One of the HA’s aims is to bring you accessible and enjoyable history wherever you are based and whatever amount of time you have to dedicate to it. That's why we work to put together a regular programme of events with a variety of formats and delivery. You might prefer the social element of...

Led by Jonathan Durrant, Laura Kounine, Jan Machielsen, Lisa Tallis, Juliette Wood   Book Now (Registration is via Cademy which opens in a new window. Please read the course terms and conditions before registering) What does the course cover? This Historical Association short course is an introduction to European witchcraft...

At its heart, throughout much of early modern Europe, witchcraft was a form of heresy and idolatry, the worship of someone or something other than God. While early modern witches were imagined to use their powers to harm their neighbours, it was their supposed rejection of God and worship of...

Witches and witch-hunts are still with us. In this final lecture session, we bring the course up to the present by looking at folkloric and fictional witches, and how historians’ representations of the early modern witch-hunt have changed over time. Witchcraft has been a staple of European folklore studies since...

During his lifetime, Henry VIII journeyed throughout his kingdom in what are known as royal 'progresses'. In this webinar, Anthony Musson will share research from the AHRC-funded 'Henry on Tour' project which seeks to reassess these progresses by exploring archival sources, archaeology, music and material culture. In addition to contributing...

Between about 1450 and 1750 perhaps as many as 100,000 Europeans, mostly women, were tried for witchcraft; about 50% of them were executed for their alleged crimes. Many of the trial records have survived and these are important resources for early modern historians. They give voice to people about whose...

We are pleased to welcome Dr Oskar Jensen to the HA Virtual Branch this September. In this talk Jensen will discuss how Red Lion Square had long been one of London's most genteel addresses, home to nobles, scholars, and professionals. But on 25 March 1818, one house on the south...

Rebel, Wiccan, feminist icon. The figure of the witch as she permeates popular culture today has taken on many shifting, often-contradictory forms over the years. These are the product of a centuries-long engagement with Scripture, mythology, demonology, folktales, popular magical practice and thousands of witchcraft trials. How we imagine the...

The Dudleys thrived at the court of Henry VII, but were sacrificed to the popularity of Henry VIII. Rising to prominence in the reign of Edward VI, the Dudleys lost it all by advancing Jane Grey to the throne over Mary I. That was until the reign of Elizabeth I,...

The Olympic Games:Culture and political impact across the twentieth century A series of free talks 2024 is an Olympic Games year. Held every four years (with the exception of during the World Wars and Covid-19 restrictions), the modern Olympics is the largest international sporting event in the world. However, historically it...

Witchcraft was primarily but not exclusively a female activity. About 20% of the people tried for witchcraft in early modern Europe were men; in some places, like Russia, Normandy and Iceland, men formed the majority of witch-defendants. Werewolves were also mainly men. The existence of male witches and werewolves challenges...

There were some regions of Europe that experienced very few witchcraft trials. This included the Celtic parts of the British Isles, in particular Wales. That did not mean that witchcraft and related practices were not an integral part of the local belief systems there. By exploring what witchcraft looked like...

We are pleased to welcome Sharon Bennett Connolly to the HA Virtual Branch this July. In her talk Connolly discusses how in 1135 Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, stealing it from his cousin Empress Matilda and sparking a nineteen-year civil war that would become known as the Anarchy, one...

The HA Virtual Branch is a great way to keep your history up-to-date, whether you are working or relaxing, all from the comfort of your home. The Virtual Branch is free and open to everybody, and recordings of the talks are made available online after the event for HA members....