#cotton mather salem

[your-witch-trial-has-expired]

How tf does Stolas's "Owl in a cage" remind me of Cotton Mather (from Salem not the historical figure)

[horrorcryingscreencaps]

[moonflower85]

Visited a local coffee shop and found a book on American Literature. Read a bit about Cotton Mather, whose name I recognized from the show Salem.

One of his writings is in regard to Martha Carrier, who was tried for withcraft, in the 1600s.

[joannaket3]

is it because im read head too that i always make read heads witches crushes in series i watch?🤣

[othercat2]

The funny, horrible part is that Cotton Mather (and other witch hunters) believed in something called "spectral evidence." This was the idea that witches could attack you via dreams or visions. And of course this "evidence" was absolutely accurate and no one ever lied or was in the grip of a mass panic and therefore having a break in reality because of the stress of the situation.

This basically meant the witness could claim that witch did something to them in a dream or vision...like force them to witness or participate in the the devil's sacrament. So Goody Proctor wasn't at the devil's sacrament, no, she was simply forced to dream about it. (Or was tortured at it, or whatever. In her dreams.)

not to be insensitive but some of the salem witch trials were so funny bitches like “i saw her at the devils sacrament!!!” girl… what were YOU doing at the devils sacrament 👀

[queerclarkkent]

I wonder how many high school kids we could trick into believing Cotton Mather was called Cotton Weary

[connectparanormal]

Cotton Mather’s work On Witches is a significant historical text that provides insight into the Puritan mindset and the infamous witch hysteria that swept through colonial America, particularly during the Salem Witch Trials.

[lostinmymindandheart]

„Wenn du einen Menschen anlügst, dann sperrst du ihn für immer und ewig in eine falsche Welt ein.“

- Salem, Cotton Mather

[kemetic-dreams]

Onesimus (late 1600s–1700s) was an African man who was instrumental in the mitigation of the impact of a smallpox outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts. His birth name is unknown. He was enslaved and, in 1706, was given to the New England Puritan minister Cotton Mather, who renamed him. Onesimus introduced Mather to the principle and procedure of the variolation method of inoculation to prevent the disease, which laid the foundation for the development of vaccines. After a smallpox outbreak began in Boston in 1721, Mather used this knowledge to advocate for inoculation in the population. This practice eventually spread to other colonies. In a 2016 Boston magazine survey, Onesimus was declared one of the "Best Bostonians of All Time"

Onesimus's name at birth and place of birth are unknown with certainty. He was first documented as living in the colonies in 1706, having been brought to North America as an enslaved person. In December of that year, he was given as a gift by a church congregation to Cotton Mather, their Puritan minister of North Church, as well as a prominent figure in the Salem Witch Trials. Mather renamed him after a first-century AD enslaved person mentioned in the Bible.The name, "Onesimus" means "useful, helpful, or profitable".

Mather referred to the ethnicity of Onesimus as "Guaramantee", which may refer to the Coromantee (also known as Akan people of modern Ghana). 

Mather saw Onesimus as highly intelligent and educated him in reading and writing with the Mather family (for context, according to biographer Kathryn Koo, at that time, literacy was primarily associated with religious instruction, and writing as means of note-taking and conducting business)

In 1716 or shortly before, Onesimus had described to Mather the process of inoculation that had been performed on him and others in his society in Africa (as Mather reported in a letter): "People take Juice of Small-Pox; and Cut the Skin, and put in a drop." In the book, African Medical Knowledge, the Plain Style, and Satire in the 1721 Boston Inoculation Controversy, Kelly Wisecup wrote that Onesimus is believed to have been inoculated at some point before being sold into slavery or during the slave trade, as he most likely traveled from the West Indies to Boston.

The variolation method of inoculation was long practiced in Africa among African people.

The practice was widespread among enslaved colonial people from many regions of Africa and, throughout the slave trade in the Americas, slave communities continued the practice of inoculation despite regional origin.

Mather followed Onesimus's medicinal advice because, as Margot Minardi writes, "inferiority had not yet been indelibly written onto the bodies of Africans."

[shipwreckedwithcaptainmarrow]

After nearly 6 years of research and writing, “𝑃𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐺ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠 & 𝐵𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 & 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵: 𝘈 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦” is not only complete, but you can pre-order signed copies now by messaging the page!

The book comes in at 343 pages, relaying all pirate folklore along the American shores of Maryland up to Maine. Tales within, consisting of pirate-relevant hauntings and buried treasures, are presented as they are known, and then extrapolated on regarding true pirate history, my own notes on their origins, and those who have sought them out. The book begins largely the same as my first title, the "𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵," exploring the history of pirates and their associations with buried treasure and the undead, before delving into the mysteries of New England superstitions and William Kidd!

