Historically the term designated, especially for witches, the period within Western history in which there occurred intense burning together with various types of murdering of witches. This period is known for its bloody witch-hunts and crazes which extended from the mid-15th century to the early 18th century.

The specific crime of "witchcraft" has led to the installment of a huge legislation, courts and jurisdiction and consequently the execution of about half a million witches in Europe in the period of 1400 - 1792, the majority of whom were female, some male or even children, and the majority of whom were burned at the stake or hanged after being extensively tortured, an event unparalleled in human history.

Most of these victims probably would have viewed themselves as good Christians, and were not member of any secret cult: most of the confessions about secret meetings or convents can be shown to be the result of the torture on one hand, and the superstitions of the inquisitors on the other.

The Burning Times was one of the foulest periods in the history of Western Civilization, a time when reason and compassion gave way to prejudice and frenzy, when mere accusation or simply being "different" could result in the most sadistic and brutal tortures and eventually death.

The idea of burning witches, one of the cruelest forms of execution, is said to have originated with Saint Augustine (354-430), who said "that pagans, Jews, and heretics would burn forever in eternal fire with the Devil unless saved by the Catholic Church."

Witches, also were classed as heretics, during the time of the Inquisition. Heretics were not only disbelieves of the church doctrine, but, many also were accused of beings servants of the Devil by forming compacts with him to get his help.