2007-02-01 18:23:20 · 7 answers · asked by Cinnamon 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/history/ergot.htm.
Two theories which have been proposed by historians, may be it was a combination of ergot poisoning and mass hysteria.
2007-02-01 18:43:34 · answer #1 · answered by joelle G 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mostly ergot poisoning but, to a lesser extent, society threatened by strong (not pagan) women. All of the female victims of the Salem Trials were from the Puritan society, with the exception of Tituba the slave. The first to be accused were not regular churchgoers, *and* they were independent women (one was a homeless woman, and the other owned her own land and married her own indentured servant, which just wasn't "done"). That made them the easiest targets, but that did not make them pagan. In fact, there's absolutely no indication that anyone accused in Salem (except again, Tituba, who was from Barbados and believed in some folk magics) was pagan.
2007-02-01 18:31:27 · answer #2 · answered by Vaughn 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A combination of ergot poisoning and territory envy. Most of the women tried as witches lived in the prosperous part of town, while the accusers lived in the not so prosperous part of town. It was a mix of ergot, paranoia, and secret economical envy. Once the girls started showing "diabolical" symptoms, the people in the bad part of town took that as an excuse to attack the other part of town because they had "witches." How odd that when they accused the judge (or reverend?)'s wife, the trials stopped and so did the "possesions."
2007-02-02 02:38:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bigotry: The Church always tried to get rid of educated non-believers, it still does in a way, trying to push Christians to discriminate and emarginate us; educated non-believers with a wide knowledge and a strong cultural background have always been 'dangerous' at the eyes of the church, because they can't control us, and we know more than we're supposed to;) Witches have never been evil, they've always been very smart women with a great knowledge, and that's why they've been persecuted and murdered by the Church;) it's all about power and control;)
2007-02-01 18:31:59 · answer #4 · answered by Love_my_Cornish_Knight❤️ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The cause was communal paranoia and mass hysteria, which in turn led to mob violence.
2007-02-01 19:24:04 · answer #5 · answered by ___ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
CAUSED BY BREAD MOLD IT WAS VERY COMMON TO FLIP OUT ON BAD FOOD POISONING IN THE TIME OF PERSECUTIONS AND HAVE OTHERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEONES PROBLEM~WITH LITTLE TO EAT IN THOSE DAYS AND ALL WERE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT
2007-02-01 19:22:58 · answer #6 · answered by bev 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
all of the above plus the religious majorites "need for control" through fear and scare tactics. a lot of factors go went into it, so I have read.
witches rock. please don't kill 'em.
2007-02-01 18:32:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