October Frights: Witches and Witch Trials

 October Frights continues! See participants here. Get some Halloween reads free here.

Witches are often one of the symbols of modern Halloween, but being called a witch had dire consequences in past centuries as the church persecuted mostly women in Europe and women were accused during the Salem witchcraft hysteria in this country. Some men also were swept up in the persecutions. (Image, pixabay)

Here are some books and sites that shed light on this dark past:

* Read the original documents of the Salem Witch Trials, plus maps

* Source records on European Witch Trials 

* Trials of witches and wizards, True accounts of trials in Scotland, etc. 1720 - download. (Image:Demons, 1720 - source: Wellcome Library, public domain)

 * Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, The Hammer of Witches, "witch hunt" manual submitted to University of Cologne in 1487. 

* See Malleus Maleficarum history and background. 

* Download Malleus Maleficarum @ wikimedia commons. (Image, Wellcome Library, public domain.)

Books:

 

Children of Salem, Robert W. Walker -  A spy working for religious organizations, Jere Wakely is summoned to Salem Village Parish, where it has become obvious to church authorities that there is serious trouble. He is reluctant to return to his hometown for many reasons, not the least being that his heart is broken and he's worried about running into his former lover, Serena Nurse.During his investigation, he has no expectation that their love will be rekindled. But their renewed passion parallels a greater fire--one of terror amid the infamous Salem Witch Trials. A witch hunt in this important election year of 1692 is backdrop to a romance filled with intrigue and mystery; the history is accurate, and the truth is disturbing yet fascinating.

Salem Witch Trials: A History from Beginning to End, From the court proceedings to the execution of 19 people accused of witchcraft. Topics include: The Puritans of the Mayflower - The Accusations Begin - Mass Hysteria in Salem - The First Executions -Corey’s Death by Pressing - The Legacy of Witchcraft in Salem

The History and Haunting of Salem: The Witch Trials and Beyond, Rebecca F. Pittman - Information on the trials, plus exclusive interviews with the Salem Witch Trial's top experts, and never-before-seen photographs and information about Proctor's Ledge from the experts and historians who located the actual site of the hangings. A focus on the paranormal activity happening in Salem is offered in The Haunting section. You will also find a nod to Hocus Pocus and other movies. Spotlights on the best lodging, restaurants, and tourist attractions are also listed, along with maps, and websites for further study.

 

The Salem Witch Hunt: A Captivating Guide to the Hunt and Trials of People Accused of Witchcraft in Colonial Massachusetts - Historic and fictional look at the people who were caught up in the Salem witch hunts.  

The Witch's Trinity, Erika Mailman - In 1507, when a severe famine strikes a small town in Germany, a friar arrives from a large city, claiming that the town is under the spell of witches in league with the devil. He brings with him a book called the Malleus Maleficarum—“The Witch’s Hammer”—a guide to gaining confessions of witchcraft, and promises to identify the guilty woman who has brought God’s anger upon the town, burn her, and restore bounty.

Güde Müller suffers stark and frightening visions—recently she has seen things that defy explanation. No one in the village know this, and Güde herself worries that perhaps her mind has begun to wander—certainly she has outlived all but one of her peers in Tierkinddorf. Yet of one thing she is absolutely certain: She has become an object of scorn and a burden to her son’s wife. In these desperate times her daughter-in-law would prefer one less hungry mouth at the family table. As the friar turns his eye on each member of the tiny community, Güde dreads what her daughter-in-law might say to win his favor.

What Were The Salem Witch Trials? Joan Holub -  (chldren's, educational) Something wicked was brewing in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It started when two girls, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, began having hysterical fits. Soon after, other local girls claimed they were being pricked with pins. With no scientific explanation available, the residents of Salem came to one conclusion: it was witchcraft! Over the next year and a half, nineteen people were convicted of witchcraft and hanged while more languished in prison as hysteria swept the colony. Author Joan Holub gives readers and inside look at this sinister chapter in history.