Witch Trials Resistance: Those Who Fought Back

Introduction: The Voices of Reason

Not everyone participated in the witch hunts. Throughout the three centuries of persecution, brave individuals resisted—skeptical scholars who wrote against witch trials, judges who refused to convict, communities that protected accused neighbors, and even some accused who fought back in court.

These resisters risked their own lives and reputations to challenge the witch hunt machinery. Some were ignored, some were persecuted themselves, but their courage planted seeds of doubt that eventually ended the burnings. Their stories reveal that even in the darkest times, resistance was possible.

This is the fifteenth article in our Witch Hunts series. We now honor those who fought back—the skeptics, the defenders, the communities that said no, and the accused who refused to confess.

The Skeptical Writers: Voices Against the Madness

Reginald Scot (1538-1599) - England

Book: The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584)

Arguments:

• Witchcraft is impossible—demons cannot give humans real power
• Confessions are extracted through torture and fear
• Accused witches are vulnerable people (elderly, poor, mentally ill)
• Witch hunters are frauds and sadists
• Biblical passages about witches are mistranslated

Impact:

• Influenced skeptical judges and intellectuals
• King James I ordered the book burned (too threatening)
• Became foundational text for witch hunt skepticism

Quote: "The fables of witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deepe root in the heart of man, that fewe or none can (nowadays) with patience indure the hand and correction of God."

Friedrich Spee (1591-1635) - Germany

Who: Jesuit priest, confessor to accused witches

Book: Cautio Criminalis ("Precautions for Prosecutors") (1631)

Experience: Heard confessions of hundreds of accused witches before execution, became convinced all were innocent

Arguments:

• Torture produces false confessions
• Innocent people are being killed
• The legal procedures are unjust
• He had never met a guilty witch, only tortured innocents
• Witch trials are driven by greed and sadism, not justice

Quote: "Torture is the surest way in the world to make an innocent person confess to anything."

Impact:

• Published anonymously (too dangerous to claim authorship)
• Gradually influenced Catholic authorities
• Contributed to decline of German witch trials

Personal cost: Hair turned white from trauma of witnessing executions

Alonso de Salazar Frías (1564-1636) - Spain

Who: Spanish Inquisitor

Investigation: Sent to investigate Basque witch panic (1609-1611)

Method:

• Interviewed 1,802 alleged witches
• Examined evidence scientifically
• Tested claims empirically

Conclusion: "I have not found even indications from which to infer that a single act of witchcraft has really occurred."

Recommendations:

• Stop all witch trials
• Release all accused
• Require physical evidence, not just confessions
• Ban discussion of witchcraft (to prevent panic)

Impact: Spanish Inquisition accepted his findings, effectively ended witch trials in Spain (1614)

Balthasar Bekker (1634-1698) - Netherlands

Book: De Betoverde Weereld ("The World Bewitched") (1691)

Arguments:

• Devil has no power in physical world
• Witchcraft is impossible
• Belief in witches is superstition, not Christianity

Impact:

• Bestseller across Europe
• Bekker was defrocked (lost his position as minister)
• Contributed to Enlightenment skepticism

The Brave Judges: Refusing to Convict

Tanneguy Le Fèvre (France, 1615-1672)

Who: French scholar and judge

Action: Refused to convict accused witches, argued for higher standards of evidence

Result: Faced criticism but maintained position

Various Spanish Inquisitors

Pattern: Spanish Inquisition was more skeptical than secular courts

Actions:

• Required material evidence of harm
• Rejected spectral evidence
• Overturned local convictions
• Acquitted most accused witches

Result: Spain had lowest execution rate in Europe (~300 vs. Germany's 25,000)

Increase Mather (Massachusetts, 1639-1723)

Who: Puritan minister, father of Cotton Mather

Book: Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits (1692)

Argument: Spectral evidence is unreliable—Devil can impersonate innocent people

Quote: "It were better that ten suspected witches should escape than one innocent person be condemned."

