These enchanting truths about the Salem witch trials are captivating

The start of the witch trials can be traced back to two girls, Abigail Williams and Betty Parris. They began to act unusually, experiencing strange fits and insisting that unseen spirits were tormenting them. A doctor was brought in to examine them, and finding no physical ailments, he suggested magic might be behind their disturbances. In reaction to this, the girls pointed their fingers at three women, a slave called Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osbourne, declaring them as witches. This event ignited the flame that rapidly spread throughout the whole community of Salem, creating a wildfire of suspicion and fear.

The trials back then didn’t look like what we think of as judicial proceedings now — no defense attorneys and stringent regulations about the evidence. They were held under the English law of that period and often, it was the person on trial who was greatly at a disadvantage. This led many to admit guilt just to avoid the hassle, despite being innocent. A peculiar aspect of these trials was that people admitting to witchcraft wouldn’t get the death penalty, though some of those who insisted on their innocence were executed.

The common method to determine if someone was guilty of being a witch was quite unscientific, to say the least. The most recognized of these tests involved tying the suspect’s finger to the toe on their opposite foot. Then, they would be cautiously lowered into a large body of water, which was generally a lake. It was firmly believed, if they managed to float, they were deemed to be witches, according to the rules. However, if they sank, they were considered innocent. While it might seem fair on the surface, as the chances of floating were slim, it was rather unfair. Even if they were pronounced innocent, it wouldn’t be much of a consolation if they ended up losing their lives by drowning during the test.

The next experiment was just as revolting as it was ineffective. It demanded the concoction of a “cake” utilizing flour derived from rye grains mixed with the bodily fluids of the individual suspected to be under a curse. This cake was then presented to a dog to consume. The dog was to be observed for any similar “symptoms” as the person thought to be cursed. Should the dog display such symptoms, it would be seen as confirmation of witchcraft. The dog was then supposed to identify the witch. Dogs were selected for this task, rather than say cats, based on the belief that dogs had strong ties with the devil.

The third trial was possibly the most brutal one since it gave the power to the person making the false charge to determine whether the accused was guilty or not. Strangely, the folks living in Salem thought when a person was spellbound, and they were touched by the individual who had bewitched them, the fit they were having would cease. Consequently, the person who was accused was asked to come and touch the people who had accused them when they were having a fit. And, as if by some cruel design, their fit would halt, thus solidifying their guilt in the eyes of the people.

In 1542, the British Parliament passed a law known as the Witchcraft Act. This law made it illegal to practice witchcraft, and anyone found doing so could face the severe punishment of death. Over the following years and even centuries, many local laws against witchcraft were also established. When it came to the Salem trials, the concept of due process wasn’t a big consideration. Individuals were often accused and then tried all in one day. In fact, one woman was even convicted and executed in as little as eight days after being charged.

In the past, it wasn’t just humans who got tangled up with accusations of witchcraft, dogs found themselves in the crosshairs too! In an incident from those times, a young girl pointed finger at her neighbor’s pet dog, claiming that it had cast a spell on her! Believe it or not, the dog was deemed guilty and, consequently, met an unfortunate end. Despite this sad fate, the local priest, Cotton Mather, cleared the dog’s name after its death, asserting that the creature couldn’t have been consorting with demons, because if it had been, it wouldn’t have died. Alas, his verdict served little purpose as it was delivered posthumously for the innocent canine.

About the subject of fair treatment and justice, or the lack of it, people often used torture as part of their so-called “trials.” There’s a famous case involving Giles Corey, a farmer. They accused him of witchcraft, brought on by three women – and it’s important to remember that men suffered accusations too. Corey decided not to cooperate and wouldn’t declare himself guilty or not guilty. Back then, they had a unique way of getting someone to plead – they would place a wooden plank on top of them and pile on heavy stones, more and more until they either pled or died. Corey’s unchanging response? Simply: “More weight.”

The Salem witch trials are probably the most well-known case of extreme fear taking hold in Colonial America. This awful event rooted itself deeply into the lives of the local people, leading in around 200 people being pointed out as witches, and between 140 to 150 were actually taken into custody. Surely, not every accusation was honest – some were misguided at best. A few people took advantage of the trials as an opportunity to get even with their foes or settle personal vendettas. What could be a more effective way to undermine someone you dislike, than by blaming them for something that is nearly impossible for them to prove wrong?

In the many years since the witch trials took place, numerous theories have been put forward trying to explain why the people of Salem fell into such a widespread panic. One of these theories that attracts attention deals with ergot, a kind of fungus that grows specifically on rye grains, which were a typical crop in Salem. This fungus usually flourishes during the wet and hot conditions that were common in that area. Now, if a person gets exposed to this fungus, they might experience things like spasms, terrible visions, and start believing things that aren’t real – symptoms similar to the so-called “fits” that the alleged witches experienced. Figuring out the real cause behind the hysteria might, sadly, be an impossible task, but thinking about it sends a cold shiver down the spine.

At a certain point during these witch trials, the process took a dark turn… no longer were accusations simply coming from townsfolk, actual witch hunters started making their presence known. These individuals, claiming to be champions of justice, went straight from house to house attempting to coax the good-hearted citizens of Salem into exposing their neighbours or family members as witches. Naturally, having these dubious figures show up at your threshold, insisting that you disclose information about those close to you, most likely led to even more unwarranted allegations. Likely, this was a result of the townspeople feeling frightened and pressured by the witch hunters.

