Before Salem – A Collective Portrait of Witches

What sorts of people were most likely to be accused of witchcraft in 17th Century New England? Statistical analyses indicate that most “witches” had at least some characteristics in common. The typical witch was female; in North America, approximately 70-80% of those brought to trial were women. There is a scriptural basis for this, as there is for belief in witchcraft in general. The reasoning goes, just as Eve was tempted by the serpent, all women are easily seduced by the devil. Men are easily seduced by women; ergo, women at best were dangerous, at worst, evil.

The typical “witch” was between 40 and 60 years of age, and married, with few or no children of her own. Many of the accused were involved in medicine in some way, as wise women or men, as midwives, or as individuals with knowledge of herbal medicine. After all, the flip side of the power to heal is the power to kill.

Frequently, an witchcraft suspect had been accused on some previous occasion(s) of criminal activity, especially theft, slander, or threatening behavior. He/she was apt to be different in some way from local mores, dressing more flamboyantly, or breaking the Sabbath, for example. Often the individual provoked the jealously of others in the community, as when a woman owned more property that was usual.

Suspicion of witchcraft sometimes ran in families; if one family member had been accused in the past, whether convicted or not, his/her relatives were looked at with critical eyes by those who knew the family history.

Finally, the “witch’s” relationships with others tended to be contentious. His/her personality might be abrasive and prone to anger. Disagreements with others might occur frequently and be difficult to resolve. Sometimes they were involved in lawsuits.

As with most other human phenomena, there were exceptions to this profile. Rebecca Nurse of Salem, for instance, was generally well respected. Occasionally young children became implicated. But in most cases, there were clearly discernable signs that the accused was not considered a pillar of the community.

For other entries in this series about witchcraft in New England before Salem, see:

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/before-salem-first-to-die/

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/05/13/worlds-of-wonder-what-were-they-thinking-part-v/

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/worlds-of-wonder-what-were-they-thinking-part-iv/

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/worlds-of-wonder-what-were-they-thinking-part-iii/

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/worlds-of-wonder-what-were-they-thinking-part-ii/http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/worlds-of-wonder-continued/

http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/the-17th-century-mind-what-were-they-thinking/