Every pre-order also comes with a color-printed slip on period-appropriate laid paper of a 1700 period pamphlet cover titled “𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘳, 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 : 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 : 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.” by Joseph Glanvil. This book, originally printed prior in 1681, heavily influenced puritan clergyman Cotton Mather regarding the 1692 Salem Witch Trials and his own publications, and is mentioned by name within the fictional short story “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭” by Rhode Island horror author H.P. Lovecraft.

PRE-ORDER: $25 + $5 Shipping (within US), Message this page to place an order.

-----------------------

PLUNDER EDITION PRE-ORDER PACKAGE: $65 + $5 Shipping (within US), message to place an order.

As a surprise for you all, for those interested, a deluxe pre-order package exists as well! In addition to your signed copy of Northeast Coast and your pamphlet cover, you will also receive the following plunder!

1x 9”x12” Aged map on laid paper of Fishers Island, New York. This particular island has a sizeable entry within the book’s chapter on New York, with numerous claims of buried treasure and ghost ships. This map is a more modern recreation of a 19th century map of the isle with many interesting locations noted, two of which are alleged “treasure sites” mentioned in the book’s entry. Note that this map will come tri-folded in your package.

1x 5.5”x8” Aged Wanted Poster on laid paper for Captain William Kidd. This poster, stylized after those within the movie Cutthroat Island, and utilizing a woodcut-style depiction of Kidd burying his Bible (turning his back on an honest life), is imagined as if issued by Governor Richard Coote, Lord Bellomont, who historically was responsible for Kidd’s capture. His name will come up a lot in the book - with this Wanted Poster you can look at his name one more time.

1x .999 Pure Silver Pine Tree Shilling. Through collaboration with The Black Spot Guild - shop in New Hampshire, included in your package will be one hand-struck silver shilling. These coins are of particular importance regarding the Northeast Coast’s colonial history, as one of the first types of coins ever struck in the American Colonies, minted in Boston, Massachusetts in 1652. This coin, however, features the date of 1692, noting the year of the Salem Witch Trials, which come up time and again within the book. The pine tree is depicted upon them as the New England area provided many pines, which were straight and tall - prime material as ship’s masts. One side reads "In Masathvsets," the other "New England An Dom."

Note that these Plunder Edition Pre-Order Packages are of limited quantity, first come - first serve (in order of messages received on my end)

-----------------

I am accepting payments of Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo. Please reach out stating your preferred payment option, state if you’d like the Plunder Package, and how you would like your book/s signed - either just the Author Signature or if you would like it to be addressed to a particular name/crew, or otherwise personalized message.

Please understand that I will be addressing messages as timely as possible, there will be enough books for all, and I will honor the timestamp of messages in order for the limited supply of Plunder Packages.

Those who place pre-orders within this first week will likely receive their copies before the actual Release Date of the book. I kindly ask that if you have a chance to reasonably check out the book before that date, and are comfortable doing so: Please leave a review of the book, if you will, on Amazon's listing the day it goes live - September 18th. Day-1 reviews help a ton for authors on Amazon.

For those placing orders outside of the US - please allow me some time to calculate shipping and get back to you with a final total.

For those attending the Northeast Coast Book Launch Party in Goose Creek, SC, on September 18th - feel free to place a Pre-Order now with no shipping costs, and pick up your copies in-person! Let me know when you message if you'll be opting for this, if not I will assume it's being shipped to you. Lastly, thank you all so much for your continued support over the years, and please, if you can: Share this post and help me reach friends and family interested in pirates and/or the coastal history and folklore of the northeast coast!

[sunshineandwitchery]

Great question @alternative-munster-goes-fourth! If you take the time to look up Susannah, you will see that her trial is well documented because it was in the presence of Cotton Mather.

It is documented that she laughed on the stand at the people accusing her of witchcraft. This woman looked in the face of death and laughed at the people accusing her. If that’s not badass, then I don’t know what is.

TL, DR: My ancestor, Susannah North Martin, is a bad ass and no one can tell me otherwise.

Susannah North Martin

Born in England in 1621

Died in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692

Yes, you read that correctly. 70 years old and people were still calling her a witch.

She was one of only 14 women tried and executed as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials.

Susannah was accused of being a witch THREE TIMES. The first two times her husband was alive and posted her bail. The second time she was accused, her husband not only posted her bail but counter-sued the man for slander and libel.

Thank you Mr. Martin for being the realest!

Susannah’s husband died, and she was left with her EIGHT children. She was once again accused of being a witch, and without her husband to help her she was hanged.

Susannah comes up in the writings of famed witch trial preacher: Cotton Mather. You can read parts of her testimony and trial.

[nodynasty4us]

J.D. Vance and Trump! Their war on childless cat ladies is nothing but a modern take on our fear of witches. Let's just advocate for the reenactment of the Salam Witch Trials, and maybe we can find some more people to scapegoat. Vance is a modern day Cotton Mather, who while not personally involved with the witch trials, was deeply involved in the drumbeat of fear and hysteria that led up to them. Typical of the Republican party in that what they scream about is the very thing they are guilty of. Trump screams about being a victim of a witch hunt but in often the very same breath attacks those on the edges of our society, often people with little or no way to defend themselves. So welcome back to Salem, circa 1692!

