This is what really happened at the famous Salem Witch Trials of 1692
When teenage girls has fits and accused neighbours of supernatural powers the first ever witch hunt began
BACK in 1692, a group of teenage girls claimed to be possessed and began accusing neighbours of practising witchcraft.
They sparked a witch hunt in the small community and, as hysteria rose, a court was created to condemn those believed to be dabbling in black magic.
Hundreds were accused of witchery and many were hung in the small American town.
Now former journalist, teacher and part-time Salem tour guide, Nancy Mades-Byrd, wants to reveal the truth about what happened during the horrific period.
She has started the Witch Hunt podcast with her husband Dan Byrd to delve into her obsession with witchcraft in Salem – where the phrase “witch hunt” originated.
She told : “It’s a fascinating story because it feels so surreal.
“How could essentially modern people believe that witches and magic are real? Why would they accuse their friends and neighbours of being in league with the devil? Did they have other, more nefarious motives?
“It’s a tragic story, but it’s an endlessly interesting story. And, of course, it happened here — where I live in downtown Salem.”
Nancy lives opposite the spot where victim Giles Corey was pressed to death for refusing to go to trial.
His wife Martha was accused of witchcraft when she publicly questioned the accusations of the girls who claimed to be possessed with the devil.
Giles believed his wife was innocent and spoke out, questioning the legitimacy of the Salem witch trials.
People then started to describe him as a dreadful wizard.
In a brutal execution, he was stripped, a board was put on top of his body and heavy rocks were slowly placed on top.
Every day, Nancy also drives past the scene where 14 women and six men were hanged for apparently practising witchcraft.
She said Salem was where the term ‘witch hunt’ originated.
Nancy said there were many misconceptions about the Salem witch trials and the truth had been lost in stories told over the centuries.
Were those executed actually witches?
Nancy said witches were never burnt at the stake and those condemned of witchcraft were only hanged.
She also reveals none of the people executed were actually witches.
“Every person accused, arrested, executed, was a devoted Calvinist Puritan. No one was practising Wicca or white magic or anything of the sort,” she said.
A Calvinist Puritan believes they’re the purist form of Christianity and don’t believe in having a Pope because God is the supreme being.
They have very strict religious rules and were often accused of witchcraft because they were outspoken and criticised the witch trials.
According to the book The Societal History of Crime and Punishment in America, historians speculated about why the witch hunts happened and why certain people were targeted.
“These proposed reasons have included personal vendettas, fear of strong women, and economic competition,” it said in the book.
“Regardless, the Salem witch trials are a memorial and a warning to what hysteria, religious intolerance, and ignorance can cause in the criminal justice system.”
Nancy also dismissed theories that neighbours were accusing each other to get their hands on more property.
“First, the majority of those executed for witchcraft were poor, older women who were not landowners. And, if you were indicted or convicted you forfeited your assets, but your property did not go to your accusers,” she said.
“In addition to being a religious crime, witchcraft was also a state crime. So, if you’re convicted, your assets are forfeited to the crown. Essentially, the King gets your property. But, there’s a bit of a qualifier here. It’s possible that if you’re executed and your property is forfeited, it might come up for auction at a price your accusers or neighbours could afford.”
Why were the girls having fits?
The group of girls claiming to be possessed by the devil had fits that people believed were not caused by natural causes and were worse than epileptic fits.
Some believe the girls were spoiled brats who were faking fits but Nancy says it’s not true.
She said: “There really isn’t a definitive answer as to exactly what prompted the accusers’ disturbing behaviours and accusations.
“There was the famous ‘ergot poisoning’ theory that came out in the 1980s and was almost immediately debunked.
“Ergot is a mould that grows on rye and when ingested, it has hallucinogenic effects similar to taking LSD.
“The Puritans grew and ate rye, so the theory went that the girls ate rotten rye and started seeing witches and demons everywhere. The problem with the ergot theory is that it doesn’t work.
"First, everyone in the household ate the same rye bread so everyone should have been poisoned, not just the teenage girls in the family. Second, you need moisture for mould to grow and there had been a drought the growing season before the witch hysteria.”
Nancy said the accusers were likely suffering from a mass psychogenic illness, also known as mass hysteria.
“It’s when one person starts to exhibit symptoms and others unconsciously pick up on it and start exhibiting those same symptoms,” she said.
“It happened before Salem with a group of 14th Century nuns who couldn’t stop compulsively dancing — some danced themselves to death. And it’s happened as recently as 2012 in LeRoy, New York, when a group of high school girls began exhibiting symptoms strikingly similar to the girls in Salem.
“Of course, in LeRoy, they were diagnosed and treated for mental illness, not witchcraft.”
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Why did some people confess?
During the trials, 55 people confessed to being witches, an incredibly dangerous thing to do.
Nancy said confessions confirmed the belief the Salem area was overrun with witches and put people at risk of being hanged.
“But your confession bought you time,” she explained.
“Confessed witches were kept alive in order to be used as witnesses against others. It worked, the crisis subsided before anyone who had confessed to witchcraft was executed.”
Are there any witches in Salem now?
Salem today boasts the largest Wiccan population in the whole of the United States.
About 10 per cent of people are Wiccan, a nature-based religion that is similar to witchcraft.
Wiccans perform rituals and ceremonies and shamanic practices to get in touch with nature.
There’s no book for Wiccans to follow like the bible and everybody has equal status.
Nancy said there were also many who practised witchcraft in Salem.
“I would like to think that practitioners of all religions are treated with respect in Salem, but I know that modern practitioners of the religion of witchcraft too often still come up against bias and ignorance about their faith,” she said.
More recent "possessions" have also lead to horrific deaths and a recent documentary examined the story behind the death of Janet Moses at the hands of her family.
For the Witch Hunt podcast visit
