La Sorcière

by Jules Michelet

"La Sorcière" by Jules Michelet is a historical study published in 1862. Michelet presents a radical interpretation of medieval witchcraft as an act of rebellion against feudalism and the Catholic Church. Through imaginative reconstruction and historical episodes from infamous witch trials, he portrays witches sympathetically as leaders of a secret religion born from oppression. Though largely inaccurate by modern standards, this pioneering work was among the first to defend rather than condemn those accused of witchcraft.