How where witches identified ?

Answer 1

In various insane and stupid ways e.g If they threw you into a pond and you floated, you were a witch (if you sank you were innocent and dead). If you had moles or a third nipple. If your neighbours wanted your land. If you had a cat or a goat or bad breath. It was pretty flexible, but by whatever method, **** sticks.
I'd recommend the film with Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder about the Salem with trials, the title of which escapes me at the moment. (It was a play by Arthur Miller written in response to the communist with hunts of the fifties, I think) Ah I remember, The Crucible
I got caught when I fell off my broomstick right in the middle of sunday service...

Answer 2

The witches in the Salem witch trials were just teenage girls dancing around a fire in the woods, chanting "love spells" so that the boys they liked would like them back. They were witnessed by a church elder and accused of "witchcraft". The religious community was so witch hunt happy that virtually any female behavior that was considered "odd" in any way was construed as witch craft. Many innocent women were executed for ridiculous reasons, and called witches to justify their killings. Look it up on wikipedia and find some reasons there.

Answer 3

One fun method was a branding iron in the shape of a cross. If it left a mark, the woman was obviously a witch (for God would protect a true and pure Christian woman.)
Far as I know, the witch hunters using this method always found witches, no Christians.

Answer 4

There were also some physical attributes that some believe were present only in witches. A third nipple, or "witch's teat" was supposedly used to suckle succubi, which I think is a child of a human and a demon. I think I've even heard that moles, some types of birthmarks, and extra fingers or toes were supposedly marks of a witch.

Answer 5

Were? Or are today? Today, the easiest way is that those who want to be identified generally wear a pentacle as a piece of jewelry or something.

In the past, many methods were used. A favorite one was to toss them into a body of water. If they floated, it was because they were witches, so you could execute them. If they drowned, they were not witches. They were still dead, mind you, but they could be buried in hallowed ground.

Answer 6

witches who worked for the devil were said to carry marks on their bodies as a type of seal of their pact with him. a witch mark could be a mole, a freckle, a scar, or a birthmark-all common features that could be found on any person. If a woman-no matter how innocent was accused of witchcraft she was examined and any mark on her body was declared to be a witch's mark and a definite sign of her guilt.

Answer 7

back in the day during the salem witch trials any woman who was smart was considered a witch. basically any woman who was smarter than a man in the sense of arithmetic, speaking, cooking, etc, she was considered a witch and burned at the stake.

Answer 8

if they were old ugly or a loner or a mark upon there body then you were a witch and to see if you were protected by satan theyed prick you with a needle funny thing was anyone pricked with the needle was a witch that was everyone because they were retractable so then theyed dunk you or hang you or burn you at the stake as in france

Answer 9

Back in the seventeenth century, if you wore make up or false teeth, then you would have been classed as a witch and probably drowned or burned alive.

Answer 10

One of my ancestors was a Salem victim. She was in her late 60's, and was heard talking to herself (she may have had a form of senile dementia). She died in one of the prisons.