Witch Craft Witchcraft is a nebulous term and is hard to distinctly define as it is open to interpretation depending on the practitioner or scholar. As a practice, witchcraft dates back as early as the 10th century. However, it grew in prominence as a Renaissance phenomenon around the 15th century, said Fabrizio Conti, Ph.D., historian and lecturer in history at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. "We can define witchcraft as a series of beliefs that were put together by intellectual means," he said. According to Conti, historical interpretations of witchcraft depend on certain scholars. For instance, some believe all witchcraft shares the same elements and beliefs everywhere. However, others take an approach similar to historian Richard Kieckhefer, who stated certain mythologies in witchcraft are found in specific geographical locations and not in others, defining witchcraft as more individual, cultural and regional. Witch Craft : Crime Or Not In the 15th centur