Last Person Executed for Witchcraft in Europe Cleared of Charges

[PPI Brian]

At long last justice has been served: More than 200 years after she was beheaded, Anna Goeldi was exonerated Wednesday of witchcraft charges. Goeldi was put to death in 1782, making her the last person executed in Europe for witchcraft. The Swiss village of Mollis, where she was killed, is now home to a museum on Goeldi.

Here's a link to the article: http://news.aol.com/article/swiss-clear-europes-last-executed-witch/150395

[PPI Tracy]

Wow.  That is what you call a backed up legal system.

[johnny]

Could you imagine all the women in Europe and America who were persecuted as witches. It's incredible to imagine.
"accused of causing a girl to spit pins and convulse" dang, how about "accused of causing a girl to curse and throw inanimate objects at him?"

[PPI Brian]

The Salem Witch Trials have always fascinated me. In the summer of 1692 ninteen men and women were executed by hanging on Gallows Hill outside of Salem Village, and one man was pressed to death with stones. When I visited Salem in the late 1990's just a few years after the 300 year anniversary of the trials, I learned that the trials took place in Salem Village, which was later renamed Danvers.

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

A memorial park was established in Salem Town with the names of the victims. Legal action was taken over the years to clear the accused of all charges, but I'm not sure if everyone involved has been cleared. Can anyone answer that question for me?

In the late 1970's a rational explanation finally surfaced regarding the cause of the witch hysteria: ergotoxicosis. Ergot is a fungus that is known to infect rye grain, and under certain weather conditions it can be almost impossible to prevent. The weather conditions in that part of the country were perfect for the spread of ergot. Here's a link about ergotoxicosis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism

[PPI Brian]

Could you imagine all the women in Europe and America who were persecuted as witches. It's incredible to imagine.
"accused of causing a girl to spit pins and convulse" dang, how about "accused of causing a girl to curse and throw inanimate objects at him?"

LOL! That's too funny, Johnny! 

[PPI Glenn]

A memorial park was established in Salem Town with the names of the victims. Legal action was taken over the years to clear the accused of all charges, but I'm not sure if everyone involved has been cleared. Can anyone answer that question for me?

Ummm....isn't it just a little too late to clear them of the charges??    

[johnny]

That's some interesting web information Brian, more than I've ever really looked into, I'm learning a lot from this thread already.  The original documents and accounts are really neat. Death by being crushed between two rocks? That's torrible! And the theory that the "convulsive" episodes of people during those times was caused by ergotism is an interesting theory, however couldn't have someone seen a pattern if it was their food supply?  like the town doctor maybe? most interesting stuff.

[PPI Brian]

That's some interesting web information Brian, more than I've ever really looked into, I'm learning a lot from this thread already.  The original documents and accounts are really neat. Death by being crushed between two rocks? That's torrible! And the theory that the "convulsive" episodes of people during those times was caused by ergotism is an interesting theory, however couldn't have someone seen a pattern if it was their food supply?  like the town doctor maybe? most interesting stuff.

Hi Johnny,

I agree; being "pressed" was a horrible way to die. Ironically, if the people pled guilty to witchcraft they wouldn't have been executed. The reasons why people denied the charges went beyond their personal convictions. The laws of the time forbade people convicted of witchcraft from owning property, so they would lose their homes and their farms. I'm sure some bitter neighbors accused one another of witchcraft simply to get their land.

I don't believe ergotized bread poisoning was well known at the time of the witchcraft trials, and the link between the illness and the food supply was probably never made. Although ergot poisoning had been documented for centuries, it wasn't described in what we would consider modern clinical terms until the mid 1800's, so it's not surprising that the people of Salem Village wouldn't know what was happening to them. The psychological effects of the drug are similar to LSD, so when the witch hysteria began people who are affected would have had difficulty sorting fact from fancy.

Here's a link regarding other medical explanations for bewitchment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_and_psychological_explanations_of_bewitchment

[johnny]

That's some interesting web information Brian, more than I've ever really looked into, I'm learning a lot from this thread already.  The original documents and accounts are really neat. Death by being crushed between two rocks? That's torrible! And the theory that the "convulsive" episodes of people during those times was caused by ergotism is an interesting theory, however couldn't have someone seen a pattern if it was their food supply?  like the town doctor maybe? most interesting stuff.

Hi Johnny,

I agree; being "pressed" was a horrible way to die. Ironically, if the people pled guilty to witchcraft they wouldn't have been executed. The reasons why people denied the charges went beyond their personal convictions. The laws of the time forbade people convicted of witchcraft from owning property, so they would lose their homes and their farms. I'm sure some bitter neighbors accused one another of witchcraft simply to get their land.

I don't believe ergotized bread poisoning was well known at the time of the witchcraft trials, and the link between the illness and the food supply was probably never made. Although ergot poisoning had been documented for centuries, it wasn't described in what we would consider modern clinical terms until the mid 1800's, so it's not surprising that the people of Salem Village wouldn't know what was happening to them. The psychological effects of the drug are similar to LSD, so when the witch hysteria began people who are affected would have had difficulty sorting fact from fancy.

Here's a link regarding other medical explanations for bewitchment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_and_psychological_explanations_of_bewitchment

Ahh, someone raised the some similar questions with the findings... altogether very interesting....

[PPI Brian]

Here's a link to a cool National Geographic interactive website about the Salem witch trials. Will you survive? Click on the link below and let us know how well you fared... 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/

[PPI Tracy]

Here's a link to a cool National Geographic interactive website about the Salem witch trials. Will you survive? Click on the link below and let us know how well you fared... 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/

I met my maker.

Guilty before proven innocent.  It's a familiar theme.

[PPI Brian]

Glad to know I wasn't the only one! And I agree; the theme is far too familiar!

[PPI Glenn]

Gee, Brian, why in the world would you say that??   :o

Glad to know I wasn't the only one! And I agree; the theme is far too familiar!

[PPI Brian]

Gee, Brian, why in the world would you say that??   :o

Glad to know I wasn't the only one! And I agree; the theme is far too familiar!

gee, I don't know... maybe I'm just paranoid... 

[PPI Tracy]

Gee, Brian, why in the world would you say that??   :o

Glad to know I wasn't the only one! And I agree; the theme is far too familiar!

gee, I don't know... maybe I'm just paranoid... 

Me too.....

[PPI Brian]

Thought I would resurrect this thread with a recent story:

Woman Suspected of Witchcraft Burned Alive
The South Pacific island nation of New Guineau has been the scene of recent charges of witchcraft and sorcery against a growing list of people. Several cases of torture and death following the accusations have been reported. From rural Papua, New Guinea comes this story of a young woman who was burned alive for her alleged connection to witchcraft.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/08/png.witchcraft/index.html