Witches, Witchcraft, and Witch Hunts

The Salem Witch trials are constantly looked back on as an event that no one can exactly pinpoint the cause. There are many different theories as to what happened during this time, but at the end of the day, these are just theories. With that being said, there are a few common misconceptions that people having regarding the Salem witch trials. In this blog post, I want to point three main myths, and debunk them. First, many people believe the convicted witches were burned. However, with the exception of one, all who were sentenced to death did so by getting hung. The exception to this is Giles Corey, who we talked about in class, in which he was crushed under stones after refusing to plead guilty. Online forums constantly reiterate the fact that these Salem witches were in fact burned, but in reality there is no evidence to support this.  Second, another main myth people assume to be true is that all the victims were women. It is true that misogyny was at the forefront of many decisio

It wasn't until 1976, when Linnda Caporael gave the first evidence suggesting that the Salem witch trials began as a result of an outbreak of rye ergot. This is a type of fungus that produces hallucinations and was likely in the bread and similar grains the townspeople of Salem were consuming. Those who consume ergot may appear bewitched, when in reality they are just really high.  The common symptoms of ergot are paranoia, hallucinations, twitches and spasms, cardiovascular trouble, and stillborn children. To me, this sounds exactly like the symptoms exhibited in those who believed a witch had influence over them. Although, it is worth noting that some who were supposedly bewitched may have had ergot poisoning, while others were succumbing to the hysteria surrounding the situation.  Studies have shown that witch hunts rarely occurred when people did not consume rye. Witches and rye seem undoubtedly connected during this time period, and it would be hard to rule this out as a contr

To those who grew up in Abbeville, Alabama, the legend of Huggin' Molly is a common story told by parents who wanted their children home before dark. The old legend, which no one is exactly sure on its origins, states that a "phantom-like women" would appear in front of children, but only during the night. It continues by explaining that she would squeeze them so tightly (a fitting name of Huggin' Molly) while simultaneously screaming in their ears. To anyone, this sounds like an unpleasant time. Although, she is never have said to harm the children, but rather just be as obnoxious as humanly possible.  During the early 1960s, many Abbeville residents came forward with different accounts of Huggin' Molly sittings. Although, these sittings were likely a combination of shadows and one's own imagination, that have gotten passed down from each generation. No one in the town seems fully confident on the identity of this individual, and it is also still unclear why

If you've ever seen the Blair Witch Project , you are probably familiar with Moll Dyer. Arguably one of my favorite movies, the Blair Witch Project depicts the story a women who was driven out of her town by local townsfolk in the midst of a winter night. The movie shows how she know haunts those in the woods she died in, and it is said her soul still resides in the cabin in the middle of the woods.  Moll Dyer was accused of witchcraft in the 17th Century, yet, no evidence has ever been found of her existence. The stories and folktales of her do not all agree, and it is hard to pinpoint exactly who she was. The most popular story believed her to be an Irish noblewomen who attempted to escape a mysterious past by residing in a small cottage outside of Seymortown. Her isolated way of living drew attention to the locals, who later described her as a witch. When any misfortune happened to the town, Moll Dyer was to blame.  In the winter of 1697, the season wreaked havoc on the town and

Ursula Southeil, otherwise known as Mother Shipton, became popular in 1641, eighty years after her death, when her publication of soothsays and prophecies was brought into light. Of her most notable prophecies, which was published in 1684, stated that she was notoriously ugly. The women who gave birth to her spoke of a smell of sulfur and a large booming sound of thunder as the new child entered the world. In any circumstance, this is usually not a good sign. The text goes on to explain that the baby was born misshapen and large, with some believing that her father, who was not in the picture, was the devil himself. At the age of only two years old, her mother abandoned her. From an early age, Mother Shipton displayed psychic abilities, writing prophecies in the many different forms, largely poems. The legend she embodied was passed on through oral traditions, and is perhaps not entirely true. Although, many of her visions came true during her lifetime, such as the Great Fire of London

  Salem: Episode 1 After watching the first episode of the TV series Salem , a few key points stood out to me. First, I thought it was interesting to see the shows depiction of Tituba, who is much younger than the historical representation. Likewise, she appears to speak English well, which is contradictory to what we learned in class. In the show, Tituba is actually the one teaching Mary different magic spells, which is blatantly false from a historical lens. Based on this first episode, it appears as though Mary has a power element over the other characters, which could not be farther from the truth compared to those actually persecuted for witchcraft, who are helpless as they receive their sentences. The producers of the show have combined the characters of Mary Walcott and Mary Sibley to form a fictional character that remains in control at all times. Next, I think the target audience of this show is those who are seeking more of an entertainment outlet rather than accurate histori