and many others. Here’s a preview

The Power of the Witch - a 1971 documentary that was only ever aired once

Find out if you might have found yourself tried as a witch with this test on history extra

(yes, in my case - no surprises)