Carried away
Image courtesy of 3
Image courtesy of 3
Witchcraft in the Colonies:
Burning
(10.) Being Taken Away To Death
(11.) |
Even before the beginnings of the Salem Witch Trials, the Puritan presence (whom the trials largely affected) had a belief in the workings of bewitchery. Enchantment only occurred when the presence of a witch was near. (10. Witches,- according to Puritan belief, were servants of the Devil. They were followers of Satan, who used the people of Salem to perform and compete their satanic rituals. (11. When a man or woman was accused of practicing witchcraft, there were multiple trials they had to complete in order to be proven innocent.
The first trial was yet a simple one; it required no real work, nor effort. The accused had to stand before the questioners and recite the Lord's Prayer word for word. It seems easy enough, doesn’t it? One would think that almost, if not everybody, could pass such an exam. However it’s documented that some individuals could through a sort of fit in the middle of the test. (12. They would scream and cry, writhing on the floor before the prayer could be completed. (You can imagine what would happen to them next.) The second trial, if you had made it thus far, was a physical examination. If the suspected had any birthmarks, warts, moles, or other blemishes they were convicted as a witch. This is because blemishes such as these were seen as possible portals through which the Devil could enter. (13. The next step was a written testimony which is nothing more than what's described. (14. Like the physical test, a spectral exam was concluded; Puritans (at the time) believed that Satan could posses any unwilling person. If a ghost or other spirit could be seen in the accused, then that said person was indeed guilty. (15. The last and final test was the confession. In many cases, it had been the only way of escape. (Ex: The accused slave Tituba had confessed to witchery, likely because she feared torture during questioning.) Any suspect who confessed were kept alive, but they were required to name the names of their said accomplices. (16. Written By: Aubree Nichols |