in the salem witch trials, how could they figure out if someone was a witch?

Answer 1

they had two methods..

1) tie a bunch of brick to them and throw them in the river. If they floated, they were witches, if they didn't...ooops! guess we were wrong, better luck next time

2) burn them at the stake. If they didn't burn, they were witches, if they did burn...ooops again!!!

guess how many people didn't drown or didn't burn.

Answer 2

During the Salem Witch Trials there were a few ways to "figured out" if a woman was a witch. One way was by throwing her off a cliff into the sea. Another, was by putting her under a boulder. And one more way was by tieing their arms and legs to four horses and having them run in different directions. If she survived then she was a witch and of she didn't then she wasn't. These "tests" came from the belief that witches were invincible. Most of these woman were just people who spoke up against the church in some way or who weren't acting like woman were suppose to act in those days. Quite and Uneducated.

Answer 3

Well from what I've learned the villagers would accuse someone then organize a trial based on that accusation.
But when they did wan to figure out if they were a witch they:
1. Threw them off a cliff (unless they can fly on a broom)
2. Kept them underwater (unless they can magically escape)

But in the end, as you figured out, they died and the people realized "oh, I guess they weren't a witch after all!" =_=;;

--->Accused witches were usually women, children and the insane.

Answer 4

From what I understand, Many who were killed in those were actually Innocent. Such decisions were based mainly on Fear & Ignorance. For example, if a person was seen feeding a black cat, they might be assumed to be a witch, & were killed ... when they were just feeding scraps to a stray!

Superstition stems from Ignorance of the facts, mixed with Fear of the unknown, which then becomes Assumption that the action &/or result involved, must be Evil ... Superstition can, & has, cost many lives!

Do Superstitions Control Your Life? :
- Life Under the Control of Superstition
- Do Superstitions Control your Life?
http://watchtower.org/e/20020801/article_01.htm

However, even if none of those killed in Salem were actual witches, that doesn't mean that the whole idea is just fantasy, as explained in ...

Is There Anything Wrong With Witchcraft? :
- What Do You Know About Witchcraft?
- What You Should Know About Witchcraft :
- - Who Dwell in the Spirit Realm?
- - Is Some Magic Good?
- - What About Evil Spirits?
- - Religion Based on Truth
http://watchtower.org/e/20000401/article_01.htm

However, if a person died while a terrible wrongdoer, but had not had the opportunity to learn about & choose God's way of life ... Such ones have the prospect of an earthly resurrection, to do just that ... (:

Will the Dead Live Again?
- The Resurrection---A Glorious Prospect
- - - Confusion About the Teaching of the Resurrection
- - - "Women Received Their Dead by Resurrection"
- - - Resurrections During Jesus’ Ministry
- - - Reunion With Dead Loved Ones---A Glorious Prospect!
http://watchtower.org/e/20050501/article_01.htm

Answer 5

After taking a witchcraft course in high school (offered by a witch) the p.r. is that witches were the persecuted victims and we wont let that happen again!
After watching a true story on the accusations of witches in a certain town in Mass. The smart "attorney" showed that the only people who were getting accused of "witchcraft" were those who owned land in this certain rich, fertile area. I forgot the name of the movie if it was called 6 coins for sister Grace or what, as it was years ago. It was determined that there was a guy who wanted the properties and hired these females to falsely accuse the families or atrocities. The lady who was accused but was aqquitted went on to live a long life but those who falsely accused her and others went mad or died shortly afterward. They did not have anymore trials in that area after that.
Like I said the P.R. would like us to believe that witches were the only ones killed for their pratices. What I learnt at church was that it was actually innocent bible believing people that were falsely accused.

Answer 6

During the trials, it did not matter what was done. If someone was accused of witchcraft, they were first tortured until they confessed, in which case they were usually put to death quickly, or comparatively quickly. If they did not confess, they were often dunked in the water with a 'dunking stool', under the belief that witches would either be able to breathe underwater or would be unable to dunk. The majority of those that were accused died at the stake. By burning. Not a pretty way to go.

Answer 7

Since they killed innocent women they chose to use anything that was unusual to them out of the norm. Maybe they discoverd the use of herbs even for healing and they saw that as a threat so they would say they were a witch. Thats is why they all died when they gave them a so called witch test. they died because they were just women. there were no witches just ignorant ppl.

Answer 8

There was also a collection of "Witch Prickers", which were prods and needles and knives and other assorted sharp objects with retractible blades that disappeared when you pressed on them. Surely you've seen the joke knives that come out around Hallowe'en, with the double-edged blades that disappear inside the handle. Same concept. The idea was if they "Pricked" you, and you were a witch, your magic would keep you from bleeding. Ain't that somethin'?

Answer 9

after declaring a woman a witch they would drown them in the lake the theory was that if they floated they were indeed a witch only then would they burn them at the stake but many women dyed as a result of drowning and only after they drowned it meant they weren't a witch so every woman that was falsely accused as a witch who actually drowned were given a proper funeral

Answer 10

They would tie rocks to them and try to drown them, if they drowned they were not witches but it was too late anyways but they just drowned an innocent person. If they floated then they were witches. Moles on the body were also seen as markings from the devil.

Answer 11

Witness testimony, and they would look for the mark of the devil.

The mark could be anything- a mole, a scar,,, whatever they wanted to say it was.

Some accused of witchcraft were allowed to live if they admitted they were witches. They had all they owned taken away from them and were cast out of the community- but they had their lives.