Dogs Suffered Too During The Salem Witch Trials, And Here’s How They Got Tangled Up In The Mess
During the Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts, which occurred in 1692, a total of 19 people were accused of witchcraft. They were executed by hanging, and another person was pressed to death.
Around 150 others were imprisoned in terrible conditions that led to the deaths of at least five more innocent individuals. Animals were also not safe from the hysteria, including dogs, which are often regarded as man’s best friend.
So, how did these beloved, four-legged creatures get tangled up in the mess? In 17th-century Salem, dogs were a part of daily life. People kept dogs for protection, hunting, and companionship.
However, a number of folklore traditions associate dogs with the devil. For instance, it was said that a poodle named Boy had supernatural powers, such as shape-shifting and prophecy.
The poodle belonged to Prince Rupert, an English-German cavalry commander who was on the Royalist side during the English Civil War.
Between 1643 and 1644, word spread across Europe about Boy’s magical abilities, which he used to help his master on the battlefield.
These types of stories had been around long before the Salem witch trials took place. The legends may have added to the fears that dogs were connected to the devil.
The official records of Salem’s trials do not mention any dogs being tried or killed for witchcraft. But they did appear in the testimony multiple times, usually because an accused witch was believed to have a dog as a “familiar”—a supernatural sidekick who would do her bidding.
There were also reports that the devil had shown up in the form of a dog. On May 16, 1692, a 45-year-old man named John Kimball from Amesbury, Massachusetts, testified against Susanna Martin, a 71-year-old widow.
kisscsanad – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual dog
He claimed that she had caused a “black puppy” to appear in front of him when he was alone in the woods.
Kimball stated that the dog had terrified him because he was afraid it would rip out his throat. When he started praying, the dog disappeared.
This was considered ample evidence to contribute to Martin’s conviction for witchcraft in June 1692. She was hanged the following month.
In another case, in September 1692, 19-year-old Mercy Wardwell admitted that she had been communicating with the devil and that he appeared to her as a dog. She was thrown in jail but was later released after the chaos and paranoia died down.
According to a 2002 book called The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach, there was a case involving a man named John Bradstreet.
Some girls alleged that he had bewitched a dog. The dog was killed, even though it was a victim. Furthermore, another dog was shot after a girl claimed its spirit had afflicted her.
Overall, it seems that dogs suffered greatly during the Salem witch trials as well. Due to the strong associations between dogs and the devil, they were treated poorly and were even hunted down by the townspeople.
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