For centuries, tens of thousands of mostly women were executed across Europe, from Germany to Scandinavia, France to Britain, during the height of the 16th and 17th centuries. The reasons behind this hysteria have long puzzled historians. In a recent podcast episode, FT hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth welcome Brown University economist Emily Oster to explore a provocative theory: whether colder temperatures during the Little Ice Age caused economic hardship, fueling the number of witch trials.
Oster's research uses historical weather and trial data to investigate this connection. The discussion examines how evolving economic data reshapes our perceptions of history and what these hunts reveal about societal scapegoating. Further reading includes Oster's work in The Journal of Economic Perspectives and Leeson and Russ's research in The Economic Journal.
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Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing