A witch was an agent of the devil. The most common view of a witch was a woman with a familiar (a pet) like a black cat, that would feed off the witch's blood through a wart.

Why did people believe in witches?

Lack of Science: no-one could explain sudden illnesses or other bad things like crop failure so they came up with superstitious ideas and looked for someone to blame.
Religion: the Bible was now in English and many people read its warnings about witches. For example, it says Thou shall not suffer a witch to live (Exodus 22:18).
Books and Laws: important people, including kings, wrote books and passed laws against witches. Henry VIII accused his wife, Anne Boleyn of being a witch. Parliament passed laws against witches in 1542 and 1563.
Witchfinders like Matthew Hopkins made money by denouncing witches.

What happened to witches?

They were put on trial, often by swimming (tying them up and throwing them into water). If they were found guilty they were often hanged.

Year 7 Daily Life and Beliefs

Witches