The Thing About Witch Hunts

Beverly, Bridget Bishop, John Hale, and Dorcas Hoar with Descendant Guide Roger HersonWe walk the landscapes of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials from the Beverly side of the bridge with longtime North Shore tour guide and 12th-generation local Roger Herson, a descendant of Bridget Bishop’s second husband, Thomas Oliver, as well as other accused families. Our conversation challenges popular witch hunt folklore—especially misconceptions about Bridget Bishop—and traces overlooked Beverly connections, from John Hale writing his reflective A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft to William Griggs living in Beverly and the case of cunning folk Dorcas Hoar. Roger shares what it means to guide visitors where his ancestors lived, how folklore can still reveal partial truths, and why Beverly’s history helps restore the accused as real neighbors rather than legends. We also spotlight Historic Beverly’s October “Project 1692” walking tours, museum access, and resources for deeper research.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:43 Roger Finds His Roots05:50 Bridget Bishop Misconceptions09:43 Beverly’s Hidden Role12:37 Guiding Tours as Descendant14:54 Inside John Hale’s World18:52 Hale’s Modest Enquiry22:33 Folklore Versus Records24:53 Dorcas Hoar Real Deal25:43 Aftermath in Rehoboth26:09 Why Beverly in October28:31 Project 1692 Tour Concept29:27 Correcting Trial Myths30:03 Tour Style and Small Groups30:56 Tickets Donations and Perks32:11 Relating to 1692 People33:41 Family Ties to the Trials35:14 Witch Hunts Then and Now43:10 Beyond Salem North Shore Travel44:34 Memorials at Hale Farm45:19 Where to Learn More46:05 Final Thanks and Sign Off Historic Beverly: https://historicbeverly.netAncestry Tour Agents: https:// ancestrytouragents.com Salem Witch-Hunt Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/salemwitchhuntSalem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhuntsThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

Monstrous Bitch: 4,000 Years of Demonizing Women, From Lamashtu to Modern HorrorMedievalist and Columbia professor Dr. Eleanor Johnson joins us to trace the 4,000-year lineage behind her new book, Monstrous Bitch, connecting ancient Mesopotamian demon Lamashtu to Greek and Roman lamiae, medieval and early modern witch persecutions, and modern horror cinema. We follow how patriarchal cultures repeatedly weaponized a recurring “triptych” of accusations—women’s voices, sexuality or predation, and reproductive autonomy—turning mythic monstrosity into the idea that any woman could be a witch, and later reshaping the figure into the vampire. We also confront the terror of heritable witchcraft accusations, including Salem’s Sarah Good and Dorothy Good, and discuss the devil-contract conspiracy framework in Christian witch ideology, alongside historical opponents who challenged it. Johnson highlights recent films that reinterpret the “monstrous bitch” as feminist resistance, and shares release details for Monstrous Bitch (Oct. 6) and her Eleanor’s Horrors Substack.Chapters00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:27 Dr Johnson Background02:53 Why Monstrous Bitch03:59 Lamashtu Origins08:56 From Lamia to Witches12:54 Witch Hunts Fallout14:40 Vampiress Turn16:22 Feminist Horror Reclaim20:44 Devil Pact Conspiracy27:10 Pushback and Salem Link30:40 Salem Cases Setup32:00 Daughters Forced to Disavow33:10 Hereditary Horror on Film35:23 Witchcraft Accusations Today36:58 Exonerating Ancestors in Connecticut38:42 Honor, Memory, and History41:13 Pop Culture Witch Lineages42:52 The Past Never Ends46:51 Fear of Women Gathering51:05 Study History Without Fear54:19 Book Release and FarewellLinksEleanor’s Horrors: https://eleanorshorrors.substack.comBuy Monstrous Bitch: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780691291666Salem Witch Trials History YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQThe Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/Connecticut Witch Trial History Trail: https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/trail/Massachusetts Witch Trial History: https://massachusettswitchtrials.orgEnd Witch Hunts nonprofit: https://endwitchhunts.org

