Walpurgis: Of Witches, Mountains and Myths

Within this project I am researching the witch hunts in my hometown through an explorative game. Explorative games, often referred to as “walking simulators” are characterised by their lack of action. They invite players to question the predominant narrative and mode of play that we have come to expect within video games. Similarly, I question the two popular narratives of witches either feminist as icons of resistance or patriarchal as evil monsters, since they both fail to view these women as people.

Through archival research, I have learnt that in 1596/97 23 women were accused, tortured and finally burnt at the stake as a witch in Bad Windsheim in the rural South of Germany. The Petersberg, a local mountain, plays a central role in these systematic interrogations, and is to this day seen as a “witches mountain”.

Inspired by my own hikes, and footage I recorded on the mountain, I am trying to digitally capture the atmosphere in an explorative game. Within the game, players are invited to explore reflections on the narratives about the witch hunt through the landscape, artefacts and narration.