We are of course talking about the time from around the 15th to the 17th century. By this time, the Church had become experienced in the act of execution against criminals and/or heretics. Many people died in this era, and it was a very sad time for women and young children of the Middle Ages.
Fiona Horne (in her book "Life's a Witch"[for southern hemisphere witches] or 'Witchin'" [for northern hemisphere witches]) sums things up very well when she states, "It is sometimes said that millions were tortured and killed after witchcraft charges but... historians believe this figure to be far too high". Silver Ravenwolf's estimate (her estimate is as good as any primary school child) is shown in a book of hers where she states that 9 million people where tortured and killed, mostly women and children. However, most historians will agree on a more realistic figure of 40 thousand to 100 thousand. Several sources suggest that it is a Wiccan's over-exaggeration that causes people to believe 9 million or more people were killed (Sources such as: Wicca: for the rest of us, and Why Wiccans Suck).
Most Wiccan websites will display some banner such as 'Never Again The Burning Times". What these website do not realise, is that the Burning Times were an attack on the threat of having woman gaining more power, and potential enemies. During the Middle Ages, women were gaining more power among the men, and therefore women were a threat to the manly dominance over everything that occured. Also, up until that time, and for a while to follow, a womans place was to either have children and raise them, or cook for her family.
There is no evidence that Christians were trying to wipe out Pagans. No mention of a religion called Paganism was mentioned. Pagan comes from the word Paganus (latin) which means country dweller or peasant. When the christians started their convertings among the people of the world, the country dwellers (or 'pagans') were not available to attend church or sometimes refused to listen to their new preachings. Hence, the word Pagan came to mean someone who is defiant of christian teachings, and this was what christians claimed to be eradicating, not the religion. Of course, the Christians could not have been trying to wipe out Wiccans or Wicca, simply because the religion was established yet, and the thought process was not invented at that particular time.
It must be noted that, yes, many women, men and children admitted to being witches, wizards, warlocks, magicians and the like, but this is not to say they were telling the truth. Hypothetically speaking, if you were dragged from your house into public and be made to kneel in the dirt street while the people scream curses at you while throwing fruit at you until you admitted to witchcraft, how would you feel? What about if the dislocated your arms and legs, stretched your body, whipped you, cut you, or poked you with red hot pokers?
Middle Ages version of a 'Witch' was not just a person who was old, a whore, or used herbs in day to day living. Any person who had any mark on their body could be tried for being a Witch, these marks are called "The Devils Mark" or "Witches Mark". Usually these were moles, burns, scars, strange birthmarks, outward bellybuttons, red or blue bruises, lumps near eyelids, (armpits or other body cavities) warts, tumours, protuberances, & discolouration. It is obvious that the people killed in the middle ages on account of witchcraft were not really witches, but people (usually women) who were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and messed with the wrong people.
To those who dwell on the death of their ancestors "The Witches from The Burning Times", likening yourself to the witches of the Middle Ages is basically calling yourself a devil worshipper, because thats what these alledged witches admitted to, is it not?