One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was that Salem has a lot more history than the witches - who knew!? Nathaniel Hawthorne was from here as is the House of Seven Gables he wrote about. Alexander Graham Bell made his first long distance telephone call from Salem. The first elephant to be brought to America stepped foot on land in this small town. Some of the most infamous pirates were in this area. And the port of the small harbor town had once been a huge commercial hub, making the maritime history here important. Due to the large maritime activity, there was at one time lots of wealth, so large mansions are scattered throughout the small town. But none of those were why I wanted to visit.
I found the town an odd mix. In some ways, it was trying to distance itself from the horrors of the witch trials, highlighting all of these other reasons to visit. In some ways, it embraced the witches with cheesy witch shops and fortune tellers. And in still other ways, the community went above and beyond to embrace diffferences and teach about how fear of differences had caused such a horrible event here over 300 years ago.
Over 300 years ago, in 1692, in a strict Puritan community, something happened to two little girls. They threw fits and had trouble talking, perhaps something that today we might call a seizure or epilepsy. As a cure could not be found, people questioned the girls as to who was bewitching them. They pointed fingers at three women: one a slave from Barbados and two others who were not well respected in the community. Histeria broke out and neighbors began accusing each other of witchcraft because they muttered at them or their crops weren’t producing. Over two hundred people were accused of being a witch and put into jail. The conditions in jail were horrendous, and if you were lucky enough to be set free, you had to pay for your room and board in the jailhouse. Several people died while in jail due to the conditions. In the trials, judges allowed spectral evidence, which meant the accusers could say they saw things like the witch’s image flying through the air or attacking them. In one case, a woman was voted as not guilty, but when the accusers had such an out burst in the courtroom, they revoted and found her guilty. If you admitted to being a witch, you were spared, but of course the community shunned you. If you claimed not to be a witch, but were found guilty, you were hanged. One man wouldn’t speak at his own trial, so they pressed him with large stones for two days until he drew his last breath. Twenty people were killed, more died in prison and countless other lives were ruined because of this hysteria. It wasn’t until the governor’s own wife was accused that he finally stepped in, making spectral evidence inadmissible and the whole ordeal came to a close.
Why did all this happen? No one knows for sure. Sure, the Puritans believed in evil and probably witches. They believed the Devil could be found in many places. Perhaps those first girls were bored and wanted attention. Perhaps those girls really were sick and were guided into saying names that people wanted eliminated from the community. We may never really know for sure. But what we do know for sure is apprehension, fear and divisness can split a community and cause great harm.
The Witch Trials Memorial was beautiful and very moving. In a small rectangular plot of land, a short stone wall surrounds the four sides. On the longer sides, large stones stick out engraved with the name of the person who was killed, how the person was killed and when he/she lost his/her life. The ends of the rectangle are more open, designed to help us look into the past and into the future, learning from our mistakes. At the entryway, the ground is carved with final words of the accused, or words they spoke at their trials.
We visited the Witch House, one of the oldest homes still standing from the time of the witch trials, which showcases lots of information about the trials and what daily life was like at the time. The odd thing to me is much of what we learned about in the home, like home remedies and sometimes even the absolutely disgusting ways people used dead bodies for health reasons, seemed like witch craft, and yet, the very people who found these things normal, accused people of being witches.
The Dungeon Museum consisted of a short re-enactment of one of the trials, then a brief tour of a replica of the dungeon. With wax figures and dim lighting, the place could have easily been a haunted house even though it was showing the true horrors of the time.
But on a lighter note, the town embraces witches, knowing that lots of tourists come with pocket books for the witches. The small town of about 40,000 swells to three or four times that size every October. Shops have embraced Hollywood versions of witches, so the Wicked Witch of the West, Bewitched, Hocus Pocus and even Harry Potter are prominent in the gift shops. Shops sell crystals and herbs along with spell books and wands. Store fronts offer readings from tarot cards, crystal balls, palms or just about anything else you could imagine.
We had said from the beginning that we were going to get a psychic reading while in Salem. When in Rome, right? But then we had to decide where. Well, the oldest witch shop in America seemed most appropriate, right? I sat down in the back of the shop in a tall throne facing Snow, a beautiful, full figured woman with dark braided hair speckled with spots of white. She asked me a couple questions then had me shuffle the tarot cards. Then, I chose a few of the cards and she interpreted them. How much did I believe? I’m not completely sure. Most of what she told me, I liked, so I will embrace. Some was hopeful, some was supportive and informative. Could someone who can read people well probably have told me some of the same sort of general statements? Absolutely. But some were a bit more specific. When we finished, she picked some crystals from a cauldron for specific reasons for me. I’m to keep them on my left side and they will bring me luck and strength. Will I do it again? Probably not. Am I glad I had a reading done in the oldest witch shop in America in the heart of Salem? Absolutely.
Jesssica and I had a delicious fish dinner overlooking the harbor while we debriefed about our fortunes and advice from our psychics.
One of the top things to do in Salem is a walking tour, so we found one called the Hocus Pocus tour with great ratings and booked a nighttime tour. Our guide was an incredible story teller. She beautifully wove the true stories of the area like a murder story of the maritime days, modern day events of the town and of course the events of the witch trials. She also pointed out filming locations from Hocus Pocus like Allison’s House, Max’s house, the town hall where Bette Midler had sung “I Put a Spell on You” and the school used in several shots.
I’ve enjoyed traveling at this time of year, seeing how different places celebrate and embrace pride month. Salem, a place that at one time hanged people for their differences, seemed to be the place that went above and beyond to show that all were welcome. After all, Salem does mean "City of Peace."
I thoroughly enjoyed the day in Salem, and was very impressed by the small town. And sure, there was lots to see and do there, but it was of course the witches that left me spellbound.
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