Saturday October 31, 2009
A tale of two witches
By WAYNE JOHNSON
Witch trials and executions of sorcerers may be a thing of the past but their legacy lives on in plays, books, movies and, most of all, in the places they came from.
Whether witches were indeed misunderstood old women, victims of mass hysteria or even genuine practitioners of the black arts, we will never know, but a journey to the scenes of two famous witch trials makes for a spookily fascinating trip.
The reason we know so much about the trials at Pendle in England in 1612 and Salem in the US in 1692, is that the confessions and court proceedings were meticulously recorded. And they make for entertaining reading until you realise the grim fate reserved for those found guilty.
The gravesite of a witch in the churchyard of St Mary’s in Newchurch. In Pendle, 10 people were put to death for allegedly causing the deaths of 10 local people through the use of curses and pacts with the devil. The two ringleaders were two old women known as Mother Demdike and Ann Chattox and their families. They revelled in their status as local wise women until the death of a traveller, after being cursed by Demdike’s daughter, brought the Puritan law firmly down on them and their accomplices.
In Salem, a total of 20 people were put to death after being accused by a group of young girls of cavorting with the devil and bewitching them. The incidents began with Betty Paris and Abigail Williams, aged nine and 11 respectively and spiralled out of control as more and more people were accused and more young girls joined in the accusations. And of course, with this being the 17th century, and with many people profiting from the distribution of land of those killed, nobody stopped to ask why.
Both places, to varying degrees, offer attractions and visitor sites linked to these traumatic times and their tourist economies draw heavily on its mysterious past.
Spooky sites
One of Pendle’s main attractions, the churchyard of St Mary’s in Newchurch, dates from the 16th century and possesses the mysterious Eye of God carving on one of its walls. It was meant to protect the parishioners from witchcraft, although it is doubtful whether it worked as the accused witches reportedly stole bones from its graveyard to use in their spells. It also allegedly houses the grave of Alice Nutter, one of the Pendle witches who was hanged for her crime. Her grave is adorned with a skull and crossbones.
Watch out for the witches outside the Witches Galore Shop. Also, the ruins of Malkin Tower Farm where black Sabbaths took place and Pendle Hill itself are reportedly the site of numerous ghostly happenings. Viewers and presenters during an episode of the UK’s Most Haunted reality ghost hunting show reported a record instance of paranormal activity when they filmed in Pendle.
In Salem, the so-called Witch House, is the only building still standing from the 1692 period and is the former home of the witch trial judge, Jonathan Corwin. Nowadays, its furnishings have been restored to those of the 17th century and while open to visitors in the daytime, at night it frequently has to fight off ghost hunters who claim Corwin’s spirit is still resident, regretting what he did.
Another place to avoid after dark, is The Burying Point, a 17th century cemetery containing the grave of John Hawthorne, one of the trial judges, and near its entrance a poignant memorial to all 20 of those executed.
Museums and visitor centres
The Pendle Heritage Centre, in the village of Barrowford, is situated in a large country house and has an exhibition detailing the Witch trials of 1612 as well as a walled garden and recreated 17th century rooms (www.htnw.co.uk).
The Salem Witch Museum (www.salemwitchmuseum.com) is one of the more popular visitor attractions and it uses waxwork models to depict the events surrounding the 1692 trials.
For a more direct experience, try the Witch Dungeon Museum (www.witchdungeon.com) which has actors re-creating the trial and also a depiction of the cells in which the accused were kept in.
Walking
The Pendle Witches trail takes in many of the places of interest associated with the infamous coven and passes by the ruins of Malkin Tower Farm, where Old Mother Demdyke lived with her daughter and where satanic rituals allegedly took place.
Undertaking this walk under the watchful eye of Pendle Hill, it is easy to see why this area gained a reputation for mysterious happenings and occult tales, as even today it feels like a forgotten and remote part of England. It is a place where the villages and landscape have changed little over the centuries. For a guided tour of the area visit www.pendlewitchexperience.com
Many tour groups in Salem offer themed Witch Walks, although it is not too difficult to visit the places by yourself.
Popular spots to see include the site of the old church, the meeting house, prison lane and the witches memorial. However, if walking is not your idea of a good time then the Salem Trolley Company (www.salemtrolley.com) has an eight mile circuit where you can see all the attractions while sitting in comfort.
Halloween
Every Halloween, modern witches and warlords and those who are just curious gather to perform ceremonies on Pendle Hill. The site has featured in a number of UK reality ghost hunting shows and its mystique attracts large numbers to its peak on Oct 31.
Recently though, the police have tried to deter people from gathering there by banning parking in its vicinity.
In Salem, there is a month long series of events called Haunted Happenings, which feature things like a haunted pub crawl, and also the Official Witches Ball, which bills itself as the world’s most exclusive Halloween event (www.hauntedhappenings.org)
Shopping
The Witches Galore Shop in the village of Newchurch, attracts attention with its three witch effigies standing sentinel-like outside while inside, it has numerous toys, trinkets, spells and tarot cards for sale. Its website even has an e-spell book to download at www.witchesgalore.co.uk/
Unlike Pendle, which boasts only one witch themed shop, Salem has a whole cottage industry devoted to it, and here you can fulfil all your pagan shopping needs. Shops with names like The Magic Parlor, Witch Way Gifts and The Broom Closet have everything a budding witch could hope for, including brooms.
Where to eat
The Tea Rooms at the Pendle Heritage Centre, offer traditional scones and cakes and also Lancashire lunches, for grander dining try the restored Fence Gate Inn, near Burnley.
In Salem, The Lyceum Bar & Grill (www.lyceumsalem.com) has a good reputation for serving good quality food in an elegant setting. It is also the venue for the annual Witches Ball and you may have uninvited guests as you dine, as it is apparently the home of numerous ghosts.
Where to stay
The Old Earth House in Newchurch is opposite the Witches galore shop and offers Bed and Breakfast accommodation in a period house.
Accommodation which proudly boasts of its haunted status is commonplace in Salem, with one of the more recommended (both for paranormal activity and for food and service) being the Inn on Washington Square (www.washingtonsquareinn.com/).
o For further information on Pendle visit www.visitlancashire.com, or Salem, visit: www.salem.org/
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