The Heresy of Witchcraft in Western Switzerland and Dauphiné (Fifteenth Century)

This article proceeds from the hypothesis that witchcraft (or witch hunting) is best understood when one considers it as a heresy that succeeded other medieval heresies like Catharism and Waldensianism in the later Middle Ages. The author notes that, as with Cathars or Waldensians, research is shaped almost entirely by inquisitorial sources. She considers the recent historiography of witchcraft, looking at approaches which clarify the relation of concepts and stereotypes surrounding suspected witches to those that were associated with other heretics and protestants, especially Anabaptists