Impact: Helped end Salem witch trials (though came late)

Communities That Resisted

Juries That Acquitted

Rebecca Nurse (Salem, 1692):

• Jury initially found her not guilty
• Judges pressured jury to reconsider
• Jury reluctantly changed verdict
• Shows juries sometimes resisted, even under pressure

Barbara Napier (Scotland, 1591):

• Jury acquitted her
• King James VI furious, threatened jury with treason
• Jury stood firm initially
• Eventually she was convicted but pardoned (powerful connections)

Villages That Refused to Accuse

Pattern: Some communities protected suspected witches

Methods:

• Refused to testify against neighbors
• Provided alibis for accused
• Hid accused from witch hunters
• Collectively vouched for character

Example: Biddy Early (Ireland, 1798-1874)

• Accused of witchcraft multiple times
• Community protected her, refused to testify against her
• Never convicted despite multiple trials

Clergy Who Defended the Accused

Some priests and ministers:

• Testified to good character of accused
• Argued for mercy and skepticism
• Refused to participate in trials
• Risked their own positions to defend parishioners

The Accused Who Fought Back

Giles Corey (Salem, 1692)

Resistance: Refused to enter a plea (guilty or not guilty)

Why: If he pleaded, his property would be confiscated; by refusing, his sons could inherit

Torture: Pressed with stones for two days

Last words: "More weight"

Result: Died without confessing, property went to his heirs

Impact: His defiance became legendary, symbol of resistance

Those Who Refused to Confess

Pattern: Some accused maintained innocence despite torture

Examples:

• Rebecca Nurse: Maintained innocence to the end
• Alice Nutter (Pendle): Refused to confess or accuse others, died in silence
• Many unnamed women: Died proclaiming innocence

Significance: Refusal to confess challenged the system's legitimacy

Those Who Recanted Confessions

Pattern: Some who confessed under torture later recanted

Example: John Fian (Scotland, 1591):

• Confessed under extreme torture
• Later recanted, said confession was false
• Tortured again, refused to re-confess
• Executed for recanting

Significance: Recanting exposed torture-induced false confessions

Legal Resistance: Challenging Procedures

Demanding Legal Representation

Problem: Accused witches often denied lawyers

Resistance: Some demanded right to counsel, appealed to higher courts

Result: Gradually, legal protections improved

Challenging Evidence

Spectral evidence: Some accused argued Devil could impersonate them

Torture confessions: Some argued confessions under torture were invalid

Hearsay: Some challenged witness credibility

Appeals to Higher Authorities

Pattern: Accused appealed to:

• Higher courts
• Kings and princes
• Pope and Church hierarchy
• University theologians

Success rate: Low, but some were saved through appeals

The Role of Women in Resistance

Women Who Testified for the Defense

• Character witnesses for accused
• Midwives who refuted accusations of baby-killing
• Neighbors who provided alibis
• Daughters who defended mothers

Women Who Hid the Accused

• Sheltered fugitives
• Helped accused escape
• Provided false information to witch hunters

Women Who Spoke Out

Rare but documented:

• Women who publicly questioned trials
• Women who challenged accusers
• Women who wrote against witch hunts (very rare)

Why Resistance Was Difficult

Risks of Defending the Accused

• Suspicion: Defenders accused of being bewitched or complicit
• Social ostracism: Community turned against defenders
• Legal consequences: Obstruction of justice charges
• Violence: Mob attacks on defenders

The Power of Fear

• Fear of being next accused
• Fear of community rejection
• Fear of authorities
• Fear of supernatural retribution

The Pressure to Conform

• Mass hysteria created conformity pressure
• Dissent seen as disloyalty
• Religious duty to support trials
• Economic incentives to participate

The Impact of Resistance

Immediate Effects

• Some individuals saved from execution
• Some trials stopped or slowed
• Some communities protected from witch hunts

Long-Term Effects

• Skeptical writings gradually changed opinion
• Legal reforms raised standards of evidence
• Intellectual climate shifted toward rationalism
• Witch trials eventually ended

Conclusion: The Courage to Resist

Resistance to witch hunts was dangerous, difficult, and often futile—but it happened. Skeptical scholars risked their careers, judges refused to convict, communities protected neighbors, and the accused themselves fought back with silence, recantation, and defiance. Their courage reminds us that even in the darkest times, resistance is possible and necessary.

In the next article, we will explore The Last Witch: When the Burnings Finally Stopped. We will examine the final executions, the factors that ended the witch hunts, and how Europe slowly emerged from three centuries of persecution.

They resisted. They spoke truth. They saved lives. We honor their courage.

For Friedrich Spee, who witnessed horror and spoke out. For Giles Corey, who said "more weight." For all who resisted. We remember your bravery.