In the Salem Witch Trails, were any real witches?

Question

I dont need anybody to explain those trails to me, i've read numorous books and articles and seen many educational videos on it. So i know what happened.
i was wondering, though, if you think any of the people that were accused acctualy were witches?

to those who call me crazy for thinking their might have been witches: witches are real, im a christian too, and there is no article in the world that can prove that some of the people accused were or were not witches. Personally, i think Tituba (Titchiba, whatever you learned it) might have been a real witch.
*I am very aware of Betty and Abby, you don't need to remind me who they were*

and once again, i am a christian. I dont think its fair to use this question to bash christians. everyone makes mistakes, even christians; christians are people too; and stating that all christians are so judgemental and love killing is, guess what, judgemental. So stay on topic please.

Answer 1

Of course there were, do you believe that any court of law would convict a person of witchcraft were they not witches?

After all, if wood floats and a duck floats then a person who weighs as much as a duck and floats must be a witch.

I nor anyone can truly answer that question, the best I can offer is that apperently enough people did think that they were really witches.

Answer 2

I doubt any were Pagans which would have been the only real merit to make them qualify as a witch. Early America was for the most part an extremely Christianized environment at least among the colonizers- exclude natives and Africans.
There were several reasons that these people were accused of witchcraft and I understand you are knowledgeable on the subject. I find the most interesting to be the bread many ate had penicillin in it( obviously they didn't have preservatives) the mold from the bread actually made a person hallucinate (you could compare the experience to the hallucinogenic experience of eating cyclibin mushrooms. There pupils would grow large and they would have nightmarish visions, they probably acted terrified and it would be easy without the knowledge of food poisoning for a deeply religious community to mistake this hallucinogenic state for devil possession and a result in dabbling in the dark arts.

Answer 3

Greetings! I have read accounts of the Salem Witch Trials myself. I suppose it is possible for maybe one or two to have been delving into witchcraft, but the so called evidence produced against the defendants was so flimsy and transparent, it could only be interpreted by wildly gullible people who had no sense of critical thinking whatsoever as being "truthful".

This is another big example of what happens when someone or some large group takes a hard line fundamentalist (any fundamentalist ideology, not just Christian) approach, where there can only be one answer, with all others bound for hell and beyond.

Hope this helps. Take care.

Answer 4

The Salem Witch trials happened while the United States was still under the British control, we were not a country yet. The hysterical fear crossed the ocean from Britain. People accused other people out of jealousy, to get focal point away from them, young girls, trying to not to be caught in a action that was wrong at the time, accused others. If someone didn't like you, they would accused you. It was a sad time in the British history. One can understand, one of the reasons our Country was started, to have the freedom to practice religion.

Answer 5

NO - - - a true Witch is too clever for mere mortals to ensnare in their trap - - - in fact the 'real' witches were those that stirred up hatred & fear and then witnessed with grim satisfaction the victims of their 'game' garrotted & hanging from the gallows .... I do not doubt that a few of the accussed women were 'herbalist' & perhaps spoke to 'sprits' but in my view that does not taint them as 'true witches' though by modern Evangelical Christian American Standards they would be labeled & defiled & perhaps killed (Christians are real big about killing people - - - - odd)....

But to reiterate any true witches would have been the ones stirring the communitty against their enemies. Much more satisfaction in galvanizing an entire communitty to harming someone rather than cursing them with a case of shingles or warts......

Peace............. o o o p p p o o o p p p o o o

PS Happy Trails to You

Answer 6

No they were not. I don't mean to be rude but if you have read so many articles and info on them wouldn't you know that they weren't witches at all? They were women (and men) who were killed for standing up for what they believed in. They only labeled them witches to give themselves an excuse to kill them. Witches don't actually exist. I was fortunate to visit Salem last month and see the memorial and where they were all buried. It's quite fascinating actually from a historical point of view.

Answer 7

A small minority probably were real witches (unsafe time). A woman healer who simply used herbal medicines would have been treated 'as' a witch. Majority were falsely accused by enemies, mentally ill or very eccentric individuals.

Answer 8

Tituba was the only witch in the bunch. She was self proclaimed, honestly proclaiming the truth. the others were just women (and men) that were wrongly accused becuase those little girls din't want to get into trouble. a shame, really...

)O(

Answer 9

I spent a week in Salem...being a witch is serious business.

Answer 10

You mean trials, don't you? Yeah they were as real as Santa Clause, The Tooth Fairy, and Frankenstien's Monster. I hear that they're going to put Vampires on trail next!