Ep 05 - The Witch Trials of Portugal – A History of Fear and Fire

They were healers, herbalists, midwives, and mystics. Some were feared. Many were scapegoated. All were watched.In this chilling episode of EnterPortugal – The Deep Dive, we trace the long and complex history of witch trials in Portugal—from the enactment of the 1599 statute on sorcery to the final recorded accusation in 1933 against Arminda de Jesus.While Portugal's Inquisition burned fewer witches than its European neighbors, the machinery of fear and control was very much alive. We explore the lives of those caught in its grip—like Luís de la Penha, the so-called “Witch King” of Évora—and the ways in which superstition, politics, and power collided over centuries.This is not just a tale of persecution—it’s a haunting mirror reflecting the nation’s struggle with belief, identity, and justice.

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