ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Werewolf witch trials

Okay, kiddo, so a long, long time ago in some places, like Europe and America, some people believed that witches were real and they did bad things like casting spells and making people sick. And some people also believed that werewolves were real and that they could turn into big, scary wolves.

Now, imagine if someone thought that a person was a witch or a werewolf! That could be really scary, right? So, some people back then thought that they should have a trial to determine if a person was guilty or not.

These trials were called "witch trials" and "werewolf trials". They were like a big meeting where many people came together to talk about what someone might have done wrong. People would often accuse others of being witches or werewolves because they had strange habits or did things differently from what others did.

If a person was accused of being a witch or a werewolf, they would be put on trial. The trial would usually have people give testimonies, or talk about what they saw or heard. Sometimes the judges would also examine the accused and look for physical signs that they were witches or werewolves, like spots or scars.

If a person was found guilty of being a witch or a werewolf, they would be punished. People could be burned at the stake or hanged for being witches. And for werewolves, people would often torture them or kill them.

Looking back, we now know that witches and werewolves aren't real and those trials weren't fair. We should always be fair and kind to people, no matter what they look like or what they believe in!
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