D.E. in Lancaster, PA in Electoral-vote.com

[salem-witch-history]

Specters of What's to Come: The Goodwin Witchcraft Case

Witchcraft accusations were not incredibly rare in 17th century New England, but prosecution was difficult.

By law, two credible witnesses had to testify seeing witchcraft take place for an accusation to be deemed credible. This was difficult to provide, unless an accused witch confessed to the crime. Testimony of others could include witnessing of verbal curses and the presence of "poppets," what we now call voodoo dolls. Spectral evidence, the testimony that an afflicted person saw the invisible shape of a witch, was not supposed to be considered credible. Even in a society that believed wholeheartedly in witches, Puritans knew that people could lie, and many believed that Satan had the ability to take on the form of an innocent person to bring about their downfall. In some instances, accusers and even confessed witches were charged with perjury rather than witchcraft if the evidence was lacking.

There were times, however, when accused witches did meet the death penalty. The last and most newsworthy incident prior to Salem took place in Boston in 1688.

The prosperous Goodwin family had employed an Irish indentured servant named Mary Glover as a washerwoman. Mary, being Catholic and poor, was greatly distrusted, and the Goodwin's 13 year old daughter Martha accused her of stealing clothing. Distraught, Mary told her elderly mother, Ann, of this accusation, and the older woman flew into a rage. After a screaming match in which Ann "bestow'd very bad language" at Martha, the teenager, along with three of her younger siblings, began to suffer from fits deemed to be supernatural in nature.

These fits, described in the book Memorable Providences by Cotton Mather, were identical to what would occur in Salem: the children were struck deaf, blind, and mute, contorted themselves into painful positions, and cried out pitifully or made animal sounds. The extent of the fits were deemed to be beyond what would be expected of epilepsy or other known medical conditions, and too severe to be faked. At times, Mather stated, the children's jaws would dislocate, their tongues drawn out to "prodigious length," and their joints locked with their bodies in an arch.

When Glover was brought in on witchcraft charges, it was unclear whether or not she was competent to stand trial. Glover seemed to understand some English but could not speak it; when it became known that her incomprehensible speech was not Satanic language, but Irish, multiple examiners deemed her technically sane, though she still seemed confused by the proceedings. Robert Calef, who wrote the first exposé on the witch trials, More Wonders of the Invisible World, stated that "Her behavior at her trial was like that of one distracted. They did her cruel." She testified entirely through interpreters.

During the proceedings, the interpreters struggled to contextualize Glover's testimony, seemingly due to being unfamiliar with Catholic worship. She was questioned about small figures found in her home and admitted to praying to them as "spirits," which the interpreters admitted could also have meant saints. The children reacted negatively when Glover handled her homemade statues, signs of spectral interference. She was also instructed to recite the Lord's Prayer; this was a standard test for witchcraft, as Puritans believed that Satan's power prevented witches from praying. Glover was able to recite in Irish and Latin, but not English, and this was taken as further evidence of guilt.

Ann Glover was hanged on November 16th, 1688. Mather related that, visiting her in jail, she had claimed that her death would not relieve the children's suffering, which did come to pass; Martha's bewitchment continued for some time. Although Glover supposedly claimed that someone else was bewitching the children, no other witches were prosecuted, and over time the hysteria faded.

Mather's first-hand account of the incident was published less than a year later, in 1689. It is probable that some residents of Salem owned the book, at at least had heard of the crisis.

[highladyluck]

Heads up, here’s a cursed Mat fact!

Matrim Cauthon was partially named after Cotton Mather, famous for his role in the Salem witch trials, to reflect Mat’s cultural fear of Aes Sedai.

[bonecouch]

i havent really read any spider-man comics in a bit but i love marvel team-up its like marvel comics at its dumbest. one time cotton mather himself came forward in time to kidnap scarlet witch so he could put her on trial in salem 300 years ago

[synthetic-ultramarine]

Saw a video essay about nautical folklore. the youtuber mentioned that they went on vacation to salem, and repeated a claim they'd apparently gotten from a tour guide that cotton mather kept the skull of an accused witch as a trophy. they even said they couldn't find any sources for this other than a walking tour for tourists, and yet they still repeated it as fact. So I was like, that's a bit credulous of them, I'm not getting any reliable information from this video. And then they proceeded to say that, while on vacation in Salem, the locals told them "Peabody" should be pronounced "Puberty" instead of, you know, "Peabody". And at that point I was like, ok those people weren't just lying to you for money they were actively fucking with you. Did they sell you any bones? because if so those bones are from a market basket rotisserie chicken