Bewitched by Salem

I have always latched onto stories of history that deal with the human element, ao of course the Salem witch trials burned into my young mind many years ago.  In history books that discuss bloodlines, politics, and machinery updates and war dates page after page after page, the persecution of witches stands out from the norm.  Unlike the chapter discussing pagan rituals versus the growing power of the Church, Salem epitomizes the historical conflict whereby superstition and hysteria reigned over an already difficult life in a new world, when evil truly conquered good as fear overtook reality.  Salem will forever be famously infamous for its 19 court ordered hangings (and 1 execution via being "prest to death" slowly under heavy rocks) of accused witches, guilty only of failing to confess to the crime.  Beyond the history, intermingled with the legends, are theories involving greed, desperation, envy, politics, religion, and even mycology (delusions induced by the toxins in a mould affecting the grain supply)...how much more intrigue could I ask for?

And so on my last trip to Boston, knowing it would be off season by possibly my last chance to view Salem with my own eyes, I was determined to make my way there.  Ironically, this was much easier to do than I expected.  I took the subway from my hotel to the North Station stop, paid $13.50 for a return trip to Salem on the commuter rail, and chugged along for about 40 minutes down the tracks to Salem.  A sleepy little New England town.

Commuter rail stop in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem appears harmless today, in our world of light and information.  But if I picture myself alongside it's still waters, rickety shacks, and spooky trees in the darkness of the colonial life in 1692, I could get a little creeped out by stories of witches and demons.

The burying point in Salem

In the summer I can picture the money flowing through all of the little sights around town.  The Witch House, The Witch Dungeon, The Griffin Theatre, The Witch Museum, Town Hall (which houses yet another witch museum), the house of Monsters, and even the Pirate Museum.  Fortunately for my pocketbook, all of these things were closed for the season, as were most of the curiosity shops.  While I managed to get a wonderful T-shirt for my sister (insert evil grin here), the only other thing I managed to buy was a coffee and Belgian Waffle at the awesome cafe across from what I can only call a witch supermarket, Hex.  Some of the only things open at 10am on a February weekday were the witchcraft stores.  The first one I went into was playing a Lifehouse song on the radio, so I deemed it not authentic.  Hex was just the right level to creep me out a little bit with all the voodoo dolls and all.  They were sadly lacking a cat, so I knew they weren't authentic either.

When in Rome...

This was after Feb 14...I can only assume Valentine's Voodoo dolls after Feb 15th, and that the gentlemen of Salem choose their Valentine's gifts wisely.

Inside the awesome cafe, the waitresses were wearing their best small town rebellion couture, demonstrated by one goth waitress and one in a 80's attire, oversize top with one shoulder out and legwarmers with a faded denim skirt and runners.  I left with a strange longing for 1990, and a smug satisfaction that my favorite old looks are still awesome, even if only in Salem.

Offers tours, but not in February

As in Boston, a red line marks the tourist path through Salem.  I followed it as far as I could wander, mostly taking pictures of the closed signs along the route.

The famous Witch Museum and Dungeon...closed of course

Which house?  The closed one of course.

Closed

Town Hall and Museum -- Closed

The only other thing roaming the streets of Salem was a squirrel.

Just a squirrel looking for nuts...and it found me

The Burying Point

Fortunately the burial ground is open during daylight hour.  This old cemetery is noted more for housing the judge of the witch trials than the witches themselves.  A second cemetery is located outside of town (in 1692 there was Salem Town and Salem Village, modern Salem is Salem Town).  And of course in the center of the burial grounds is the obligatory creepy old tree, twisted like the souls of its residents of the period no doubt.  Liked the tree so much you get it in both black and white at the beginning of the blog and color now.

Twisted tree growing above some of the twisted souls that condemned 20 to die in Salem in 1692

The Witch Memorial is a quiet clearing of trees with some words inscribed in the ground and a nearby wall.  While the snow obscured much of it, this area has stone benches, each inscribed with the name of on of the executed, their date and method of execution.  In this small village, where over 200 were accused of witchcraft, those who confessed to be witches were spared, so long as they named others who should be accused and tried.  Those who stood up for truth an denied the claim spared other innocents, but paid the ultimate price.  As many as 8 members of this small community were hanged on a single day.  Some of their words, recorded in court, will hold fascination for centuries to come I expect.  Mary Bradley saying "I do plead not guilty.  I am wholly innocent of such wickedness," and being sentenced to hang for her honesty and integrity.  Martha Carrier's logic "I a wronged.  It is a shameful thing that you should mind these folks that are out of their wits," fell on deaf ears as she was condemned and executed.  Margaret Jacobs told the courts that "They told me that I would not confess I should be put down into the dungeon and be would be hanged, but if I would confess I should save my life."  She too was executed.  And poor Giles Corey who saw his wife hanged in the first round of executions refused a trial when his turn came, knowing there was no winning...and so they piled stones upon him until he was crushed.  It is still a powerful history to think on, and one that changed many legal principles in its wake.

The Witch Memorial (note the benches in the walls, one with each victim's name)

Aside from it's haunting history, Salem also has a shipping history, and its earliest upper class were involved in trade.  I wasn't expecting to come across this beautiful ship, but low and behold I found the USS Friendship peacefully docked on glimmering waters.  It turns out the Friendship was built in the wooden building by where she sits now, back in 1796.  She sailed to China 16 times, as well as Sumatra, Java, Madras, London, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, and Archangel among her many trips to buy sugar, coffee, and exotic spices for the colonies.  She was captured by the British in 1812.

The USS Friendship at her birthplace in Salem

She's a beaut!

On one final stop, I found an open attraction.  The House of Seven Gables.  Having absolutely no idea what this was, I quickly shelled out $12 for the privilege to run to catch up to a tour that had just started.  The house of seven gables was a period home of a wealthy merchant in which Nathaniel Hawthorne had been a frequent guest, and due to the unusual nature of a home with seven gables, it became the title of one of his books.  On the tour, we learned about the roof structure that comprises a gable, and trekked up hidden staircases which were added on after Hawthorne's time to delight tourists who were familiar with the mysterious movements of one of the characters through the house, which was described in great detail apparently.  Nathaniel Hawthorne grew up nearby, and his birth home was purchased by the historical society and placed on the same property when it was set for destruction.  It's current location hosts another spooky old tree, which was obviously not outside his window when he was younger or his writing would have been creepier.  I did not know that he grew up in Salem, it kind of makes "The Scarlet Letter," almost more interesting knowing that one of his ancestors was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials.

The House of Seven Gables

View from the merchant's house

The birth home of Nathaniel Hawthorme

One last tidbit of Salem information -- the TV series "Bewitched" was filmed here for 8 episodes in June 1970 while its normal studio was repaired after a fire.  A statue of Samantha stands in Salem today.

Samantha from Bewitched

So that was my quick journey into, and out of Salem.  I was afraid they would keep me, but I made it out OK!  Despite being off season, I was still bewitched by the history and the quaintness of this little town, and glad I made the trip out betwixt my other obligations.