<p>When we think of the great witch trials of history, we usually picture innocent women accused of impossible crimes... but that wasn't always the case.</p><br><p>In the frozen, windswept landscapes of 17th-century Iceland, a wave of witch trials led to the persecution and execution of men accused of practising dark magic.</p><br><p>Why were male witches feared more than female ones? And what happens when ancient Norse magic, strict Lutheran beliefs, and one of Europe's most isolated landscapes collide?</p><br><p>Edited by Anna Brant. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p><u>You can take part in our listener survey</u><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u> here</u></a><u>.</u></p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>