How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women

How to Kill a Witch (2025) is a non-fiction history by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell. It explores the Scottish witch trials which took place during and after the Scottish Reformation, from the 1500s to 1700s. The work also touches on the Salem witch trials and modern-day issues related to The Persecution and Scapegoating of Vulnerable Populations, The Problem of Abuse of Power and Social Norms, and the importance of Connecting Past Atrocities to Modern Issues. How to Kill a Witch attracted favorable reviews and was a Sunday Times Bestseller.

This guide uses the 2025 Sourcebooks edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of religious discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual violence, mental illness, ableism, child abuse, pregnancy termination, graphic violence, death, and physical abuse.

Plot Summary

How to Kill a Witch opens with “In Memoriam,” a poem by Scottish poet Len Pennie that uses both English and Scots to remember and honor the women lost to the Scottish witch trials. The authors introduce the book as being both a historical account and an act of remembrance. Mitchell’s realization that Scotland lacked meaningful memorials to women in general, especially near sites like Edinburgh Castle, led to the creation of the Witches of Scotland campaign, a group which advocates for a formal public apology and national memorial for those affected by the witch trials.

The authors used expert interviews, legal and church records, and historical texts like King James VI of Scotland’s Daemonologie to gather information. The authors soon realized much of the data was missing or only partially complete, reflecting how little value was placed on the lives of the accused. Part One situates witch trials within early modern Scotland’s deeply held belief in the supernatural. Belief in fairies, second sight, and the “Otherworld” was once considered factual rather than fantastical. The Protestant Reformation fundamentally altered these beliefs, reframing the supernatural as inherently evil and satanic.

The Witchcraft Act of 1563 criminalized a broad and poorly defined range of practices, disproportionately targeting women. King James VI’s personal fears, religious ideals, and authorship of Daemonologie legitimized persecution, and Scotland soon experienced its first major witch hunts. Contemporary sources like Newes from Scotland —a pamphlet attributed to James Carmichael, detailing the deeds of a supposed sorcerer—reveal how confessions given under torture were accepted as truth and how royal authority shaped public belief. The authors argue that misogyny, fear, social instability, and the abuse of religious and legal power combined to create a system that relentlessly punished the most vulnerable members of society, setting patterns that extend far beyond the period itself.

Part 2 examines how witch accusations in Scotland were constructed, legitimized, and carried out through legal, religious, and social systems. The section opens with the portrait of Agnes Finnie, a local healer in 17th-century Edinburgh whose reputation and abrasive personality made her an easy target when her patients’ conditions worsened. Her story illustrates how fear, misfortune, and community blame often sparked accusations, particularly during periods of instability. Accusations frequently originated in Kirk sessions, the meetings of the official bodies of elders of the Church of Scotland. The church elders, who often held legal authority as well as religious authority, reported suspicions that quickly evolved from religious concern to criminal prosecution.

The authors expose the role of “witch prickers” and people such as Matthew Hopkins and John Kincaid, whose supposed expertise granted them immense power. These men used false instruments and intimidation to identify “Devil’s marks,” leading to dozens of executions. Their actions indicate how personal profit, sexual violence, and unchecked authority were disguised as justice. Even when these prickers were exposed, the damage had already been done. 

The book also places Scottish witch trials in a broader historical context by comparing them to the Salem witch trials. While far fewer people were executed in Salem, the events became a lasting cultural symbol of mass hysteria and persecution. The authors contrast this with Scotland’s relative historical silence despite its far greater number of victims, bringing to light how memory and acknowledgment shape collective understanding of injustice.

Evidence-gathering and trials for witchcraft were a deeply flawed legal process in which confessions, usually coerced, copied, or fabricated, were treated as irrefutable truth. Execution methods, including strangulation followed by burning, were public spectacles that fed on fears of the Devil’s influence. The section concludes with the life and death of Lilias Adie, whose likely forged confession and unmarked grave on the shores of Torryburn symbolize the erasure of victims, the exploitation of the deceased, and the lasting harm caused by fear-driven systems of power.

Part 3 examines how accusations and persecution of those deemed “witches” continues into modern times, which emphasizes the importance of remembering those affected. The section begins by continuing the story of Lilias Adie, whose grave was robbed in 1852 by Joseph Neil Paton and his hired crew. Her skull passed through several hands and was used as an exhibit piece and a tool of study, showing how even after death, the lives of accused women were exploited. The authors then explore 20th-century accusations through the case of Helen Duncan, a British medium and the last person to be prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Duncan’s trial illustrates how fear and suspicion persisted even as society modernized. 

In the 21st century, accusations continue globally. The UN has condemned witchcraft-related violence, yet in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, India, and China, vulnerable individuals (e.g., elderly women, people with albinism) remain at risk. Activists like Leo Igwe and Charlotte Baker work to educate communities, prevent harm, and advocate for those affected. The authors warn that societal panic and scapegoating persist today, urging people to resist oppressive structures and remember the lessons of the past.