you’ve seen the claim that “9 million women were burned as witches.” it gets repeated every october.
it isn’t true, and the real number is its own kind of horror. modern historians, working from actual trial records, put the executions across three centuries of europe at somewhere around 40,000 to 60,000 — and roughly 75 to 85 percent were women.
most weren’t burned alive either; many were strangled first, or hanged. the inflated number went viral because it felt righteous. but you don’t need to inflate this. tens of thousands of real women were killed on the word of a neighbour, a rival, a frightened child.
i think the made-up figure actually does the victims a disservice. it makes the true story easy to dismiss as exaggeration. what do you do with a fact that’s been lied about in both directions?
The viral claim that “9 million women were burned as witches” is false; modern…
Brief
Author @meishato debunks the recurring claim that '9 million women were burned as witches,' noting it resurfaces every October. Citing modern historians, they put European witchcraft executions at roughly 40,000–60,000 over three centuries, 75–85% female; most victims were strangled or hanged. The author argues the inflated number undermines the real victims.
Why it matters
The viral claim that “9 million women were burned as witches” is false; modern historians estimate about 40,000–60,000 executions across three centuries in Europe.
Key details
- Roughly 75–85% of those executed were women, and most victims were not burned alive—many were strangled first or hanged.
- The 9-million figure is repeatedly circulated (especially every October) and went viral because it felt righteous; the author argues the inflated number does a disservice by making the true deaths easier to dismiss.