Witches
... With several factions vying for control of the Village, and a series of legislative and property disputes with the nearby Salem Town which controlled Salem Village, it is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. ... Presence of “heretics” – among them, witches 4. ... Accused witches’ names were defiled. ... com, symptoms of ergot poisoning include convulsions and muscle twitches, two common symptoms of “witches. ... Witches, murderers, and adulteresses were – after a brief trial – imprisoned or hanged on Gallows Hill. ... Poppets (voodoo dolls) and potions were used to arrest and try suspected witches. ... It is amazing today to think of a time where people actually believed in absurd folklore such as witches flying and possessing their victims.