Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble

An cinematic image capturing the drama of the courtroom during the Salem Witch Trails, located in Salem, Massachusetts

Photo from: http://www.vulcannonibird.de/noni/films/crucible/court.jpg

Witchcraft. It is a seemingly antiquated notion. The majority of people alive today do not believe in disembodied spirits, potions, and magical incantations. Yet, in the late 1600s, hysteria broke out in the Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex counties of colonial Massachusetts. See, these people not only believed in the existence of witchcraft, they were horrified by it.

My trip to Salem, Massachusetts was eye-opening. Everyone is somewhat familiar with the story behind the legendary Salem Witch Trials. Essentially, what began as the hysterical, and probably attention-seeking, cries of teenagers evolved into the accusation and imprisonment of 180 townspeople – not to mention the execution, via hanging, of 19 villagers, and the pressing to death of an additional one. From an outsider’s perspective, it is difficult to understand how the nonsensical ranting of bored girls could turn into a large-scale witch-hunt. However, being immersed in the Puritan environment brings the society, driven by superstition and fear, to life once again.

I had the privilege of visiting Salem twice – once as part of a scheduled visit to Massachusetts, and another time as a trip specifically designed to investigate the historic city more thoroughly. See, I find the history behind Salem intriguing. In my opinion, it is unbelievable how far suspicious minds are willing and able to carry unfounded accusation. And Salem demonstrates this so well.

One of the predominate sources of information on the Salem Witch Trials is, appropriately, the Salem Witch Museum, located right at the heart of Salem, Massachusetts. What is so great about this museum is the sense of horror it invokes. As a visitor, you step back into historic Salem during that fateful year of 1692. Via life-size figures placed on stages with lighting and narration, you experience the Witch Trials of 1692. You witness the hysterical girls calling out the names of their victims. You sense the level of drama in the courtroom as an accused witch tries to defend him or herself again subjective evidence. You see the amount of havoc that a community wreaks upon itself.

What I find so fascinating about the history behind the Salem Witch Trials is how willing people are to believe the worse in one another. Equally interesting is how quickly a person will turn the finger on another, just to avoid being pointed at him or herself. I mean, honestly, the Puritan were so ridden with terror and distrust that they actually sent two dogs to death as the supposed accomplices of witches. As an exhibit at the Salem Witch Museum says, the equation for a witch-hunt is as follows: fear + trigger = scapegoat.