The Witch Trials

“I looked, and looked, and this I came to see: That what I thought was you and you, was really me and me.” (Ken Wilber) When we look through the history pages and read about “The Witch Trials” --- it is hard to believe that people can be whipped up to such hysteria that they came to believe things that were just not true (or possible) --- and that people were executed for (supposedly) doing these impossible things.

I was ‘thumbing’ through YouTube and saw some clips about The Salem Witch Trials, and my curiosity got the better of me. About 3 hours later, watching nearly every clip on Youtube and looking through books, my curiosity was finally quenched. Today, with our scientific minds, it is hard to understand how people could believe such things. However, back in the 15th Century --- it was a different world!

Salem, Pendle, Valais --- these are just 3 of the many Witch Trials that spread through Europe from the 1400’s to the 1700’s. Henry VIII introduced the Witchcraft Act 1542 and during Elizabeth I reign, there was the Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts Act which made it a capital offence to practice witchcraft or to consult a witch. Today, in the U.K. Witchcraft is looked at as a ‘religion’ and is no longer illegal, witches being allowed to practice the craft in (relative) peace and quiet. In “True” Witchcraft, the saying goes: “An it harms none, do what thou will” --- in other words --- “don’t hurt other people!”

The Valais Witch Trials were the first. They started in 1428 in Valais (today it is a part of Switzerland). It started in the French-speaking Lower Valais and spread to the German-speaking Upper Valais. The trials lasted for 8 years. The use of torture was ‘reserved’ for those who were accused by 5-7 (or more) persons and they were accused of murder, heresy, sorcery and being in a pact with the devil. Some were tortured to death without even a confession, and those who did confess, usually did so under torture. They were accused of causing --- lameness, blindness, madness, miscarriage, infertility, killing and eating children, flying, turning into werewolves and being invisible, and destroying crops. All of these things we know today are just not possible, possibly a figment of the imagination, but back in that Century, people really believed these things. The trials went on into the 1430’s and it is said that hundreds of ‘victims’ were executed --- both men and women!

The Pendle Witch Trials started in 1612. The ‘witches’ lived in the area around Pendle Hill, Lancashire. 12 were accused and charged with the murders of 10 people “by the use of witchcraft.” Whilst one of the accused died in prison, 9 women and 2 men were charged and found guilty, with 10 being executed by hanging and one (eventually) being found not guilty. It was an unusual trial because it was well documented.

The story begins with Alizon Device asking a peddler for some metal pins, and when he refused, she cursed him. John Law (the peddler) suffered a stroke and accused Alizon> When it was brought before the Justice, Alizon admitted to being in league with the devil inorder to make John Law lame. When questioned further, Alizon accused her grandmother of teaching her witchcraft. When 4 other villagers died, their deaths were blamed on ‘witchcraft.’ Two families, who were enemies, the Demdike and the Chattox families, confessed to “selling their souls.” The trials took place in Lancashire on the 17th, 18th and 19th of August, 1612. Old Demdike, Alizon’s grandmother, died in the dark, dank dungeon. Jennet Device, only 9 years old, gave evidence against her mother, sister, brother and others. Some of these Pendle ‘Witches’ believed in their guilt. When faced with ehr accuser (John Law) in court, Alizon “fell to her knees, confessed and burst into tears.”

The Salem Witch Trials happened in Massachusetts between February, 1692, and May, 1693. Again, certain people were accused of ‘witchcraft’, interestingly primarily by teenage girls. Dorothy Good was 4 or 5 years of age when she was accused of ‘witchcraft.’

This is how the story goes: Betty Parris (aged 9) and Abigail Williams (aged 11) began to have fits, throwing things around the room, making strange noises, crawling under furniture and contorting themselves into peculiar positions. The girls said that they were pinched and pricked with pins but the doctor who examined them couldn’t find anything physically wrong. Other young women now began to behave in a similar way, and although examined by a doctor, no ‘ailment’ could be found.

As the ‘science’ of the day failed to give an explanation, people believed that there could only be one answer --- that the devil had touched them through ‘witchcraft.’ It is interesting that today, the girls actions could and would be looked at as a possible ‘coping mechanism’ because they had been abused. The girls' ages were between 9-12. Another possibility is that a fungus called “ergot” grows on rye, and rye was used to bake bread back then. “Ergot” is where LSD is derived from. Two possible answers that they just did not know back then. One last thought is this --- the girls may have just invented their ‘symptoms’ for different reasons. They may have accused others of ‘witchcraft’ to get out of trouble, not realizing what would happen.

The fact remains that ‘witchcraft’ was blamed. Three women were arrested and interrogated (what we would call ‘tortured’ today) without any representation. Tituba, one of the women, confessed to the crime of ‘witchcraft’ (this possibly was for self-preservation), and she named the other two accused women. If the person denied being a witch and was convicted, they were executed. If they pleaded guilty and showed remorse, their lives may have been spared.

More accusations were made, including Dorothy who was mentioned earlier. Teenagers accusing someone much younger than themselves --- how would the courts handle this today? The ‘hysteria’ now started because church members were accused, and if the devil could corrupt christians, no one was safe! The alleged ‘witches’ were arrested, brought before the local Magistrate, but they were not allowed representation and had to speak for themselves. How one earth could a 5 year old do this? The hysteria grew and the accused started to name others ( probably under ‘interrogation’).

Now, it was found out that some were lying, even admitting it. However, some of the teenage girls now accused the former minister, George Burroughs, who was arrested, accused and executed. The hysteria was surely out of hand! He recited the Lord’s Prayer before he was hanged, something that a ‘witch’ could not do (as it was believed), thus possibly proving his own innocence before he was killed. More than 200 people were accused, 30 were found guilty, 19 were executed by hanging --- 14 women and 5 men. Five people died in jail and one was pressed to death for refusing to plead.

Today, in this Century, it is so difficult for us to understand this, but we must remember that these people did not have the education that we, possibly, take for granted today. Plus, religion ruled their lives back then so a belief that the devil could corrupt people into being ‘wicked witches’ was very real to them.

On the 325th anniversary of the first executions, the city of Salem dedicated Proctor’s Ledge as a memorial to the victims who were hanged as this was where the ‘witches’ were executed.