The Salem Witch Trials – 1692 to 1693

During the Salem Witch Trials, which took place in colonial Massachusetts, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were executed. Others died from imprisonment.

Interesting facts

• Both men and women were executed for being suspected witches or practitioners of witchcraft.
• The oldest person who was executed was a man in his eighties, the youngest a four-year-old girl.
• Although popular in movies and folklore, no one was burned at the stake, immolation (sacrifice by burning) was illegal. Most of the convicted were hanged, except for one poor man that was crushed between rocks. Ouch.
• This fact takes the cake. Literally. Although there were many ways to test people for witchcraft, the weirdest method that we came across was a ‘witch cake’. The cake was made from using the urine of ill children and fed to a dog. If that child then reacted it was guaranteed that –  yep, you’re a witch. We’re interested in knowing what the dog thought about all of this.
• One of the biggest catalysts in the paranoia was a smallpox outbreak. There wasn’t an immunization at that time and children were especially vulnerable to the disease. People didn’t understand the disease, so they looked to supernatural causes. To them, an angry, vengeful witch was the most likely suspect. Other reasons included feuding families, those who didn’t attend church, and those who had a low tolerance for naughty children.
• Interestingly enough, every woman who confessed lived and every woman (and child) who denied the claim was hanged.

Europe

• The most active time of witch-hunting happened in Europe between 1550 and 1650. It is estimated that a total of 60,000 people (around 80% of them women) lost their lives in these trials. If you love statistics as much as we do, find more of them in this article on Wikipedia.
• During the witch hunts, it was a common practice to test if someone was ‘guilty’ of witchcraft by ordeal by water. Wonder what that is? Handcuff someone and throw them into the water – someone who sank was considered innocent, while someone who floated was considered a witch. Wild theories around this practice arose, which led some to believe witches were lighter than regular people and could just be weighed. Isn’t it ironic that today, women are encouraged to lose weight while just 600 years ago, being lighter than most people was a sign of witchcraft?
• The 30th of April in Germany is called Walpurgis Night (or “Witch Night”) as it has been believed for centuries that this is a night when witches come together, on one of the highest mountains in Germany (the Brocken), to celebrate. Today, witches on brooms are the symbol of this particular area and are sold as marionettes to tourists that want to celebrate witchcraft year-round.