From the realistically tremendous scenes of " The Blair Witch Project " to the decidedly wholesome Glinda the Good Witch in the " The Wizard of Oz , " magical mavens are at the heart of some of our most long-suffering — and endearing — history . There are also modern - solar day practitioner ofwitchcraft , a terminus used to distinguish several different groups — let in Wiccans — most of whom centre on positiveness and using magic for good .
There was a time , however , when being conceive a Wiccan was a regular decease prison term . Take Salem Village , Massachusetts , in 1692 . Two unseasoned girls , 9 - year - old Elizabeth Parris and 11 - yr - old Abigail Williams , began take " fits , " which included body spasm and uncontrolled screaming . The townsfolk doctor diagnose them as being afflicted by " black legerdemain " and accused them of exercise witchcraft — a notion that did n’t sit too well in thePuritansettlement .
Contrary to legend , however , these so - called witch were not burned at the stake . In fact , none of the mankind , women or child accused of exercise witchcraft in Salem were vote out that way . Most likely , the recounting of the Salem witch trial became intertwine with fib of real executions by fervour in Europe .
During European hag trials between the 15th and eighteenth centuries , masses accused of witchery were commonlyburned at the post . now and again , they were hanged before being burned . The punishment was in accordance of rights with the Holy Roman Empire ’s " Constitutio Criminalis Carolina " natural law , which contended that the penalization for witchery was demise by flaming . church service and civil leaders led the bursting charge , carry through as many as 50,000 people across Europe in what is now France , Germany , Italy , Scandinavia and Scotland [ sources : Andrews ] .
So what really happened to the colonist accused during the Salem witch test ? Nineteen died by hang , their consistency swaying on the infamous Gallows Hill . ( Five were hanged on Aug. 19 , 1692 , alone . ) One senior man died when he was stoned with sullen rocks , and others died in jail while look for their solar day in court .
Bridget Bishopwas the first to be hang June 10 , 1692 , although her exact misdeeds seemed to amount to no more than rumor and surmise . Her case became a template for those that abide by . Bishop was accused by the girls " afflicted " with black magic , but she deny their claims . Then a witness come forwards to support the accusers , abide by by more townspeople who described late acts of witchcraft purportedly performed by Bishop . Bishop ’s run , and those of many others accused of witchery , ended with a shamefaced verdict — no matter how improbable the grounds .
During the Salem witch run , more than 200 people were accused of practise witchcraft , which amounted to nothing more than a lot of fingerbreadth pointing in a short timespan . The hysteria lasted little more than a twelvemonth before the local political science deemed the trials a mistake and attempted to compensate the families of those that were convicted and advert .
In 2001 , more than 300 years after 19 men and charwoman were put to expiry during the Salem witch trials , five cleaning woman were officially exoneratedby the commonwealth of Massachusetts , including Bridget Bishop and four others : Susannah Martin , Alice Parker , Wilmot Redd and Margaret Scott . The deed was approved by the state legislature and signed on Halloween .
