Puritan Concepts ofPuritan Concepts ofthe Devil and Witchesthe Devil and Witches

During the During the 1717thth century and well century and well into the into the 1818thth century, belief in the century, belief in the reality of reality of witcheswitches was widespread was widespread both in both in AmericaAmerica and and EuropeEurope. .

Thousands of people were Thousands of people were executedexecuted during the period; and during the period; and few people ever questioned few people ever questioned whether or not witches actually whether or not witches actually existed.existed.

The only The only problem to the problem to the 17th century 17th century mind was how to mind was how to identifyidentify a witch. a witch.

Perhaps more than any other Perhaps more than any other group, the group, the PuritansPuritans accepted accepted most readily the idea of witches most readily the idea of witches in any society. Part of this results in any society. Part of this results from Puritans’ complete from Puritans’ complete acceptance of the contents of the acceptance of the contents of the BibleBible. .

They accepted every word of the They accepted every word of the Bible as totally accurate and would Bible as totally accurate and would allow no allow no debatedebate on this matter. on this matter. Moses’ pronouncement in Exodus Moses’ pronouncement in Exodus 22:18, “Thou shall not suffer a 22:18, “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live,” became a phrase witch to live,” became a phrase known to almost everyone in the known to almost everyone in the Puritan community. Puritan community.

In the play, In the play, The CrucibleThe Crucible, when , when Elizabeth and John Elizabeth and John ProctorProctor only only hint that it is not proven that hint that it is not proven that witches exist, the Reverend Hale witches exist, the Reverend Hale is shocked and cries out, “You is shocked and cries out, “You surely do not fly against the surely do not fly against the GospelGospel!” !”

In spite of 17th century In spite of 17th century advancements in advancements in sciencescience and and knowledgeknowledge, we see that there still , we see that there still existed a strong and determined existed a strong and determined belief in the reality of witches.belief in the reality of witches.

The concept of the The concept of the DevilDevil grew out grew out of basic beliefs of the Puritan of basic beliefs of the Puritan religion. The Puritans accepted religion. The Puritans accepted the story that the Devil was once the story that the Devil was once one of God’s one of God’s angelsangels who had who had fallen from grace. fallen from grace.

After being thrown from After being thrown from heaven for betraying God, the heaven for betraying God, the Devil set up a continual Devil set up a continual campaign to campaign to destroydestroy the the designs of God. This concept designs of God. This concept is used in is used in The CrucibleThe Crucible when when Reverend Hale mentions that Reverend Hale mentions that the Devil’s deception takes on the Devil’s deception takes on many forms, and if the Devil many forms, and if the Devil were able to deceive God, then were able to deceive God, then it would be easy for him to it would be easy for him to deceive deceive manman. .

The Puritans accepted completely the The Puritans accepted completely the doctrine of doctrine of originaloriginal sin and many sin and many sermonssermons emphasized that man was emphasized that man was born corrupt and born corrupt and sinfulsinful..

Man was depicted as Man was depicted as existing on the verge of existing on the verge of eternaleternal damnation and damnation and was seen as a potential was seen as a potential colleague of the Devil. colleague of the Devil. MinistersMinisters delighted in delighted in telling the members of the telling the members of the congregation that they were congregation that they were wormsworms, insects, , insects, dogsdogs, and , and filthy filthy beastsbeasts. .

Given the view that man is on the Given the view that man is on the verge of damnation and is verge of damnation and is bornborn evil and corrupt, it was then easy evil and corrupt, it was then easy for the Puritan to see a devil for the Puritan to see a devil hiding behind every tree ready to hiding behind every tree ready to traptrap and ensnare man. and ensnare man.

For the Puritan, For the Puritan, the Devil did the Devil did not work not work alonealone. . He employed He employed many legions of many legions of helpers which helpers which were generally were generally referred to as referred to as witcheswitches..

What a witch actually is and how What a witch actually is and how to discover one was never solved to discover one was never solved by the by the PuritansPuritans. The devil used . The devil used witches to help him gain his goal witches to help him gain his goal and a person became a and a person became a

witch by entering into some type witch by entering into some type of binding of binding contractcontract with the with the DevilDevil. .

