History Main / BurnTheWitch

* In the short film "Jungle Drums", one of the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons'', Lois Lane had to endure being tied to a stake as part of an interrogation by Nazis in Africa.[[note]]The Nazis did have operations in Northern Africa, though they didn't venture far enough south to deal with jungles[[/note]] Taken captive after her plane crashes she's held tied to a chair and threatened with fire by Nazi operatives if she doesn't answer any questions. Naturally being Lois she declines to answer and they tie her to the stake and prepare to burn her until Superman arrives to save the day.

* In the short film "Jungle Drums", one of the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons'', Lois Lane had to endure being tied to a stake as part of an interrogation by Nazis in Africa.[[labelnote]]The Nazis did have operations in Northern Africa, though they didn't venture far enough south to deal with jungles[[/labelnote]] Taken captive after her plane crashes she's held tied to a chair and threatened with fire by Nazi operatives if she doesn't answer any questions. Naturally being Lois she declines to answer and they tie her to the stake and prepare to burn her until Superman arrives to save the day.

* In the short film "Jungle Drums", one of the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons'', Lois Lane had to endure being tied to a stake as part of an interrogation by Nazis in Africa(!)Taken captive after her plane crashes she's held tied to a chair and threatened with fire by Nazi operatives if she doesn't answer any questions. Naturally being Lois she declines to answer and they tie her to the stake and prepare to burn her until Superman arrives to save the day.

* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982''. Conan throws the witch into a fire and she instantly bursts into flames. However she does not die, but instead transforms into a fireball and shoots off into the woods with an EvilLaugh.

* In ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'', Conan throws the witch into a fire and she instantly bursts into flames.

** In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' is actually somewhat nuanced on the subject. There's a distinction between ''psykers'' and ''witches''. Psykers have an innate connection with the warp. There's always a chance they could be possessed, but they can (provided that they're strong enough, and receive the proper training, and are lucky not to attract a dangerous demon, they can survive). ''Witches'', on the other hand, are those who deliberately use rituals and spells to draw power form the warp, usually by making some pact with some malevolent warp entity or daemon. Also, inquisitors and witchhunters are very numerous and diverse. Some of them are diehard witch-burners, others are compromising pragmatists, others are severe radicals who will use witches for their own purposes. In fact, the Imperium needs psykers, Astropaths for communication and Navigators to guide starships through the [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace Warp]], and just about every branch of the Imperial military uses sanctioned psykers, there are even many Inquisitors who are psykers. While those who are too weak to use for those purposes can be fed to the GodEmperor. So, needless to say, a lot of Inquisitors try to take psykers who aren't involved with Chaos alive. If a witch is deemed dangerous enough however, they'll [[EarthShatteringKaboom burn the whole planet]] just to be safe. Outside of the Inquisition itself this distinction is almost completely unknown, and all psykers get lumped together as witches; the more sophisticated might avoid using the term for sanctioned psychers out of politeness.

* In ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers of Victory'', ComicBook/KlarionTheWitchBoy nearly gets burned by the women of Limbo Town after trying to warn them of the impending invasion by Melmoth, because the Croatoans have long been taught that there is no world beyond theirs.

* In the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Age|Origins}}'' [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII games]], Andraste was burned at the stake after her husband betrayed her to the Tevinter Imperium. The leader of the Imperium, Archon Hessarian, felt pity for Andraste in her final moments and drove his sword into her heart so she wouldn't suffer any longer. He became the first convert to the Chant of Light and helped spread it over Thedas. The Blades of Mercy are enchanted replicas of Hessarian's sword and are considered badges of honor in the Imperium. An inversion, as Andraste was burned ''by'' witches (well, mages).

* The passage of Exodus 22:18 from the Bible (and its quite popular King James variant mentioned as the page quote) was used to justify many a WitchHunt back in the bad old days. It should be noted, however, that the meaning of "witch" or "sorceress" back then primarily referred to someone who used bad and injurious magic, rather than all magic.

* The legendary origin of the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina_crista-galli ceibo]]'' tree and flowers is tied to this trope. It says that as the Spanish conquerors explored the lands of what's now UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}, the Guarani tribe opposed them fiercely; one of their biggest enemies was Anahí, an ActionGirl who used to be an ugly but kind FriendToAllLivingThings MysteriousWaif, but TookALevelInBadass to defend her people. When the Spanish finally captured poor Anahí, they burned her at the stake; according to different versions either [[DefiantToTheEnd she sang a last song as she burned to death]] and her charred corpse became a ''ceibo'' tree in the morning, or the flames refused to touch Anahí and she slowly turned into into a ''ceibo'' in front of the conquerors.

When a community with a superstitious mindset suspects someone in their midst of magical or [[StockSuperPowers otherwise unusual powers]], especially if unexplained stuff such as kids disappearing has been happening, their response will usually be to root the person out to take the blame and some burning at the stake.

Also see TheHeretic, who is also a victim of this form of justice, but with a difference: the Witch is sentenced to incineration for deadly supernatural activity, while The Heretic is similarly sentenced to incineration for religious ThoughtCrime. TheWitchHunter is a related trope, although a Witch Hunter is someone who hunts witches professionally, while this trope tends to refer to [[TorchesAndPitchforks an angry mob]]. See also KillItWithFire and related tropes for the logic (such as it is) for this.

* In AncientGreece and AncientRome, there were things that ''could'' be considered witch-hunts[[note]]Keep in mind that our modern conception of what a "witch" is [[NewerThanTheyThink actually developed around the Reformation era]][[/note]], but their word for "witch" could also be translated as "poisoner" (see, the above section on the KJV). In fact, it's possible they were interchangeable concepts back then.

