The First Witches

An Extraordinary Story of Magic, Strife and Tragedy

'Brilliantly researched and compellingly told, this is chilling and thrilling in equal measure' Erin Goeres, author of Nineteen Days in Autumn

'Wonderfully vivid' Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch

'Compelling, unsettling and beautifully researched'' Estelle Paranque, author of Blood, Fire and Gold

In the year 1324, in the burgeoning town of Kilkenny, Ireland's second biggest town, there lived a wealthy, powerful woman named Dame Alicia Kyteler.

After three of her husbands died suspiciously, and with the fourth gravely ill, Alicia and eleven accomplices came under the suspicion of the local bishop, Richard Ledrede. A witch-hunt began. As with every tragedy, we start with the complication – the web of ideas that spread as malicious gossip – and then, the unravelling.

Through rich, creative prose, historian Anthony Bale reveals how this prosperous yet fractious town stumbled into these allegations, leading to the tragedy that befell Dame Alicia and her accomplices, resulting in one of the accused being burnt at the stake for her crimes against the church.

In time, Europe would be overcome by the “witch craze”. The hysteria that followed was by no means inevitable at the time of Bishop Ledrede and Dame Alicia, but their story bears many of the hallmarks of later witch-hunting. Here, in this small Irish town, was where the case against the witch was crystallised and its impact was felt across Europe.

With vivid and enthralling storytelling, this is a story that starts in a quiet Irish town and transports us across medieval Europe, from the countryside to the papal court, to discover the making of the witch.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.