All Kinds of Witchery Things

"Witch witch! She's a witch, he's a witch! Your dog's a witch!"

Although there is absolutely no validity to this quote, I'm pretty sure that's what was said in 1692, the year of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Sure everyone has heard of the trials, but how many times have you gotten the chance to see where these people lived? Up close and personal even!

Amy and I started off toward Salem, which is actually not too far from Boston...about a half hour. It's a small cluttered town and once you enter, prepare for everything witch. Besides the multitudes of museums, there are little stores filled with trinkets and glittery toys, all to enchant your sorcery imagination. Tarot, palm readers, witch dungeons, and magic dominate the common area. There are tall, ominous-looking mansions and 17th century cottages all wrapped around the Salem Harbor.

We started off at the Witch House, which (haha, see what I did there? ;) is actually the house where the weathly town sheriff George Corwin lived. He was a prominent man who was involed in most of the village's hysteria. It was crazy to see how "wealthy back then" was simply a 4 room house with a fireplace. And one interesting fact? You can tell how much money a family had by measuring the heigth of their ceilings! The higher the room, the more money you had. Basically since you had more money to heat the bigger room.

Next we paddled around to the Witch History Museum, where we walked through a basement of diaroma exhibits depicting the stories of the 3 afflicted girls, Tituba the carribean servant, the townspeople, George Burroughs the minister getting pulled out of his house, Gallows Hill where most of the accused where hanged, and the cemetery where Giles Corey, an accused man who refused to respond with a plea, was buried. Corey was actually smashed to death with piles of rocks! Uck!

The next stop was the Witch Dungeon Museum, which was basically the same thing, except for the little acting out of a trial and the actual beam from the dungeon itself. The dungeon was a place where all the accused were held. And get this! They actually had to pay for their accomodations and food! So, you can imagine if you were a poor farmer...yep, they called them "coffin cells" You couldn't even lie down in these things! I think people died from just mere exhuastion of standing 24/7!

After some lunch at the Upper Crust, a delicious pizza joint, Amy and I hit the last stop: The Pirate Museum! I know, witches? Pirates? Relation? Well this was the late 17th century and piracy in the New England area was full force and abound! Now these pirates called the Salem Harbor their safe haven because, well, Boston Harbor was just too dang big for their briches! I mean, well they didn't want to get caught. So we learned about Blackbeard and William Kidd, and also the first woman pirate, who was in fact the last pirate to be hanged here in New England. It was a mighty good time! Our tour guide was a little fast talker but after the 'arghs' and 'gahrs' we made off with all our appendages. Also, an interesting tid bit...the reason why pirates are missing an eye, leg or hand? Well there was a pirate bonus for anyone who lost a body part during battles. Talk about workers comp!

Anyway, that's my history lesson for ya'll today. Brief and golden. I'm on my way to go camping in the White Mountains for the weekend...so keep an eye out for some tall fish tales! Here fishy-fishy! Here fishy-fishy! And a good AAARGGH! (just for good measure.)

:)