So how old is Witchcraft really? The role of Margaret Murray in stirring the muddy waters of Witchcraft history This essay, again adapted-edited here from Master's degree studies (hence the writing style) will attempt to outline the debatable place and role of Margaret Murray in our understanding of the continuing history of witchcraft. Briefly, what Murray did was a 'folkloric' approach, using any available evidence from history, anecdote, mythology and folk custom to support her postulate of an unbroken chain of witch-beliefs and practices, based around a pre-Christian fertility cult dedicated to the Goddess Diana, enduring to the present day.