In early modern tradition, witches were stereotypically women. The common belief was that these women would make a diabolical pact with evil spirits or even the devil himself. They would reject Jesus and the holy sacraments, and take part in “the Witch’s Sabbath”. By aligning themselves with the “Prince of Darkness” they would in turn receive preternatural powers – thereby becoming evil.

Folklore states that the “Devil’s Mark” would appear on the new witch’s skin like a brand, to signify that the evil pact had been made. The reasons for a woman to make a pact with the devil were varied – people believed that women, in their frustrations, would appeal to the devil in order to gain powers to cope with infertility, her children’s well-being, or revenge against a lover. Although witch persecutions were not really in effect until 1563, the use of witchcraft had been deemed as heresy by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484. From then until about 1750, roughly 200,000 witches were tortured, burnt, and hung across Western Europe.

Witches were frequently characterized as being ugly and old women. They were typically described as “crone-like” with snaggle teeth, sunken cheeks, and hairy lips. If they were the owner of a cat, they were all the more likely to be considered a witch – for that reason, most cats during the Tudor period in England were burnt or otherwise destroyed because of the fear that they would attract evil. These were the beliefs of a puritanical Christian society and was not a correct depiction of those who practice Wicca or Paganism historically and today.