In the late 17th century, people used lots of different types of proof during the witch trials, and some of it would seem really silly now. But back then, they were very serious. One of the pieces of evidence they considered important was something they called the “devil’s mark.” They thought it was a sign left on a witch’s skin after making a deal with the devil and they saw it as clear proof of wrongdoing. However, these marks were probably nothing more than spots or scratches caused by injuries or sickness, or just natural birthmarks.

In the midst of the craziness that was the Salem witch trials, not everybody was lured into the madness. Martha Corey, one determined woman, dared to voice her opinion against these trials. She even attempted to discourage the townsfolk from participating in them. Consequently, her bravery stirred suspicion, leading to accusations of her being a witch trying to hinder the trials, although she was a sincerely religious woman who never missed a Sunday at the church. Tragically, her husband, who ought to have supported her, contributed to her accusations. Eventually, Martha was found guilty and subsequently faced execution. Adding a harsh twist to the tale, Giles, her husband, who had once joined her accusers, ended up being accused of the very same crime shortly after.

During the trials, there were some really weird types of evidence that were allowed to be used in court. One of these was spectral evidence. This was all about the dreams or visions that the witnesses claimed they had, most of the time these witnesses were also the ones accusing others. They would say things about seeing the people who were accused of being witches in their dreams or visions. According to them, these supposed witches were always bothering them, even going as far as physically hurting them. For example, there was this dude named George Jacobs. A lot of people said he appeared in their dreams as a ghost and that he would beat them with his walking stick. Because of this kind of evidence, among other things, he was found guilty and he was put to death.

Reflecting on the severe conditions of this infamous time in America’s past, we find instances of significant intensity. We find the case of Giles Corey, who holds the solitary distinction of being the one and only person to meet his end by a slow and painful crushing by rocks. Equally noteworthy is the singular instance of an American pastor being sentenced to death by hanging. The pastor was George Burroughs, who had led the Salem community in the past but was later accused of being a witch, found guilty, and put to execution. The so-called proof for his alleged witchcraft? He was credited with exhibiting “feats of strength.” These were acts which were widely believed to be impossible without the aid of evil forces, such as hoisting a rifle merely by inserting a finger into the gun barrel.

Sir William Phips, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay back then, was the key figure who started and also ended the notorious witch trials. At the time these trials started, Phips was busy overseeing the building of a fort in the area that we now call Maine. While he was away, accusations of witchcraft were aimed at multiple well-known people, believe it or not, including Phips’ own wife. Shocked by these unexpected events, he decided that the special court that had been conducting the trials “must fall.” So, a different court was set up in its place. This new court, however, was told not to accept ghostly evidence. Over time, the panic and fear slowly began to fade away.

The place where it was said that 19 accused witches were hanged was just known as “Gallows Hill.” However, the exact spot of this grim location was lost in the mists of time… until 2016. That’s when the Gallows Hill Project, a group of specialists who sought to find the true site of these tragic events, finally solved the puzzle. They proclaimed that Gallows Hill was indeed at the crossroads of Proctor and Pope Streets in what is now the town of Salem. This spot has since been renamed Proctor’s Ledge and a monument to remember the victims has been established there. Unfortunately, the place where these unfortunate souls finally were laid to rest remains unknown to this day.

From February 1692 until May 1693, a really scary thing happened in Salem. Over 200 people were suspected of being witches during that time., that’s a lot of people! In the end, 19 of those accused turned out to be found guilty. They were punished by being hung. Out of those 19, 14 were women and five were men. There was also a man named Corey who was killed, not for being a witch, but because he didn’t want to say whether he was guilty or not. There were even more who died in jail, at least five of them. So, all in all, at least 25 people lost their lives during the Salem witch trials. That makes it the deadliest witch trial in all of American history.

There’s a common image we often see in movies and books about witches – especially those found guilty of casting black spells – being punished by fire. While not entirely made up, this scenario doesn’t match up with what actually happened during the historical event of the Salem witch trials. None of the witch trials in Salem resulted in this form of execution, since it was not a typical punishment method in Colonial America. This cruel and painful form of execution was sadly much more common in Europe, where it was used often to punish those accused of witchery.

Although the Salem witch trial of the 17th century certainly was the most violent, it wasn’t the only time such an event happened in the American colonies, in Europe, or even after the United States became its own country. In fact, nearly 200 years later, in 1878, Salem almost saw another witch trial. This time, a lady by the name of Lucretia Brown brought a lawsuit against a gentleman named Daniel Spofford. Both were members of the Christian Science group, and Lucretia accused Daniel of using his mind power to hurt her. The judge, however, dismissed the case, earning it the distinction of being the final witch trial in the U.S.

It’s truly fascinating how much people’s outlooks have shifted over the past couple of hundreds of years. Picture this – just a mere 325 years ago, individuals were sentenced to death on grounds as uncertain as what we might now think of as simple magic tricks. However, it’s a shocking reality that in some parts of the world, primarily Africa, witchcraft is still a grievous matter. Alarmingly, instances of witch hunts are not unusual even in recent history, as close as ten years ago. Tragically, people are often targeted and killed by groups of people due to this belief – sometimes these are children or those unfortunate ones suffering from albinism.

It’s amazing to see how much things have changed in the Western world, especially when it comes to our perception of witches, who have now become some of our favorite TV characters! One fine example is the classic television series, Charmed, which revolves around the adventures of the three Halliwell sisters. Then, there’s the delightful show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, where Melissa Joan Hart won hearts with her performance. This particular show has a recent version too, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, streaming on Netflix, featuring Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka in the lead role. It certainly makes one curious about what other topics, currently considered as utterly taboo, may transform into lighthearted small screen viewing in days to come…