Blight

Imagine a world gripped by environmental devastation and widespread disease. Men and women hold their beliefs close, looking to the stars for answers. The stars answer, or rather their appointed magistrates do, delivering scripture that describes humans with the power and intent to bring upon this destruction. United by a common enemy, society copes by scapegoating the vulnerable and underrepresented who fit this description. Historically, this has been the very foundation of the witch trials.

Blight focuses on the societal upheaval, involvement of the church, and economic downturn that resulted in witch hunting, reimagining these tragic events in the 21st century. 

Impetus

I began my research because of my personal interest in the witch trials, their prevalence across time and space, and impact on the feminist experience. The concept of witches became more widely known in the 16th century as witch hunts and trials gained momentum across Europe (Spoto). They often took place during times of great societal unrest resulting from disease, crop failure, economic instability, or other crises. Looking for an outlet, society scapegoated women and marginalized groups. My initial mission was to spread awareness through this game by imbuing the narrative and world building with the historical context of the trials. 

While researching the historical context of the witch trials, I saw parallels with the current economic and political environment and scapegoating of similar demographics in the United States today. As societal unrest has increased in severity, so has the movement against women’s rights.

I initially drew this connection when Dobbs v. Jackson took place, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. About two months later, Texas’s ban on almost all abortions went into effect. As a Dallas native with friends and family living there today, this was an incredibly eye-opening and devastating experience. I began to see an overlap between the current events and my research. Historically, women who were vulnerable to accusation had “knowledge related to first-hand sexual experience: Contraceptives and the woman’s reproductive system. Meddling in such affairs would have been considered blasphemous; therefore, the old midwife who helped out a young woman, either by promoting fertility, infertility, or aiding in an abortion, became a witch” (Spoto).

Could it be possible that we have entered an era of witch hunting in the 21st century? 

Sources can be found here