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As we know now, many of the methods used during the Salem Witch Trials to "prove" someone's guilt or innocence were utterly absurd. However, if you're curious about trying some of them yourself, here are 10 methods used by the authorities in Salem to identify a witch.
1. BAKE A WITCH CAKE.
What exactly is a witch cake, you might wonder? It's certainly not one of the best gifts for witches and is definitely not something you'd want to consume. To make it, you'd take the urine from someone suspected of being cursed by a witch, mix it with rye flour, and form a small cake. This cake is then fed to a dog. The theory was that since the witch's power was believed to be contained in the urine, the dog eating the cake would cause the witch great pain, forcing her to reveal herself by crying out in distress.
2. COMPARE THEIR WEIGHT TO A PILE OF BIBLES.
If the person suspected of being a witch weighs more or less than the stack of Bibles, then she's clearly guilty of witchcraft. But if the scales are balanced, she's in the clear. You can imagine that a perfect balance rarely occurred.
3. LOOK FOR MOLES, BIRTHMARKS, SCARS, OR EXTRA NIPPLES.
These were considered signs of the Devil's influence. But if you need even further evidence, try pricking the Devil's Mark with a needle. If it doesn't bleed or cause pain, you've got a witch on your hands. During the Salem Witch Trials, some devious witch-hunters used retractable blades to make it appear as though they were piercing the Mark, but nothing happened when they did.
4. WATCH THEM TALKING TO THEMSELVES.
During the Witch Trials, one woman, Sarah Good, was partially condemned because she was occasionally seen muttering to herself, especially when leaving people's homes. Her accusers claimed she was casting spells on people, although Good insisted she was simply reciting commandments or a specific psalm. Unfortunately, her explanation wasn't enough to save her, and she was hanged on July 19, 1692.
5. REQUEST THAT THEY RECITE THE LORD'S PRAYER.
If they fail to recite it, they're guilty. If they do recite it, they're still guilty. George Burroughs, the only minister executed during the Trials, faced this dilemma. As he stood at the gallows awaiting execution, he recited the Lord's Prayer to prove his innocence—witches (or warlocks, in his case) were believed to be unable to say those sacred words. For a brief moment, the crowd was convinced the jury had made a mistake. But then Cotton Mather, a minister, explained that the Devil had allowed Burroughs to utter the prayer to make him seem innocent. With Satan allegedly working through him, Burroughs' fate was sealed, and he was hanged shortly after.
6. ASK AN ELDERLY WOMAN WITH HEARING LOSS IF SHE'S GUILTY.
If she doesn't answer, she's certainly a witch. This happened to 71-year-old Rebecca Nurse. Known for her devout faith, Nurse was initially viewed as innocent by most in the community. In fact, she was acquitted in her first trial. But when more young girls accused witches of tormenting them, Nurse was reconsidered. During her second trial, when another prisoner claimed that "she was one of us" and Nurse failed to respond, she was immediately presumed guilty and executed by hanging.
7. OBSERVE HOW MANY PETS SHE KEEPS.
A woman with pets—or even one who greets the neighbor's cat—is certainly using that animal as a familiar. In fact, if a fly or rat happened to enter a woman's cell while she awaited trial, it was assumed that the witch had summoned a familiar to carry out her wishes.
8. TAKE THEIR SARCASTIC REMARKS AT FACE VALUE.
John Willard, the constable in Salem responsible for escorting the accused to court, started to question the legitimacy of the numerous arrests. After taking in many, including churchgoers and elderly women who barely understood the charges against them, Willard grew skeptical. In May 1692, he sarcastically declared, "Hang them all, they're all witches." For this comment, he was accused of witchcraft, put on trial, found guilty, and executed just three months later.
9. ASK IF THEY'VE DREAMED OF NATIVE AMERICANS.
Sarah Osborne vehemently denied all accusations of witchcraft leveled against her. Her downfall came when she confessed to having recurring dreams in which an Indian would grab her by the hair and drag her out of her home. Apparently, this was enough for the community to believe she was practicing sorcery. Ultimately, Osborne died while in captivity and was never tried for her alleged crimes.
10. LOOK INTO HOW MANY TIMES THEY'VE BEEN MARRIED.
At least a few women accused of witchcraft had been married multiple times, and rumors spread that they had killed their previous husbands (or "bewitched" them to death) or seduced them with dark magic.
This article was originally published in 2010 and has been updated for 2022.
