What to understand
The idea that all accused witches belonged to one surviving pre-Christian religion was made influential by Margaret Murray's early-twentieth-century theory. Modern historical scholarship does not accept that reconstruction as an account of European witch trials. Students should know why an idea became influential, what evidence was originally invoked, and how later historians evaluated it. The historical importance of a theory is not the same as its factual accuracy. Learning to make that distinction also protects contemporary religious heritage from exaggerated publicity.
Your practical assignment
Write a one-page explanation of Murray's theory and its reception. Use a scholarly historical source and identify one reason trial evidence is difficult to interpret, such as coercive interrogation or regional legal variation.
Use this resource for context, and compare sources where possible. It is not an endorsement of all claims made in related traditions.
Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon ↗Reflection question
How would you communicate the cultural influence of a rejected theory without endorsing it?