Once a person entered Once a person entered into this contract with the into this contract with the Devil, that person would Devil, that person would attack other attack other innocentinnocent people. The people. The identification becomes identification becomes more complex when we more complex when we realize that a witch could realize that a witch could be be invisibleinvisible and could and could enterenter a person’s a person’s bodybody without that person without that person knowingknowing it. it.

Additional Additional difficulties arise in difficulties arise in discovering a witch discovering a witch when we realize that when we realize that the Puritan also the Puritan also believed that the believed that the Devil or one of his Devil or one of his agents could assume agents could assume the shape of innocent the shape of innocent people and then people and then tormenttorment another another person.person.

The tormented person then would The tormented person then would automatically accuse the innocent automatically accuse the innocent person of being a witch and this person of being a witch and this innocent person would be punished for innocent person would be punished for being in league with the devil. By this being in league with the devil. By this subtle means, the Devil would gain his subtle means, the Devil would gain his end of tormenting an innocent person end of tormenting an innocent person and of bringing and of bringing confusionconfusion into God’s into God’s world.world.

By an equally strange quirk of logic, once a By an equally strange quirk of logic, once a person person confessedconfessed to being a witch, then the to being a witch, then the person was person was freefree. This goes along with the Puritan . This goes along with the Puritan view that view that salvationsalvation begins by making an open begins by making an open confession of one’s sins, yet if a person were confession of one’s sins, yet if a person were actually a witch, he would have no qualms about actually a witch, he would have no qualms about lyinglying and could therefore confess to repentance so and could therefore confess to repentance so as to continue along with the Devil’s work. as to continue along with the Devil’s work.

Yet, one faction thought that if a Yet, one faction thought that if a witch confessed, then his soul witch confessed, then his soul could be saved; whereas another could be saved; whereas another faction believed that to confess to faction believed that to confess to being a witch would eternally being a witch would eternally damndamn a person. a person.

In conclusion, there was much In conclusion, there was much confusionconfusion and and disagreementdisagreement about how to detect a witch about how to detect a witch and just what a witch actually and just what a witch actually was. was.

The Puritans agreed The Puritans agreed only that witches came only that witches came from thefrom the invisibleinvisible world and sought some world and sought some means of making them means of making them knownknown to the visible to the visible world so as to world so as to destroydestroy them. In their attempt, them. In their attempt, many many innocentinnocent persons persons lost their lost their liveslives..

Only those recognized as true Only those recognized as true believers could join the churchbelievers could join the church

Only church members could Only church members could votevote

Church and state intertwined – Church and state intertwined – The duties of the judge were to The duties of the judge were to

uphold Puritan religion uphold Puritan religion (theocracy) (theocracy)

Private citizens were encouraged Private citizens were encouraged to report anyone who strayedto report anyone who strayed

Salem Massachusetts BackgroundSalem Massachusetts Background

Persons Typically Accused of Persons Typically Accused of WitchcraftWitchcraft

The poorThe poor The elderlyThe elderly The mentally illThe mentally ill The rude or The rude or

quarrelsomequarrelsome Anyone who lookedAnyone who looked

or acted “different”or acted “different”

Powers of WitchesPowers of Witches Witches Could:Witches Could:

read mindsread mindsforetell futureforetell futureraise ghosts of the deadraise ghosts of the deadput temptation in the path put temptation in the path of the godlyof the godly

Powers of WitchesPowers of Witches Her spirit could leave her body and Her spirit could leave her body and

torture her victims while the witch torture her victims while the witch herself stayed home (she could not herself stayed home (she could not prove her innocence)prove her innocence)

Image magic – make image of Image magic – make image of victim (doll or poppet) if witch victim (doll or poppet) if witch tortured image then victim would tortured image then victim would suffer (stick a pin in doll’s head suffer (stick a pin in doll’s head and victim would get a sudden and victim would get a sudden headache)headache)

Testing of WitchesTesting of Witches Puritans believed that the Puritans believed that the

only way to break a witch’s only way to break a witch’s power was to kill herpower was to kill her

Witch was tied up and Witch was tied up and thrown in a stream – if she thrown in a stream – if she floats, she is seen as guilty floats, she is seen as guilty of witchcraft – if she sank, of witchcraft – if she sank, she was innocentshe was innocent

Trial by ordeal (fire, Trial by ordeal (fire, dunking, etc…) – usually dunking, etc…) – usually luck if victim survivedluck if victim survived