17th Century Witch Hunts as Inspiration for Today’s Youth

The Salem witch hunts and trials mark a horrid chapter of American History. The deaths weren’t necessarily in the hundreds – with nineteen people having been hanged, three pressed to death, and approximately thirteen left in prison to die. Many died by being wrongfully accused, others because they were pressured into admitting a crime, and others because of social stigma. This episode was one of mass hysteria that swallowed a whole town and gave the people an excuse to point fingers at those they couldn’t stand or at those who didn’t live according to the established standards. While the existence of witches in any type of society is a far-fetched idea, it can be assumed that the practicing witches from 1692 were insidious enough to stay hidden and pass on their knowledge before they were caught. Based on this assumption, I claim that modern witches and their traditions come from the surviving, practicing witches of the Salem witch hunts of 1692. (160)

Back in 1692 in the United States (and in 1541 in England) witches were seen as mainly women who did not worship the established god, who sought an alternate way of finding the truth about how all human beings are connected. Those who believe in God think we’re all connected as brothers and sisters; witches – or wiccans – believe we’re all connected via energies.

            Wicca is a religion with Celtic origins that has passed through Italy, Scotland, Ireland, and England. When English settlers came to the United States, they brought more than their clothing styles, traditions, and use of the language, but they also brought their religious beliefs. English witch hunts started in 1541 and lasted until 1547, and those who managed to not get caught passed on their knowledge and brought it with them to the New World. This would explain why the Salem witch hunts occurred more than one hundred years later. After this second holocaust was over, the survivors passed down their knowledge through oral history, traditions, and rituals.

            Today, these traditions and rituals have been severely contorted and are thought to be obscure and wicked. There are many organized groups who meet regularly and practice “the craft,” much to the dislike of those with conservative views. The significance of this issue lies in the fact that there are a myriad of misconceptions about Wicca being the study of the devil or of all things bad and obscure, when in reality there is much more depth to it. Wicca, in its Celtic origins, was innately good and a way to help those interested in an alternative to prayer. Those interested should not be discouraged because of misleading opinions and prejudices. (282)

Sources

• Ewen, L’Estrange C. Witch Hunting and Witch Trials: The Indictments for Witchcraft from the Records of 1373 Assizes held for the Home Circuit A.D. 1559-1736. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., LTD. 1929
• Garces, Maria Dolores. Telephone interview. October 26, 2010.
• Garces, Maria Dolores. Piedras y Platas Damasco. Blogger, August 26, 2010. Web. October 26, 2010
• Mather, Cotton. Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions. Boston: R.P. 1689
• Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, N.Y.: 1976
• Rosenthal, Bernal. Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. 1993

Misconception or Sad Truth??

In Silver Spring, Maryland lies a neighborhood that is almost entirely composed of apartment buildings. It happens to be where I live. While I lack some knowledge about the complete make-up of the neighborhood, I’ve noticed a distinct pattern.

            The neighborhood is made up of The Fields, Belvedere, and Forest Glen apartment buildings. These three are in close proximity to each other and are divided from the rest of apartment buildings by houses. Some of these houses are two-story, some one-story, and some even three. The buildings on the Belvedere block are three-floor pieces with three apartments on each floor. I’ve lived in one of these apartments for the past six years, and I’ve noticed a couple of similarities.

            When I first moved in, almost every apartment on my building was inhabited by a Hispanic family, with the exception of apartment number two, which is inhabited by Tim Joyce, one of the few white people in the building (excluding the manager). By the amount of Hispanic people I see when I walk in and out, I would deem it appropriate to assume that this building (and all others) is predominantly occupied by Hispanics. By the amount of Hispanic friends my sister has who live in The Fields, the same assumption would cover those buildings. This continues south of Georgia Avenue until the first houses are seen. Then we see more diversity. Houses there are owned by Hispanics, blacks, whites, and the occasional Asian.

            So, all this generates a question in my mind: what does this say about Hispanics? Is it creating the stereotype that, in this particular neighborhood, Hispanics can only afford apartments? Granted, there are some that have their own houses, but most of those are inhabited by two or more families. Is that saying that one Hispanic family alone can’t afford its own house? I would some day like to disprove that assumption.   

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