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* An utterly bizarre example occurred with the death of the two last [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_auk Great Auks]]; apparently the last two individuals were killed because their capture occurred at the same time a storm came, leading the sailors to think the birds were witches.

** During [[TheHighMiddleAges the Middle Ages proper]] witchcraft wasn't a major crime -- 'cunning folk' were practitioners of low-level magic that were generally not persecuted legally, unless they were accused of cheating their customers out of the supposed effects of the magic sold. Lethal magic was treated essentially as a subsection of poisoning, and punished accordingly with death, though not by burning, while lesser offenses could only lead to a fine or corporal punishment. Only with TheLateMiddleAges and the publication of the infamous ''[[Literature/MalleusMaleficarum Malleus]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum Maleficarum]]'' did the mass witch hunts begin. Prior to this, the Church's position was largely that witches were not even real - or rather, that magic was not real, simply illusions of the Devil. The ''Malleus'' itself was banned when it came out as the heretical ravings of a lunatic, but unfortunately enthusiastic amateurs got a hold of it anyway, causing a boom among both Catholic and Protestant laymen.

* Translation:
** Interestingly, the passage quoted at the top of this page, from the King James Version, is actually a rather iffy translation. The term "witch" is a more recent invention of the English language, and of course no particular method of execution was prescribed. The word used in the original language roughly translates to "sorceress" with "[[MindRape one who twists the minds of others]] for personal gain" connotations. Though rulers who served God often stamped out ''all'' practitioners; this is why Saul had trouble finding one when he decided to actually consult one.
** Another translation renders the word as ''prostitute''. Sacred prostitutes often served the god(desse)s of the nations opposing Israel. They were seen as trying to tempt God's people away from him. Some may have practiced sacred rites.
** It's also possible that the original word was ''poisoner'', as there was overlap between the Greek and Latin words for "poisoner" and "witch"; King James was [[TheWitchHunter rather obsessed with witchcraft]], which may have influenced the translation.

* [[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/05/amnesty-calls-for-action-after-new-guinea-witch-burnings/ 2013 goings-on in Papua New Guinea]].

* UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc, who led the French army during UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar, was eventually captured by the English. She was put on trial for heresy in a KangarooCourt, was found guilty, and burned at the stake.
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'''Demon:''' ''[[SarcasmMode Lies?]] [[GodIsDispleased In your house of god?]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', Dracula's wife is burnt at the stake as a witch for the crime of being a woman interested in science. Dracula ain't too happy about that, and returns one year after she's killed to rain down bloody vengeance on the town of Wallachia, both [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge figuratively]] and [[RainOfBlood literally]].

The "swimming" of witches, one of the most famous methods of interrogating a suspected witch, had the virtue of being both pointless and redundant. Popular belief makes it out as a MortonsFork, saying that if the woman floated, that proved she was a witch, and they'd pull her out and kill her. If the woman drowned, that proved she wasn't a witch... but she'd still be dead. Actually the woman would be tied to a rope: if she did float, they would pull her out, and the fact would be regarded as incriminating. (Of course sometimes they wouldn't do this quick enough, and she'd still drown. "Floating" could also be achieved by trickery with the ropes). If she sank, they would pull her out and clear her of charges. The ducking stool is an unrelated, non-lethal device of punishment where a woman was dunked in cold water for being a public nuisance of some sort.

The "swimming" of witches, one of the most famous methods of interrogating a suspected witch, had the virtue of being both pointless and redundant. Popular belief makes it out as a MortonsFork, saying that if the woman floated, that proved she was a witch, and they'd pull her out and kill her. If the woman drowned, that proved she wasn't a witch... but she'd still be dead. Actually the woman would be tied to a rope: if she did float, they would pull her out, and the fact would be regarded as incriminating. (Of course sometimes they wouldn't do this quick enough, and she'd still drown. "Floating" could also be achieved by trickery with the ropes). If she sank, they would pull her out all the same, but cleared of charges. The ducking stool is an unrelated, non-lethal device of punishment where a woman was dunked in cold water for being a public nuisance of some sort.

The "swimming" of witches, one of the most famous methods of interrogating a suspected witch, had the virtue of being both pointless and redundant. Popular belief makes it out as a MortonsFork, saying that if the woman floated, that proved she was a witch, and they'd pull her out and kill her. If the woman drowned, that proved she wasn't a witch... but well, she'd still be dead. Actually the woman would be tied to a rope: if she did float, they would pull her out, and the fact would be regarded as incriminating. (Of course sometimes they wouldn't do this quick enough, and she'd still drown. "Floating" could also be achieved by trickery with the ropes). If she sank, they would pull her out all the same, but cleared of charges. The ducking stool is an unrelated, non-lethal device of punishment where a woman was dunked in cold water for being a public nuisance of some sort.

* ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime The Wheel of Time]]'': The Whitecloaks and their stronghold nation of Amadicia criminalize use of the One Power or simply training in the [[WizardingSchool White Tower]], and see all Aes Sedai as witches. Since only women can channel without going mad, this creates a ReversePsychology effect in Amadicia where men are more trusted than women to be healers even though male channelers are more dangerous, simply because the perceived threat of female channelers is far more present. In the past, the Whitecloaks managed to kill one [[TheArchmage Amyrlin Seat]], although a formal execution was considered difficult considering that she could actually channel the One Power. Instead, they had to opt for simply murdering the Amyrlin and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay hanging her body in the Fortress of the Light after she was already dead]].