Multiple individuals were accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch trials of 1692, with different reasons behind these accusations. The process of identifying witches, the techniques employed to examine for signs of witchcraft, and the inclusion of other plausible explanations alongside specific allegations might have contributed to the conviction of these people. As stated in the book Witch-Hunt, a witch is defined as someone who made deals with Satan and willingly gave up their soul to obtain Satan’s power.
This power bestowed the witch with the ability to inflict harm upon their victims. The witch was distinguished from others due to their usage of “angry words” and possessing an offensive manner (Witch-Hunt, 34). This individual was rumored to nourish their pets with their unnatural breasts and be the cause of infant deaths (Witch-Hunt, 108). Those suspected of being witches are often linked to ritualistic practices, such as voodoo dolls or fortune-telling. It is believed that the accusations made during the Salem Witch trials originated from the ritual of an egg in a glass.
According to legend, nine year-old Elizabeth Parris used this apparently harmless ritual to predict her future. However, after glimpsing the shape of a coffin in her glass, peculiar possession-like behaviors started occurring not only to her but also to other young women (The Salem Witch Trials, 12). Apart from fortune telling, there are various reasons suspected to have contributed to the accusations of witchcraft in Salem. One theory suggests that the young girls and other residents might have consumed rye meal contaminated with Ergot, a fungus with similar effects to the drug LSD.
According to various theories, the young girls involved in the Salem Witch Trials may have suffered psychological trauma due to the shame associated with their participation in the rituals (By Faith Alone, 168). Additionally, there are hypotheses proposing that the trials were a result of a conspiracy driven by political or business motivations. Some believe that the expanding merchant community may have rejected the agricultural families, leading the latter to retaliate by making false witchcraft allegations (The Salem Witch Trials, 7).
For various reasons, numerous individuals were accused and subjected to witchcraft tests, which were both cruel and pointless. Though conviction for witchcraft required either confession or testimony from two or more witnesses, the accused were often subjected to a series of brutal tests (Witch-Hunt, 33). As per the Malleus Maleficarum, those accused would be stripped to search for the “witch’s mark,” which referred to various blemishes such as birthmarks or freckles (By Faith Alone, 169; The Salem Witch Trials, 12).
According to The Salem Witch Trials (31), it was believed that reciting the Lord’s prayer perfectly proved that a person could not be a witch, as Satan would not allow his followers to say the prayer. Another phenomenon, known as echomania, occurred when the girls directly encountered a accused witch. As Witch-Hunts in the Western World (140) explains, when the girls made eye contact with the witch, they would immediately fall into fits and claim to be tormented by the ghostly presence of the witch. Only when the accused witch touched the victim would the fits come to an end.
The hearings of many accused witches, including Tituba, witnessed such tests. Tituba, who was owned by Reverend Parris along with her husband, John Indian, was believed to be of Caribbean descent. The stories that Tituba told from her home, which might have included voodoo practices, could have potentially influenced the children she looked after to believe in possession. Nonetheless, it is unclear if this actually happened (Witch-Hunts in the Western World, 139). As Marc Aronson suggests, Tituba appears to have been an intelligent and adaptable woman who quickly learned from her owners (Witch-Hunt, 66).
Thus, when the young girls accused Tituba, she would have known exactly what to say. Tituba admitted to witchcraft, named additional witches, and even expounded upon the story on how she became a witch (Witch-Hunt, 81). She stated that she had seen Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne with a tall man in Boston and that it was they who made Tituba hurt the girls (Witch-Hunt, 82). Her story continued to describe birds that were the witches’ pets and how the tall man, which was then believed to be the devil, offered her nice things if she joined him (Witch-Hunt, 83).
The girls’ accounts of witnessing Tituba where no one else could were in line with the information provided in the book “Witch-Hunt” (67). Interestingly, as Tituba continued to divulge details about witchcraft, she began experiencing similar fits to the girls, as if Satan and the other witches were tormenting her too (82). Whether this testimony was authentic or merely a compelling performance, one thing is certain: Tituba did not perish as a result of the witch trials (82). In 1692, a total of two hundred individuals were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, and even today, the exact motives behind these accusations remain unclear (“A brief History…”).
There were various factors that may have played a role in the Salem witch scare, such as children looking for amusement and the influence of drugs like LSD. Despite whether the accusations were true or not, it is indisputable that something happened in Salem during that time which resulted in the most remarkable witch scare ever seen in United States history – possibly even worldwide.
Works Cited
The text talks about different books that are connected to the Salem Witch Trials. Some of these books include “Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials” by Marc Aronson, “By Faith Alone” by Bill Griffeth, and “The Salem Witch Trials: A Primary Source History of the Witchcraft Trials in Salem, Massachusetts” by Jenny MacBain.
During the Salem Witch trials of 1692, numerous individuals faced accusations of witchcraft. However, each person had different reasons for being accused.
The term “witch” refers to someone who has made an agreement with the Devil and now wields some of his power.
A. Witches can utilize various rituals for different purposes, such as: 1. Utilizing a sieve and scissors. 2. Employing egg white and a glass of water. 3. Utilizing voodoo dolls. B. However, it is important to note that witches are unable to recite prayers or partake in other divine rituals.
II. The accusations of witchcraft were sparked by several significant discoveries: A. The presence of fungus in the rye plant resulted in widespread paranoia. B. Many of those accused belonged to either the lowest or highest social classes, rendering them vulnerable targets who needed to be eliminated.
III. The tests employed to confirm witchcraft often inflicted cruelty upon individuals and held no real significance.
A. The accused witches’ bodies were searched for abnormalities. B. Witches, in the plural form and not possessive, were compelled to recite prayers flawlessly. C. People were often tortured or intimidated to confess. IV. Tituba, the Parrises’ servant, was accused by the family’s children. A. Being of Caribbean/African descent and likely raised in the voodoo religion, she admitted to witchcraft under intimidating questioning and also accused others. B. As the girls’ nanny, she frequently stayed alone with them. V. In conclusion,
