Her results are striking: Between 1520 and 1770, colder decades go hand-in-hand with more trials. It may be that witches were often blamed for bad weather or perhaps people just lash out in tough times. But whatever the case, similar studies have linked crop failures and lynchings in the American South.
Sadly, these deaths are not an historical footnote. In Meatu, Tanzania, half of all reported murders are "witch killings". And such murders have been documented elsewhere in Africa, Bolivia, and rural India. The difference between the historical executions and modern attacks are that a Tanzanian "witch" typically dies at the hands of her own family. The machete is the weapon of choice.
