22. Jean Delvaux, a Belgian monk, lost his head for witchcraft
There’s a very strong link between historical witchcraft and insanity. Under no duress, and unexpectedly, a Belgian monk named Jean Delvaux suddenly confessed to being a witch in 1597. He said a stranger in the woods promised him wealth if he became a monk. The stranger marked him (definitive evidence of a witch in this period), and gave him poison to kill people. Delvaux also confessed to attending witches’ sabbaths. Naturally, the Abbot of Stavelot informed the authorities. They initially thought he was insane, but when Delvaux stuck to his story under torture they chopped his head off.
