In Weyward, Altha stands trial for witchcraft in 1619. The timing is significant because it mirrors the peak historical period of witch persecution in Europe. Between 1560 and 1670, it is estimated that 40,000 accused witches (most of them female) were put to death. The Christian idea of demonic witchcraft and consorting with Satan emerged in the 13th century, though accusations were sporadic until the 16th century. While inquisitions, wars, and reforms were happening throughout Europe, witch trials were not universal and were concentrated in countries like Germany, England, and Scotland. They also reached North America through colonization, with the most famous American witch trials being the Salem witch trials in 1692.

The ferocity of the legal prosecutions during the mid-16th century is hard to explain. Various reasons have been given for the phenomenon, including mass hysteria, chronic petty warfare, anxiety over changing cultural norms, natural disasters, and the power struggle between Catholic and Protestant ideology. Contemporary feminist theorists argue that the changing social norms in this period—the enclosure of the commons in Europe, the emergence of capitalism, and strict Christian doctrines that dictated specific roles for women—converged into a patriarchal society that oppressed women. Alongside the Scientific Revolution, knowledge and practices that were typically passed between women, like natural healing, were viewed with suspicion.