A History of Testimony and the Meaning of Magic - Journal 1

    The first two weeks of class have been an exciting introduction to the world of witches and witchcraft. Reading the trial of Martha Carrier was especially fascinating for me. I have not had much previous experience in the realm of witch trials, and so the readings on Martha Carrier's trial helped me paint the picture of what these trials looked like at the time. It also was interesting for me because I hope to go to law school after graduation, and I have spent a lot of time observing in the courtroom. Obviously, Carrier's trial looks vastly different than the trials seen today. But still, I enjoyed reading through the testimonies given in her case and what "justice" looked like at the time. One of the biggest pieces of information I learned in these first two week is that when an accused witch pleaded guilty, she (or he) would never be executed. The only individuals who were executed/tortured/etc. were the people who pled innocent. What a twisted form of justice to think that pleading innocent automatically made you guilty. 

    In class we discussed the specific types of evidence used in Carrier's trial, specifically the use of spectral evidence. I had never heard of this type of evidence before, but after learning the definition in class it comes to no surprise that it does not hold up in court anymore. In fact, the impact of this type of testimony was further seen when we learned that the Salem Witch Trials ended because the new governor decreed that spectral evidence would no longer be accepted in court. It goes to show just how much the people relied on this type of evidence in order to put accused witches in jail - or lead them to execution. 

    Another type of evidence seen in Carrier's trial was the testimony of confessed witches, which we also discussed in class. I was surprised when I read that even Carrier's own children testified against her, having been confessed witches themselves. It is interesting to think about the unfortunate impact the witch hysteria and paranoia had on families. There must have been such a lack of trust within the society, even within immediate families. The third main type of evidence used in Carrier's trial was testimonies from neighbors, which even further emphasizes the distrust among communities during the time. I'm excited to learn more about the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials, and how people were able to transition out of that place of distrust, hysteria, paranoia, and fear, into a place where they could begin to trust their neighbors again. 

    When reading the first little bit of A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, I concluded that human history has a lot more magic in it than we like to admit. Starting all the way back with the Neanderthals, there has been a presence of some type of magic. While reading this book, I began to realize that perhaps I misinterpreted the word magic. When someone says the word magic, I think of magicians or wands or mythical creatures. I do not think of ancient rituals, burial practices, sculptures, and art. But after reading some of the history presented in this book, I am beginning to form a different perspective of what the word magic means.