In 1612 England, you could be accused of witchcraft for being poor, annoying, related to the wrong people—or, in one unfortunate case, simply having a wonky eye. This week on Twisted & Mysterious, Faren tells the story of the Pendle Witches, one of the most infamous and absurd witch trials in English history.

What started as a minor encounter quickly spiraled into full-blown hysteria, dragging two rival families into a mess of accusations, superstition, and “evidence” that would not survive even five minutes in a modern courtroom. We break down the trials, the wildly unreliable testimony (including a disturbingly enthusiastic child witness), and how fear, politics, and paranoia combined to sentence ten people to death. Were these accused witches actually practicing dark magic—or were they simply unlucky enough  ...