The History of Witchcraft

I am not a fan of horror movies. Mostly because when I see something it does not leave my mind for a very long time. So, when I’m laying in bed that night or the next night or the night six months after the movie, I will see some terrifying demon spirit chilling in the corner of my room and be up the rest of the night. However, I do enjoy the storyline behind those movies. I love hearing what happens, how twisted and strange things can get, and the way that people are drawn into these dark places.

What is really cool to me is that some of the basic ideas for these movies come from real stories of people in history. All through history people have held beliefs and the general public has not usually reacted hospitably to those beliefs. Sadly, most of those reactions ended violently, and have been overlooked in the eyes of the public. But Samuel Hume has decided to bring these stories into the light on his podcast The History of Witchcraft, A Podcast History of Magic, Sorcery, and Spells.

Sam is a Ph.D. candidate in Modern History at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and his love of history and of podcasts couldn’t help but end in a historical podcast.

I knew I wanted to start a history podcast, but I wasn’t sure what on. I went through a cycle of picking a topic, searching to see if it had been done before, deciding that it hadn’t been, make progress on getting started, and then realising that I’d been an idiot and somehow missed the existence of a podcast covering the exact same thing… And there I was thinking I knew how to Google!

But Sam didn’t let those hangups keep him down for long. He kept thinking through ideas and eventually landed on one he knew could work for him.

The topic of witchcraft was actually a backup to my other backups; I’d studied the subject at University and had a really passionate professor teach it, so it stuck with me. The sheer range of the topic also appealed to me; there are no limits on superstition, after all, so I wouldn’t be pigeonholed to a single era or region.

So The History of Witchcraft was born. Looking into “the historical context behind witch trials throughout human history,” Sam works hard to keep the tone of his shows light without disrespecting the people who often lost their lives in the face of those trials. See, this isn’t just about people with supernatural beliefs, it’s about “how superstitious beliefs repeatedly focused on the danger of individuals believed to have supernatural powers.” In other words, normal people didn’t trust people who may not be so normal. While Sam keeps things humorous, his goal is informing listeners, which makes sense considering he puts a ton of work into researching each episode.

My podcast is scripted, and based on a range of academic sources and contemporary documents…Each episode easily clocks in at 20+ hours of research, writing, recording, and editing a week, but there’s no way around that. If I lost the script and simply spoke into the mic, I’d not only lose the detail that I think is so important, but the show would drop in quality. It works for others, but it’s not my cup of tea. So backbreaking work it is!

Sam loves the work because the reward is well worth it. When I asked about his favorite part of making the podcast, he didn’t hesitate.

Getting positive reviews and, rather boringly, seeing my download numbers. To know that thousands of people are listening to me talk every week is humbling. Getting reviews full of praise puts those numbers into context, that not only are these people listening to me ramble into a mic, but they’re actually enjoying it and recommend to others!

Sam loves telling these stories and loves that people are listening, but he is really excited to eventually move on into a new space. As a Ph.D. candidate, he is putting in tons of time to researching the British Empire for his dissertation and wants to turn that work into a podcast series once he finishes The History of Witchcraft. However, he promises fans of the show that before that change comes, he still has a lot to cover.

That’s still some way off; I’m not simply abandoning the History of Witchcraft without covering a whole host of topics: the Spanish Inquisition, for one, the origins of the modern Wicca movement, for another, and the witch trials of the Basque country, Civil War Scotland and, of course, Salem, among others.

So, if you love history and the darker side of life, The History of Witchcraft should definitely be on your radar or in your ears, and watch out for Sam’s next show on the British Empire for even more historical narrative!

Chasing Pods is a Podchaser blog series dedicated to letting our readers know about podcasts they may not have heard of or provide a sneak peek into the making of their favorite podcast. We talk to podcast creators about their journey into podcasting, the creation of their shows, the ups and downs of the work, and what they’re looking forward to for their podcast

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