In the spring and summer of 1692, the village of Salem, Mass., witnessed a series of events that neither the town, nor the country, has been able to forget. That year the New England community experienced an outbreak of witchcraft hysteria unique in the annals of American history. Since that fateful year, witchcraft and Salem have been as inseparable in the public consciousness as, well, Chicago and Al Capone.
The statistics are grim. Hundreds were accused and imprisoned for witchcraft. In total, 19 people were executed, one pressed to death with stones. The first victim was a young woman named Bridget Bishop. In those days, punishment, if not justice, was swift. Tried on June 2, the hapless victim was hanged a little more than a week later on June 10 on Gallows Hill. What caused the citizens of a small New England town to behave in such an extreme and violent manner?
Fear, superstition and ignorance. A handful of bored and impressionable teenage girls, afflicted with seizures and screaming fits, blamed the devil for their unexplainable behavior and pointed the finger at unsuspecting Salem citizens, mostly women. Many were loners and outcasts who, for various reasons, already were ostracized by the community.
The causes for the hysteria were varied and complex, ranging from political turmoil to town and family feuds and rivalries to religious differences. In the mid-1970s, one University of California study even suggested that the Salem witchcraft hysteria may have been due to the presence of fungus in contaminated bread, which led to waves of mass hallucinations.
For many years the citizens of Salem played up the image of their town as ”Witch City.” They still do. The witch industry is big business. A silhouette of a witch riding a broomstick decorates the Salem police cars.
”Witch City” signs are everywhere.
But this year is different.
This year the city of Salem honors the 300th anniversary of the Salem witchcraft trials not as a frivolous ”celebration” of a notorious moment in American history but as a somber reminder of the inherent-and still present-dangers of mass hysteria. Symposiums and lectures, theatrical productions and a museum exhibition will be presented throughout the year.
The Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Committee was founded by the mayor of Salem in April 1986 to prepare for the anniversary ”in ways that would educate the people about the trials and the impact it has on our lives in the 20th Century,” says Linda McConchie, executive director of the commemoration committee.
What can we learn from the Salem witchcraft trial?
”To respect each other`s differences, to tolerate each other peacefully and especially to respect and abide a due process of law and justice,” says McConchie.
Some sites and events of interest to present-day witch hunters:
Exhibitions, lectures
– The Essex Institute, 132 Essex St.; 508-744-3390: The Essex Institute collects, preserves and interprets the history and culture of the Salem area from the 17th Century to the present. The museum library also houses the original witchcraft trial documents. The museum shop is a good place to learn about the historical background of the Salem witchcraft trial. An exhibition, ”Days of Judgment: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692,” runs through Nov. 29. Original documents and artifacts from the trials will be on display.
A genealogy and Salem witches workshop will be Oct. 15 at the museum. The Essex Institute and the Salem Witch Museum will be co-sponsoring a lecture series titled ”Witchcraft and Witch Hunts.” The speakers and dates: Laurie Cabot, Salem`s most famous living witch, Sept. 17; Margot Adler, author of
”Drawing Down the Moon,” Oct. 22; John Demos on Nov. 12 and David Hall on Nov. 29.
The museum is open year round. Admission is $6 adults, $5 senior citizens, $3.50 children 6-16.
– Salem Witch Museum, Washington Square; 508-744-1692: Re-creates the atmosphere and mood of the events of 1692. Live stage sets bring the era to life, including a re-creation of the trial and executions. Translations are offered in Japanese, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Open: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $4 adults, $3.50 senior citizens, $2.50 children 6-14.
– Witch Dungeon Museum, 16 Lynde St.; 508-744-9812: Re-creates Salem Village during 1692. Re-enactments of the witch trials are taken from the original trial records. Also features a tour of a re-created 17th Century dungeon. Admission: $4 adults, $3.50 senior citizens, $2.50 children.
– Witch House, 301 1/2 Essex St.; 508-744-0180: Built circa 1642, the Witch House is the restored home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the Salem witchcraft trial judges. The preliminary examinations of the accused took place here. Open: July 1-Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 15-June 30 and Sept. 1-Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission: $4 adults, $1.50 children 5-16.
Events
– Aug. 5: Dedication of the Salem Witch Trials Memorial off Charter Street, next to the Old Burial Point. The speaker will be human-rights activist Elie Wiesel. The Old Burial Point is worth a visit, containing as it does the graves of a passenger on the Mayflower and another witchcraft trial judge, John Hathorne, an ancestor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Hawthorne changed the spelling of his last name to disassociate himself from the entire Salem affair.)
– Aug. 22: Harry Ellis Dickson, conductor emeritus of the Boston Pops, will conduct a concert with the North Shore Philharmonic on Salem Common in a tribute to the victims of the witch hysteria. 508-745-9595.
– Sept. 19: ”Learning from the Past, Building for the Future.” This daylong conference at Salem State College, co-sponsored by the Salem Community Alliance and Salem State College, will explore parallels betweeen the witchcraft trials and the problem of substance abuse today. Includes speakers and panel discussions.
Theater
– ”Tituba`s Tale”: Presented at Pickering Wharf during weekends in the summer, ”Tituba`s Tale” is an excerpt from ”Salem`s Daughters,” a play by Massachusetts playwright Wendy Lement. Wednesdays through Sundays Sept. 22-Oct. 21 at 10 and 11 a.m. 508-744-1692.
– ”History Alive. Cry Innocent-The People vs. Bridget Bishop”:
Vignettes of characters from the witch trials, at Old Town Hall on Essex Street. Performances are at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 24. Admission: $5 adults, $3 children.
– ”The Darkest Hour: Reliving the Witch Hysteria”: Lectures, slide shows and dramatic narratives that explore the individuals and events of Salem`s witch era. 8 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 28 at Lyceum Hall, above the Lyceum Bar and Grill, 43 Church St.; 508-745-6314. Admission: $5 adults, $3 children 8-18, free for restaurant patrons.
Tours
– 17th Century Tour; 508-744-0991: Bus tour of selected sites. Through Oct. 13 from various locations.
– Salem Trolley and Hawthorne Tours, 59 Wharf St.; 508-744-5463: One-hour tours of historic Salem. Daily through November.
———-
For further information about the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary, call 508-745-9595; for information about Salem attractions, contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 508-744-0004.
