Witchcraft has been a part of ancient religions and pagan practices, often nature-based and focused on healing and divination. The portrayal of witchcraft as inherently malevolent is more a product of the Christian Church's view during the early modern period, especially during the most intense phase of persecution. Historians like Margaret Murray and C. L'Estrange Ewen have argued that witchcraft in its original form was not about worshipping the devil but about local pagan practices.