The Cold-Weather Theory of Witchcraft
By CHRISTOPHER SHEA, New York Times DEC. 12, 2004

If she floats she’s a witch; if she sinks she’s innocent — but now drowned, alas. The witch trials that swept through Europe from the 1300’s into the 1700’s baffle the rational modern mind. Why Europeans suddenly concluded that many of their neighbors were casting curses and smiting their crops remains a historical mystery…