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Originally Posted by sieurin
Actually witch hystaria was more common in protostant countries than in Catholic, and the punushement for it more virilant.
I wouldnt go that far, but yes, the reputation for witch-hating from Pope & Co is greatly overemphasized, mostly because of prejudice, both from Protestants and from people of the Enlightenment who saw Catholicism as the example of horrible superstition. The infamous unexpected Inquisition ended witchhunting in Spain, for instance. It didnt fit with their doctrine.
Most witch hysteria was, as I noted, not something perpetuated with authorities, religious or not. They were started and kept alive by regular folks on a local scale. This is as opposed to the hunt for heretics, which would always have political overtones, especially Protestants on the lookout for Catholics and the opposite.
I have always wanted to play a campaign with "witchunters" in a world where actual witches exist but who is kept being troubled by peasants jealous of their neighbour for having higher-milking cows than themselves, etc. ...
Erik
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Numerically there were more witch trials, materials produced and persecutions in protestant countries. Part of the problem was that people in those countries whose actual religious beliefs hadn't changed with the reformation could no longer adopt practices that they thought protected them from witches and so were ready to accuse anyone of witchcraft to protect themselves.