Book: Witchcraft In Salem Village In 1692 Together With A Review Of The Opinions Of Modern Writers by Winfield Nevins
Since the publication of witchcraft in Salem Village many writers have been speculating as to the causes which led to what they are pleased to call the "delusion/' or the "craze" or the "murder", of 1602. Hypnotism, spiritualism and various isms and ologies are suggested as causes for the outbreak in Salem Village. There a no agreement among the commentators as to the true explanation. Only as a person is wedded to some one of the theories does he see any connection between it and the unhappy affair of two hundred years ago.Some of them try to explain the Salem witchcraft by itself, as if it were a separate and distinct distemper from any other ever known. They overlook, designedly or otherwise, the fact that witchcraft was a known and fecogoised evil, crime, if you will, centuries ago, heiore even America was discovered by Columbus. The witchcraft of 1692 was not materially diiferent from that of 1300, except in detail and degree of intensity. There have been instances of witchcraft since then, trials, convictions and even executions. But the offense was called by another name, and the prosecutions were brought under diiferent laws.
What was witchcraft then is magic now, or siritualism, or hypnotism, or fortime telling. No one is now charged with riding to witch meetingB on broomsticks, or flying through the air as in 1692, but they are charged with "evil eye" "casting a spell" or otherwise working evil on some one against whom they are believed to have a grievance.
Suggested free e-books to read:
Winfield Nevins - Witchcraft In Salem Village In 1692 Together With Some Account Of Other Witchcraft ProsecutionsWinfield Nevins - Witchcraft In Salem Village In 1692 Together With A Review Of The Opinions Of Modern Writers
