YES
Lyle Koehler believes that the hysteria of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692-1693 was the product of young women rebelling and taking advantage of an opportunity of exercising power otherwise not afforded to them in the patriarchal, puritan society in which they lived. Koehler references sociologist Dodd Bogart’s conclusion of why the accusing or “bewitched” residents of Salem began to fall into hysteria. Bogart said that demon or witch charges provided a kind of catharsis for the accusers, who most likely felt some sort of spiritual, economic, and/or political deprivation by pinning their anguish and frustrations on temporal objects, the accusers both alleviated a sense of helplessness and dished out a suppressive control …show more content…
Koehler says the women that eschewed the puritan lifestyle, by living in common law relationships, bearing mulatto children, or entertaining company late at night, were already thought of as “social deviants” and were targeted due to the accusers’ own conflictions about spirituality, morality and the feminine ideal (Madaras 79). As the hysteria progressed and their confidence increased, the accusers began to indict people, both men and women, of higher status. As more of these accusations started piling up, they started to attract criticism and protest from community leaders, which may have been the driving force to end the “afflictions” of the bewitched girls (Madaras 82). Eventually Governor William Phips, previously busy campaigning against the Indians of Maine, took charge of handling witchcraft accusations. He would effectively end the trials by pardoning many of the accused and letting others go on bail (Madaras …show more content…
Although explanations like Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) or ergot poisoning could explain the Salem hysteria as a mental and/or physiological phenomenon, Carlson points to the similarities in symptoms of the bewitched girls of Salem in 1692-1693 and young women and children suffering from an encephalitis epidemic between 1916-1930’s (Madaras 89-91). She argues that spectral visions, convulsions, and other symptoms which affected the witch accusers can be explained as a physical malady, most likely encephalitis lethargica.
Carlson explains that an encephalitis epidemic could’ve been possible in the New England area due to the prevalence of ticks and an ongoing problem with Lyme disease. Lyme disease causes similar symptoms as observed in the bewitched girls of Salem, especially after going untreated for a long period, and the adverse effects of it usually go away after some weeks while periodically reappearing (Madaras 92-3).
Lyle Koehler believes that the hysteria of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692-1693 was the product of young women rebelling and taking advantage of an opportunity of exercising power otherwise not afforded to them in the patriarchal, puritan society in which they lived. Koehler references sociologist Dodd Bogart’s conclusion of why the accusing or “bewitched” residents of Salem began to fall into hysteria. Bogart said that demon or witch charges provided a kind of catharsis for the accusers, who most likely felt some sort of spiritual, economic, and/or political deprivation by pinning their anguish and frustrations on temporal objects, the accusers both alleviated a sense of helplessness and dished out a suppressive control …show more content…
Koehler says the women that eschewed the puritan lifestyle, by living in common law relationships, bearing mulatto children, or entertaining company late at night, were already thought of as “social deviants” and were targeted due to the accusers’ own conflictions about spirituality, morality and the feminine ideal (Madaras 79). As the hysteria progressed and their confidence increased, the accusers began to indict people, both men and women, of higher status. As more of these accusations started piling up, they started to attract criticism and protest from community leaders, which may have been the driving force to end the “afflictions” of the bewitched girls (Madaras 82). Eventually Governor William Phips, previously busy campaigning against the Indians of Maine, took charge of handling witchcraft accusations. He would effectively end the trials by pardoning many of the accused and letting others go on bail (Madaras …show more content…
Although explanations like Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) or ergot poisoning could explain the Salem hysteria as a mental and/or physiological phenomenon, Carlson points to the similarities in symptoms of the bewitched girls of Salem in 1692-1693 and young women and children suffering from an encephalitis epidemic between 1916-1930’s (Madaras 89-91). She argues that spectral visions, convulsions, and other symptoms which affected the witch accusers can be explained as a physical malady, most likely encephalitis lethargica.
Carlson explains that an encephalitis epidemic could’ve been possible in the New England area due to the prevalence of ticks and an ongoing problem with Lyme disease. Lyme disease causes similar symptoms as observed in the bewitched girls of Salem, especially after going untreated for a long period, and the adverse effects of it usually go away after some weeks while periodically reappearing (Madaras 92-3).