Has anyone considered the entire movie to be the result of hallucination caused by ergotism? People would have convulsions like the little kids had and speak gibberish and see things when exposed to ergot. Psychosis, mania, seizures like the boy had are all symptoms that can happen. Since from the start of the movie we see that the grain is rotting yet because it's all they have, they have to eat. So they either turned on each other and/or died from ergot poisoning.
shareThe Witch actually incorporates both historical concepts of witchcraft. Literal witchcraft and the illusionist type of witchcraft, which act together. Just Wiki "Canon Episcopi" & "Summis desiderantes affectibus".
Interestingly a 15th century German cleric uses the example of drugs (herbs&wine) as evidence to underline the point that if natural substances can cause illusions, all the more Satan can.
https://youtu.be/irv3SN2E9nI?t=12m35s
That analysis certainly covered it. My opinion... I'm thinking so too. They were just overly devout that in the opposite effect, they lost control!
The movie COULD have been made about how the isolation and religious extremism resulted in their belief that their daughter was a witch, due to a failed harvest. They show the crops at some point, and it does indeed seem infected with something, so ergot could be an explanation. However, there doesn't have to be ergot, fanaticism and hunger could explain what happens. They excuse everything which happens as the result of sin or lack of faith - and witchcraft. Whatever the cause, it resulted in the girl herself believing that she was a witch, causing the deaths of everyone, because she (and they) snapped due to hunger (and perhaps ergot, but definitely hunger).
However, It seems the movie says that she was in fact a witch who made a pact with the devil.
At least, the movie shows the witch independently of the people. It shows that the goat killed the father.
The only problem is that we see the Witch killing Sam at the beginning with none of the main characters around so if they were hallucinating that is a cheat.
Also, some things would be highly unlikely or physically impossible. For instance, how did the stable get destroyed at the end? How could Sam disappear in the literal blink of an eye? How could a goat kill a grown man and why wouldn’t continue to go after the rest of the family?