Writer's Parlour

The occult, the eerie, and the stories that haunt us.
Explorations of dark folklore, supernatural themes, and unsettling ideas.
Plus handpicked horror reads and reflections from the shadowed side of fiction.

Spooky black and white landscape of of a forest.jpg

Women in dark cloaks with white headscarves stand by flickering lanterns, framed by rural houses and bare trees at dusk, creating a somber mood.

European and African Witchcraft: Healers, Heretics, and the Fear That Still Haunts Us

The witch is never just one figure. In 17th-century Europe, she was a scapegoat, accused of consorting with the devil. In Nguni traditions, the umthakathi was feared as a sorcerer who used ukuthakatha to harm. Yet, alongside them were cunning women, white witches, inyangas, and sangomas — healers who balanced fear with reverence. This blog explores the fragile line between healer and heretic, accusation and intent, and how The Girl Who Knew The Medicine was born from that hau

Cailynn Brawffe

Oct 6, 20256 min read