Prophets as Witches - Dr Debra Parish

What did it mean to be a prophet or witch in early modern England? And why were women who claimed the power of prophecy vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft? As this paper discusses, in this period of religious and political pwoer conflict, the witch is transformed from a malevolent old woman to a potent symbol of disorder and rebellion. 

Image credit: Anna Trapnel, seventeenth century prophetess (© National Portrait Gallery, London, used with permission