The Craft at 30: Witchcraft, Teen Horror, and the Satanic Panic with Abby Brenker (Lunatics Project)We welcome Abby Brenker of The Lunatics Project to dig into The Craft on its 30th anniversary, tracing why this 1996 teen witchcraft horror classic became a sleepover staple despite mixed reviews and an R rating. We explore how the film centers female friendship, anger, and power outside of romance, while portraying boys as secondary villainous caricatures, and we unpack gendered conflicts around beauty, identity, mentorship, and isolation—especially for Bonnie, Sarah, Nancy, and Rochelle. We connect the movie’s rituals, Wiccan and occult-inspired magic system, and iconic lines (“We’re the weirdos, mister”) to broader 1990s witch media, from Sabrina to Buffy, and to real-world fears: self-harm, rape, bullying, and primal horror imagery like mirrors, snakes, and spiders. We also touch on The Believers, Blair Witch, and the Satanic Panic, and Abby shares where to find Lunatics Radio Hour and her feature film Voices Carry on Tubi.Chapters00:00 Meet The Guest00:28 Lunatics Project Origins03:02 Why The Craft Matters03:58 Film Setup And Legacy07:49 Women Center Stage11:18 Boys And Beauty Standards15:21 Rituals And Power18:02 Fear And Dark Themes23:32 Iconic Lines And Scenes25:36 Witch Shop Mentor27:45 Rochelle Lacks Support29:14 Racism Then and Now30:40 Hair as Social Power35:05 Nineties Witch Boom40:02 Satanic Panic Memories43:38 Ritual Games and Mirrors45:45 Iconic Final Confrontation48:26 Violence and R Rating51:08 Blair Witch and Viral Hype53:58 Closing and Projects LinksThe Lunatics ProjectLunatics Radio HourVoices Carry on TubiSalem Witch Trials History YouTube channelThe Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About the Salem Witch TrialsSalem Witch Trials DailyConnecticut Witch Trial History TrailMassachusetts Witch Trial HistoryEnd Witch Hunts nonprofit

Why Did Ann Putnam Jr. Accuse? Reconstructing the Salem Witch Trials Through Behavioral ScienceWe welcome back producer-director-writer Tom Phillips with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Hogan Sherrow to examine why 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. became the central accuser in the Salem witch trials and later the only known accuser to publicly apologize. Using Sherrow’s “evolutionary behavioral reconstruction,” they combine life history, Puritan cultural context, and household pressures to consider non-sensational explanations, including mental illness (psychosis-like symptoms), imitation and reinforcement, and the community’s readiness to interpret aberrant behavior as the devil. They discuss how Ann’s charisma could sway authorities, including the reversal of Rebecca Nurse’s initial acquittal, and how parents, magistrates, and church could benefit once accusations escalated. They analyze Ann’s 1706 apology language and signature, the trauma of witnessing executions, and preview test footage from Phillips’ stage-bound project Salem Aftermath.00:00 Why Ann Putnam Matters01:39 Meet Tom and Hogan04:30 Salem Aftermath Project05:56 Behavioral Reconstruction09:11 Puritans Not Hysterical10:58 Profiling Ann Putnam14:39 Psychosis or Copycat18:25 Lying and Boogeymen24:29 Family Trauma and Motives31:43 Rebecca Nurse Courtroom36:11 Who Benefits and Why37:05 Short Term Rewards40:07 Early Death Stressors44:05 Scapegoats And Witch Hunts48:27 Possible Diagnoses51:00 Teen Desire And Guilt53:46 Outcast And Marriage Prospects56:07 Apology Under Scrutiny59:42 Hangings And Lasting Trauma01:02:01 Signature And Authorship Doubts01:06:31 Humanizing Ann And Closing Links:The Thing About Witch HuntsSalem Witch Trials History YouTubeThe Thing About the Salem Witch TrialsSalem Witch Trials Daily

World Day Against Witch Hunts: Sister Lorena Jenal and Jörg Nowak on Rescuing Survivors in Papua New GuineaHosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack mark August 10, World Day Against Witch Hunts, with its creators, Sister Lorena Jenal and journalist Jörg Nowak of the German Catholic aid organization Missio. Sr. Lorena, a Swiss Franciscan who has served 47 years in Papua New Guinea, has rescued more than 420 women accused of sorcery since 2012 and shelters survivors at the House of Hope, built using her International Weimar Award for Human Rights. Nowak describes how Missio recognized sorcery accusation-related violence as a current human rights violation, expanded support to projects in countries including Liberia, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, and documented abuses through reporting and museum exhibitions. They discuss the scale in PNG (109 cases last year), an estimate of 3,000 killings over 20 years, patterns of scapegoating and misogyny, severe sexual violence and public humiliation, police corruption and inaction, and advocacy efforts to elevate August 10 to a United Nations-recognized day.00:00 World Day Against Witch Hunts01:37 Meet Lorena and Jörg03:10 Missio Campaign Origins05:38 Papua New Guinea Crisis11:40 Who Gets Accused20:21 Sexual Violence Research29:06 Police Corruption and Justice35:15 Creating August 1043:48 House of Hope Sanctuary46:20 UN Recognition Push52:20 How You Can Help53:57 Final Thanks and Share LinksHexenverfolgung heute | missio: https://www.missio-hilft.de/informieren/wofuer-wir-uns-einsetzen/gegen-hexenverfolgung/  World Day Against Witch Hunts:  https://endwitchhunts.org/day The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.comSalem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhuntsThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/