I went on vacation to Salem, Massachusetts. (Yes, I know I just got back from St. Augustine, FL, and Jacksonville, FL, and Luray, VA. Originally, I was supposed to go to Italy, but you know, the broken leg. Yes, I know you’re tired of hearing about it, and I’m tired of writing about it so let’s move on.)

So, What Did I Learn?

The Salem Witch Trials didn’t happen in a vacuum; they occurred against a backdrop of several traumas. First, since they drove out the Native peoples, any time they went into the forests to cut wood for building, or fires, they were hunted by the Natives. Second, they were on the verge of starving with the brutal winters. Third, disease like smallpox (which they brought with them from England) were rampant. And fourth, Calvinism was a harsh religion against the poor and especially women. When cows got sick or other problems arose, they needed a scapegoat. Witches. Mostly women, but some men, were hung (one man was pressed to death for refusing to plead guilty or not.)

We Don’t Want…Your Kind

Those hung as witches could not be buried in hallowed ground. In the Salem cemetery, none of the victims are buried-although the corrupt leaders who enabled their murders, were. Originally, the victims were buried near the trees where they were hung (Proctor’s Ledge). However, historical surveys showed no remains there, leaving people to surmise that loved ones had probably dug up the bodies and buried them on family lands. It took over two hundred years before a memorial was created for each victim and dedicated by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

Thou Shalt Not Gossip!

The pillories or stocks were generally used against women and children who gossiped, or didn’t ‘mind their own business.’ I guess men were exempt, since women were merely considered chattel, non-persons with absolutely no rights. (A widow, if she didn’t have a son or brother or other male to act on her behalf, could lose everything-the house, land, and any valuables.) To make up a bit for that injustice, I placed my husband in the stocks. Don’t worry, I let him out; it was our anniversary, after all.

Home Sweet Home

This is the house of Judge Jonathan Corwin, who presided over the trials and did nothing to stop the hysteria. It’s not entirely original, having been renovated and moved. It’s called the Witch House. It was closed, so we didn’t get inside, but I think the black exterior color is appropriate. Corwin’s mother-in-law was accused as a witch, but, she knew the judge and was wealthy.

Boil, Boil, All the Trouble and Toil

(It was so cold and my leather jacket was too light, so I had to wear my husband’s heavy leather jacket.) A total of 19 witches were hung with one person, Giles, pressed to death. Over 200 more people were imprisoned and awaiting trial when the governor finally called a halt to the trials. Salem was mortified and tried to hide its shame; very little that is original from that time is left. Around the 1950’s Salem embraced their past–and cashed in on the tourism business.

One Last Thing…

When witch spells call for “eye of newt”, they are not plucking the eyes from some poor reptile; the eye of newt is either a juniper berry or a mustard seed.

And that was my vacation. With distractions like vacations, election, physical therapy, etc. behind me, it’s back to my routine:

Monday: Writing

Tuesday: Critiques for critique group

Wednesday: Writing and revising my chapters from critique group

Thursday: Writing, queries, outlining

Friday: Short story writing/submissions

Whenever: social media/marketing/public relations

Let me leave you with a picture of America’s favorite witch (for too young people, it’s Elizabeth Montgomery who played witch Samantha Stevens in a TV show “Bewitched”):

(All information can be verified on various sources like Britannica, the Witch House website, and the many helpful guides all around Salem.)