A remarkable occurrence, which attracted wide-spread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the “Bell Witch.” This witch was supposed […]
Salem Witch Hunt Sites: Touring Marblehead & Essex County with The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane
The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe is divided into two time periods: Salem and the witch hunts raging through Essex County, Massachusetts in 1692, and the same area in more or less modern times (1991). For me, the magic is in how the author captures the dichotomy of travelling to historic places. […]
Cry Innocent: Salem witch attraction brings the witch hunts and trials to life
Bridget Bishop. I know nothing of it. I am innocent to a Witch. I know not what a Witch is. Examiner: How do you know then that you are not a witch Bridget Bishop: I do not know what you say. Examiner: How can you know, you are no Witch, & yet not know what […]
On Magic and Witchcraft: A letter to a ten-year-old
It’s a tough time for you, being a Harry Potter fan and all. You want to believe that the world you read about in the books and watch in the films exists. It doesn’t. At least not the way that you’ve been taught, and not what most people think of when they hear the word […]
A warlock’s curse? The ghosts of Salem’s Howard Street Burying Ground
Has the 17th century curse placed on the town and sheriff by Giles Corey, pressed to death in Salem in 1693, been wreaking havoc ever since?
Urban legend Black Annis makes the trip from England to the midwest
Annie lost her children in a fire on the north side of Carmi, Illinois quite some time ago. Ever since she wandered the dark alleys at night, looking for her lost children. She wore black, still in mourning, her face beyond pale and ghastly blue in the moonlight. Sometimes you could hear her shuffling along, […]
