"Witches'" Reputations in New England
I. Witches and witchcraft held a bad reputation in New England in the seventeenth century. People were very religious in the seventeenth century and believed that disease, natural disasters and bad luck were caused by magic by the devil. The “witches” were supposedly the causes of small pox, wars with Native Americans and Church strife through Salem Village. This also caused Tituba imagination.
II. The witches were believed to obtain crazy hallucinations, running around, and hiding under things which were believed to be the causes of vomiting, choking, and violent fits. The most interesting were the hallucinations Cotton Mather first started the ideas that this girl could possess witchcraft, could possibly use voodoo and or cause disease and war to spread.
III. The witches were identified by 10 quick ways:
1) If you make a "witch" cake and feed it to the dog and have the supposed witch watch it die, she will cry.
2) Weighing the supposed witch against a stack of bibles. If they were heavier or lighter, they were said to be capable of witchcraft. If they happened to weigh equal amounts, then the supposed witch is in the clear.
3) Checking the supposed witch for birthmarks, moles or scars was a definite sign of having communications with the devil. Or, they could prick your finger with a blade, and if the person did not scream or show blood, they were a witch. They were often guilty because the knife was always blunt.
4) If the person talks or mutters to themself, it was considered the person was trying to cast a spell.
5) If they can say the Lord's Prayer, they are guilty, and even if they cannot, they are still guilty.
6) Ask a lady who is hard of hearing if she is a witch while her good ear is turned away. She is a witch if she does not respond.
7) If a women has pets or is well associated with the animal, she is probably using it for witchcraft.
8) If the person uses sarcasm, take it literally because the person is guilty.
9) If the person has dreams of Native Americans, they are accused of witchcraft.
10) If a women has been married more than twice, she is accused of killing her previous husbands and is killed.
II. The witches were believed to obtain crazy hallucinations, running around, and hiding under things which were believed to be the causes of vomiting, choking, and violent fits. The most interesting were the hallucinations Cotton Mather first started the ideas that this girl could possess witchcraft, could possibly use voodoo and or cause disease and war to spread.
III. The witches were identified by 10 quick ways:
1) If you make a "witch" cake and feed it to the dog and have the supposed witch watch it die, she will cry.
2) Weighing the supposed witch against a stack of bibles. If they were heavier or lighter, they were said to be capable of witchcraft. If they happened to weigh equal amounts, then the supposed witch is in the clear.
3) Checking the supposed witch for birthmarks, moles or scars was a definite sign of having communications with the devil. Or, they could prick your finger with a blade, and if the person did not scream or show blood, they were a witch. They were often guilty because the knife was always blunt.
4) If the person talks or mutters to themself, it was considered the person was trying to cast a spell.
5) If they can say the Lord's Prayer, they are guilty, and even if they cannot, they are still guilty.
6) Ask a lady who is hard of hearing if she is a witch while her good ear is turned away. She is a witch if she does not respond.
7) If a women has pets or is well associated with the animal, she is probably using it for witchcraft.
8) If the person uses sarcasm, take it literally because the person is guilty.
9) If the person has dreams of Native Americans, they are accused of witchcraft.
10) If a women has been married more than twice, she is accused of killing her previous husbands and is killed.