In the autumn of 1907, a dark superstition took hold in the small Polish village of Wieliszew. It began with a peasant named Jan Zbroh, who harbored a grudge against his neighbor, Josephine Ziolhow. When Jan’s daughter, Marya, suddenly became too weak to get out of bed, she made a startling accusation: Josephine had bewitched her the previous evening, draining her of all strength. As worried neighbors gathered, Marya proclaimed that her mysterious illness could only be cured by a shocking folk remedy—she had to drink the blood of the witch who had cursed her.
This bizarre prescription for a supernatural ailment spread through the village like wildfire, igniting fear and fury among the peasants. A mob quickly formed and descended upon the unfortunate Josephine, beating her until she lost consciousness. The villagers then collected the blood that ran from her nose and gave it to Marya to swallow. Immediately after drinking the blood, Marya declared that she was completely cured, got up, and went back to work, leaving Josephine “more dead than alive.” The villagers remained unrepentant, convinced they had not committed a crime but had simply done what was necessary to punish a witch and save a member of their community.
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