SB2 Greetings From… | Chosen Theme?

So last week involved a lot of sifting through information, trying to scavenge for bits of good ideas, and writing way too many notes. But I think I have a theme, and it spans 4 different locations across the world, connecting them in ways.

The theme stemmed from researching various witch trials through history, and subsequently looking into ones that were location-specific. A lot of these places where the witch hunts and trials took place have geographic things specific to them, and mentioned places and areas that were steeped in folklore.

The four places / events :

Cuevas de las Brujas

Zugarramurdi, in Navarre, Northern Spain → The Basque Witch Trials (17th cen)

• The Witch Caves | Every year fires are lit in the caves nearby to celebrate the Day of the Witch on the summer solstice

• Akelarre Meadow | A field near the caves, meaning 'field of the he-goat' in the Basque language. A black goat used to graze in the fields, and was said to turn into a human when the witches gathered (along with other implications about the devil)

The Witch, No. 1 - Lithograph by Joseph E. Baker

Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.A → The Salem Witch Trials (1692)

• A notorious case of mass hysteria in colonial America

• A location known not only for the trials, but witch tourism. (Witch house, witch spoons)

• The event carries themes of religion and what happens when strong values are defied, outsiders, as well as superstitious events and objects that were involved ('spectral evidence' as a method, apparitions of the accused, books of palmistry and horoscopes, rituals, familiars

(left) a memorial stone for the victims of the trials

Torsåker, Hofors, Sweden → The Torsåker Witch Trials (1675)

• Largest witch trial in Swedish history, took place over one day with 71 victims. Was at the height of the mass hysteria over witches that swept across the country at this time.

• The accused were said to have held a sabbat at Blockula - a legendary meadow in Swedish folklore where satan was said to have held his earthly court

• Miscarriage of justice, Laurentius Hornæus was an influential priest who manipulated people in order to get the testimonies he wanted. Most of the witnesses were children, asked to identify the witches by an invisible mark on their foreheads.

(left) image from the 1591 trial, showing the devil giving people magic dolls

(right) the witches meeting the devil in the local kirkyard

North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland → North Berwick Witch Trials (1590)

• First major witchcraft persecution in Scotland, ran for 2 years and 70 people were implicated

• 100+ suspected witches were arrested, tortured, and confessed to meeting the devil in the churchyard, and devoting themselves to evil

• Most notable accused was Agnes Sampson, a healer and midwife said to be the "eldest witche of them all". Initially refused the charges put against her, but confessed after being tortured.