With a grim fascination, we modern day witches and pagans look back into the tortured history of the past and
The Burning Times. I was fortunate to have a mother who not only was a witch, but studied in depth the history of Witchcraft and the times when no one was safe from accusations which could lead to torture or death. In grade school and beyond I always felt a lack of strong knowledge from my teachers when they talked about the Salem Witch Trials. We learned about the young girls who were "inflicted" by witchcraft, Tituba, the slave who was the first to "confess" of practicing witchcraft, and a few more "educational" bits that were scattered to us like seed for the birds. I'm not blaming the teachers at all. Teachers are told they have to talk about "x" subject with "y" factors and if they resist the system, then they are often fired. My brother is an English high-school teacher and I have gained great respect for the art of teaching.
But, back to the Burning Times, this year I decided I wanted to learn more about the background and history that lay hidden waiting to be discovered. Here are a just a few "facts" (I say this with a grain of salt) that I have found interesting or meaningful.
- A conflict between the people who lived in the West (farmers) part of Salem versus the people from the East (businessmen and store owners) part of Salem was so strong that the accusations of witchcraft became a weapon of choice. Historians believe that this was one of the flames that lit the match leading to the witch-hysteria.
In Colonial America, people were hanged for being a witch, not burned at the stake as many people still erroneously believe. However, in Europe, those who were proven guilty of being a witch were killed by burning.
- Giles Corey, a prosperous farmer and honorable church-member was accused of being a wizard and refused to confess to any guilt. In order to force a confession out of him, Corey was placed between stone weights over the course of two days. "After two days, Giles was asked three times to plead innocent or guilty to witchcraft. Each time he replied, "More weight." More and more rocks were piled on him. Three mouthfuls of bread and water were fed to the old man during his many hours of pain. Finally, Giles Corey cried out "More weight!" and died." (Giles Corey. (2010) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Corey)
- Tituba was an Indian woman, not (as commonly believed) an African slave. She was originally from an Arawak village in South America, where she was captured as a child, taken to Barbados as a captive, and sold into slavery. It was in Barbados that her life first became entangled with that of Reverend Samuel Parris. She was likely between the age of 12 and 17 when she came into the Parris household. She was most likely purchased by Parris from one of his business associates, or given to settle a debt. Parris, at the time, was an unmarried merchant, leading to speculation that Tituba may have served as his concubine. (Doug Linder. (2010) THE SALEM WITCHCRAFT TRIALS: A biographical sketch of Tituba from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/asa_tit.htm)
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| Graphic from: www.geminimoon.net |
There is so much history to still learn and recover from the times that we'll never completely know the truth about the "why's" and "wherefore's." I don't think though, that these historical facts are as important as remembering and honoring all of those who were condemned because of fear and envy. If you build a Samhain altar, now is a good time to place a token or a symbol to represent those who came before and ask for their blessings as the veil thins and the doors of communication now open.
Also be sure to check out this excellent
post from eWitch's Mother Moon to learn more about the whole Witch Trials, I love it!
Below is a half-hour documentary which I feel is really well made about The Burning Times. Blessings to you all.
