- Cultural depictions of the Salem Witch Trials
Cultural depictions of the Salem Witch Trials abound in art, literature and popular media in the United States, from the early 19th century to the present day.
The Salem witch trials in literature
*"Rachel Dyer" (1820), by
John Neal (1793-1876)* American poet
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) wrote many poems about the episode, starting with "The Weird Gathering" (1831), and later, "Calef in Boston" (1849), about the public debates betweenRobert Calef andCotton Mather in the aftermath of the trials.*"The Salem Belle: A Tale of 1692", anonymous. Tappan & Dennett, Boston, 1842. See: [http://www.archive.org/details/salembelletaleof00bostiala copy at the Internet Archive]
*"Witching Times" (serialized 1856-57), by
John William DeForest (1826-1906)*"Lois the Witch" (1859), a novella by
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865), is based on the Salem witch hunts and depicts how jealousy and sexual desire can lead to hysteria. She was inspired by the story ofRebecca Nurse whose accusation, trial and execution are described in "Lectures on Witchcraft", byCharles W. Upham , theUnitarian minister in Salem in the 1830s. Historical figure Cotton Mather makes an appearance in the story.*"Giles Corey of the Salem Farms" (1868), a play by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)*"Salem: A Tale of the Seventeenth Century" (1874), an historical novel by D. R. Castleton (Harper, New York) See: [http://www.archive.org/details/taleseventeenth00derbrich copy at the Internet Archive]
*"Giles Corey, Yeoman" (1893), a play by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930)
*"The Witch of Salem, or Credulity Run Mad"', by John R. Musick. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1893. Historical fiction set during the witchraft trials.
*"Ye lyttle Salem maide, a story of witchcraft" (1898), a novel by Pauline Bradford Mackie (1873-?), Lamson, Wolffe and Co., Boston, 1898. See: [http://www.archive.org/details/yelyttlesalemmai00hopkiala copy at the Internet Archive]
*"Dulcibel: A tale of old Salem" by Henry Peterson, Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1907. Historical fiction.
* Various stories by
H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) are set in the fictional town ofArkham , Massachusetts, said to have been founded by refugees from the Salem trials. For example, in "The Dreams in the Witch-House", the witch Keziah Mason, whose house the title comes from, is said to have fled Salem.*"A Mirror for Witches" (1928) by Newbery-Medal winning author
Esther Forbes (1891-1968)*"Road to Endor" (1940) by Esther Hammand
*"
The Crucible " (1952), a play byArthur Miller (1915-2005), a commentary on the actions of theHouse Committee on Unamerican Activities andSenator Joe McCarthy .*"
A Break with Charity " (1992), a young adult novel byAnn Rinaldi (1934-living), takes the Salem trials as its main setting.*"Acceptable Risk" (1995), an adult medical thriller novel by Robin Cook (1940-living), with a plot that attributes the afflictions in Salem to an unusual mold that is rediscovered by present-day medical researchers.
*"Gallows Hill" (1997) by
Lois Duncan (1934-living) is young-adult fiction in which main character Sarah, and many others, turn out to be reincarnations of those accused and killed during the trials.*In the
Harry Potter book series, both the third and fourth, respectively "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban " (1999) and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire " (2000), both make slight references to the Salem trials*"Witch Child" (
2000 ) byCelia Rees *"I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembly, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony 1691" (Dear America Series) (2004), by
Lisa Rowe Fraustino (1961-living), is young-adult historical fiction set during the Salem Witch Trials*In "The Last Witchfinder" (2006), a historical novel by
James Morrow (1947-living), the Salem Witch Trials feature prominently.*"Oyer and Terminer," a sci-fi short story by Joe Masdon in the collection "Time Twisters" (Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, eds, DAW, 2007), is set during the Salem witch trials
*"The Lace Reader" a pschyological suspense novel, is based in Salem and refers to many aspects of the trials including the arrest of Bridget Bishop.
The Salem witch trials in popular culture and media
Film
*"
Maid of Salem " (1937): a film starringClaudette Colbert andFred MacMurray , withGale Sondergaard ,Louise Dresser ,Beulah Bondi ,Virginia Weidler , andMadame Sul-Te-Wan asTituba , directed byFrank Lloyd
*"I Married a Witch " (1942): a film starringVeronica Lake andFrederick March , withRobert Benchley ,Susan Hayward ,Cecil Kellaway , and Elizabeth Patterson, directed by Réne Clair; a witch burned in Salem centuries ago (Lake) comes back to haunt descendants of Puritan (March) who sent her to her death. Comedy-fantasy with special effects.
* "Hocus Pocus" (1993), a Disney film comedy starringBette Midler ,Sarah Jessica Parker andKathy Najimy , is set in a town named Salem.
