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I must confess that I am not given to witchcraft, but
recently I came across a fascinating website which talks about the famous
Salem Witch Trials. Lemme not jump the gun and give you the background
instead. In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts was rocked by a series of bizarre
incidents related to witchcraft.
From February 1692 till April 1693, about 25 people died: 19 were executed
by hanging, one was tortured to death and at least five died in jail.
Over 160 people were accused of witchcraft and most were incarcerated.
Most accused came from the town of Salem and Salem Village (now Danvers),
and over 50 people confessed to witchcraft. Their neighbours, relatives,
jurors, ministers and magistrates were caught up in the legal proceedings
of what became the Salem Witch Trials. Interestingly, after the Salem
trials no one was convicted of witchcraft in New England.
So, why are we talking about it now? In 2002, Benjamin Ray, Professor
of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia created the Salem
Witch Trials website and since then, the interest in the place has heightened.
Log on to www.salemwitchtrials.org
and you will discover that the site tells an absorbing story about the
intriguing events of 1692. The website’s Documentary Archive and
Transcription Project consist of an electronic collection of primary
source material relating to the trials. These resources include court
records, contemporary books, and record books as well as images of the
original court documents. The site also has details of the key people
who played important roles in the trials and in the debate about the
legitimacy of the trials.
And now to the interesting and sad story of Rebecca Nurse. In the midwinter
of 1691/92, girls living in Salem Village claimed to experience horrid
fits. In late February, the village doctor concluded that the girls
were being afflicted by witchcraft. On March 19, 1692, the girls named
the frail 71-year-old matriarch, Rebecca Nurse, as one of their tormentors.
Rebecca was arrested. During her trial, 40 of her neighbours signed
a petition commending her exemplary character. She was at first found
innocent, but the jury reversed its decision when the afflicted girls
began to go into terrifying torments, and Rebecca was finally hanged
on July 19. Such details along with pictures and maps are available
on the site.
Why did this tragedy happen? Nothing about it was inevitable. Only an
awkward combination of war, economic conditions, congregational conflict,
teenage boredom, and personal jealousies can account for the spiralling
accusations, trials, and executions that occurred in the spring and
summer of 1692.
The website is still evolving and Ray is planning to have digital video
clips and sound recordings posted soon. In a Wired interview,
he says: "Technology allows us to pull together the pieces of our
past in amazing ways, juxtaposing images, text and maps that help us
make sense of the best and worst of the human story." And the best
piece of technology that is fast changing the way we live is powering
the Internet. What do you say?
Carry on surfing!
strehan@hindustantimes.com
