Burgundy red embroidery Witch Hunt| Janneke Embroidery

They didn’t burn witches, they burned women.”

That’s what inspired this piece. A hand holding up a woman’s long hair and turning it into a witch’s hat.

I remember so well a school excursion to a history museum. There was a small section about the witch trials between the 15th and 18th century. I was fascinated, and as a child I thought it was so silly that they tested if a woman was a witch by drowning her, and if she floated, she was a witch… but what if she was actually innocent?

I didn’t think much of it at the time. Only years later did I realise they were all innocent women. Calling them “witches” diminished the impact of the femicide that was happening, and it’s still used today as a way to trivialize violence and aggression against women.

And on a less serious note: being called a “wizard” (a male witch) is considered a compliment, a wise, all-knowing master of their craft. Honestly, I aspire to be a witch myself these days, which I also take as a compliment.