* "The Crucible" (1996) is a film adaptation ofArthur Miller 's 1952 play,The Crucible , from a screenplay written by Miller himself, starringDaniel Day Lewis andWinona Ryder
* "Keeper of Souls" (2004), a horror film set in a fictional Southern town called Grove Hill, connects the demon to the Salem witch trials
* "The Covenant" (2006), a horror film mainly about the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, makes references to the Salem witch trials.Television
* The television series
Bewitched (1964-1972) includes six episodes in Season 7 (1970) that were filmed on location in Salem, with a plot that includes time travel to 1692. On June 15, 2005, the TV Land Network erected a bronze statue in Salem ofElizabeth Montgomery as the lead character, Samantha. TV Land spent $75,000 to install the sculpture in Salem's Lappin Park. It was sculpted byStudioEIS under the direction of brothers Elliott and Ivan Schwartz. [ [http://www.bewitched.net/statue6.htm Bewitched Elizabeth Montgomery TV Land Bronze in Lappin Park Salem Massachusetts ] ]
*Leonard Nimoy 's television series "In Search of..." (1977-1982) aired Season 5, Episode 109: "Salem Witches" (1980)
* The science-fiction TV showVoyagers! had the main characters, Bogg & Jeff, helpBenjamin Franklin save his mother, Abaia Folger, from being hanged during the Salem witch trials in episode No. 4, "Agents of Satan," which first aired on October 31, 1982.
* A television mini-series "Three Sovereigns for Sarah", starringVanessa Redgrave ,Kim Hunter , andWill Lyman , first aired onPBS on May 27, 1985.
* In "The Simpsons " animated television comedy series (1989-present), a segment of the 1997 Halloween special episode "Treehouse of Horror VIII " is based on the Salem witch trials.
*Episode 348 of Season 19 of the sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live " (first aired October 2, 1993) contained a skit depicting the "Salem Bitch Trials" in which Abigail Wolcott, played byShannen Doherty (who played the part of Prue, a witch on the TV series "Charmed ", see below), is examined by Deputy Governor Danforth, played byPhil Hartman , on charges of "bitchcraft," with testimony given that she had told a woman her dress made her hips look big and snubbed a man's proposal. The sketch ends stating that she and 19 other women were burned at the stake. [ [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93bbitch.phtml Salem Bitch Trial ] ]
* In the television series "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (1996-2000), in Season 1, Episode 23 (1997), "The Crucible," a class field trip goes to Salem to re-enact the trials.
* In "Histeria! ", an animated television series for children (1998-2001), episode 36, "When America Was Young", included a People's Court-style sketch based upon the trials. View episode: http://video.aol.com/video/tv-histeria-when-america-was-young/1813972
*The History Channel 's "In Search of History " (1996-2000) television series aired the episode "Salem Witch Trials" (1998).
* In "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997 to 2003), episode 45, Buffy, Willow and Amy are considered a threat to Sunnydale and left to burn at the stake after the apparent sacrifice of two children in an occult ritual.
* In "Charmed ", a television series (1998-2006), part of the fictional background is thatMelinda Warren , an ancestor of the three fictional protagonists, was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials. See Season 1, Episode 9, "The Witch Is Back " (1998) and Season 3, Episode 4, "All Halliwell's Eve " (2000)
* PBS's television series "Secrets of the Dead " (2000-present) aired Season 2, Episode 1: "Witches' Curse" (2002), featuringLinnda R. Caporael
*The History Channel aired a documentary "Witch Hunt" (2002).
* "Salem Witch Trials" (2002), starringKirstie Alley ,Shirley MacLaine andPeter Ustinov , was a television mini-series, airing in the UK as 4 parts, in the US onCBS in 2 parts.
* TheDiscovery Channel 's "Unsolved History " series (2002-2005) included Episode 23, "Salem Witch Trials" (2003)Comic Books
* Issue No. 18 in September 1962 of "Unknown Worlds", from
American Comics Group , contained an 11-page story called "Witch Hunter of Salem", depicted on the cover, in which the minister who was hunting witches in Salem turned out to be one. Zev Zimmer (Script),C. C. Beck (Pencils),Pete Costanza (Inks); Cover by Ogden Whitney.
*"Visions of Hate!" appeared in the comic-book "Marvel Team-Up" in 1976, as part of a serialized story-line in whichSpiderman , Vision, and the Scarlet Witch travel through time to Salem, 1692, to battle an arch-nemesis, Dr. Doom -- who has enlisted the help ofCotton Mather -- get entangled in the witchcraft accusations. Pages 11-16 in particular depict the historical episode.Music
* The second album by the
indie rock bandLiars , "They Were Wrong So We Drowned ", is a concept album about the trials.
*Rob Zombie 's album "Educated Horses " (2006) contains many references to the trials, in track names to lyrics.
*Jello Biafra had a side-project entitled "The Witch Trials", and his work with theDead Kennedys made a few references to them.
*Neal Peterson mentions Alice Parker in his song "I wind my clocks / OneSixNineTwo". Peterson is a descendant of Parker.
* American death metal bandIshia have a song called "Witch Hunting in Salem".19th Century Illustrations Depicting the Episode
The story of Salem featured prominently in many publications in the 19th century about the 17th century colonial foundations of the United States. The illustrations continue to be reproduced widely in 20th and 21st century publications, in many cases without accurate attribution or reference to the century in which the illustrations were created. This gallery includes their citations and the names, where known, of the artists who created them. Check the for more that may not be included here.
19th & 20th century photographs of 17th century buildings related to the episode
Although a few of the houses that belonged to the participants in the
Salem witch trials are still standing, many of these buildings have been lost. This gallery includes photographs take in the 19th century and early 20th century that preserve the visual record of these homes.References and Notes
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