Reflection on Cotton Mather's On Witchcraft - Fear of the Unknown

             I will admit with utter honesty that I read Cotton Mather’s On Witchcraft with a skewed, already preconceived view that, well, to put in bluntly, “These people were nuts. They were just caught up in the hysteria to get those witches.” I tried to get rid of this bias, shove it to the back of my mind, and I attempted to read Mather’s work through an unfiltered lens. But, after years of high school education screaming in the recesses of my mind, 'Nope, the Salem Witch Trials are just a perfect example of what mass religious hysteria can do,' reading the text unfiltered became quite a daunting task to undertake. I didn’t want to accept that previously taught simplistic view; it was too dry, too easy to repeat by future generations, and too dependent on the idea of mob mentality. I desperately wanted to see the process of an individual 's progression to such witchery claims. This book began to unearth some of that process. Eventually, I stumbled into this semi-successful revelation: the Salem Witch Trials were not just an example of religious hysteria; they are an example of what our human psyche, even today, is capable of creating in the presence of an unseen, intangible fear. It took Wednesday’s class discussion to pinpoint my now so different opinion, an opinion with which I am much more comfortable.

            At first, Mather’s depiction of the witch hunt seems like a quest or façade just to bolster nationalism and camaraderie. When hunger, cold, and disease are so rampant, why not unite a people with a common cause (fear) to destroy those damned witches? Then, claims of witchery and devilish enchantments start circulating, and whether intended or not, soon this national disaster has united the people of Salem into one, blessed, holy people dedicated to eradicating God’s foil. The Devil “aims at inflaming [them] one against another,” so it is imperious to their own survival as a community to protect their young prodigy (the afflicted, accusatory girls), their Christian tradition, and their own souls from possible possession by the Devil and his legions (25). At one point, Mather calls upon the Bible’s “Third of Colossians and the Fifteenth verse” (25) to unite his people in the idea that ¹⁵“the peace of Christ rule in [their] hearts, to which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians). Notice the choice of words in this verse. Binds. Together. Perfect harmony. When a force so dark, so sinister, and so intangible threatens their livelihood and Christian souls, binding together is the one source of comfort and power they have against such an other-wordly force. But, is this nationalism really togetherness? Yes, they are all brought together by their common quest to destroy the devilish intruders, but it ultimately tears their own lives apart when they recognize their faults. The judges and perpetrators die as tormented souls. Their support of this togetherness eventually leads to their own, individual separation. In regards to perfect harmony, it is interesting that Mather calls on their togetherness to represent perfect harmony. Their accusations against (who we now know as innocent people) seem far from perfect. Neighbor against neighbor, man against wife, parents against children. That is not perfect harmony. How can it be so when later in the same book of Colossians, God instructs,¹⁹“Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly?” Suspicion, even if it is of a devil in their midst, is not perfect harmony.

            But, in the face of such an unknown, unseen ghost (because the Devil can morph shapes as Mather says), this togetherness and perfect harmony are all the people of Salem had to comfort themselves. This fear of an unseen creature, something that can assume any shape to tempt you and steal your soul…wouldn’t you be afraid, too? Wouldn’t you run to your fellow Salem citizens as a means of comfort? It is the fear of the unknown that is perhaps the greatest fear of all. When Suzanne prompted us to think about how the Puritans perceived the wilderness around them, we as a collective student body decided that Mather makes their situation sound like the poor people are up against something so evil, it is beyond the minds of the people. They couldn't wrap their heads around those fears. As I said in class, our fears today are tangible, recognizable. We can see them. The car hurtling towards us is to be feared because it could strike us dead. The snowy blizzard outside is to be feared because we know the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite. But, to be told to fear something you can’t even see and that can be lurking around you at any given moment--that is truly terrifying. No wonder these poor people relied on each other and supported each other’s accusations. Accusations meant getting rid of people who could become, or were, the unseen fear. Camaraderie provided protection. Religious fervor provided God’s graced protection. Consensus and, dare I say--mob mentality, gave each Salem resident a cause, a home, a sense of familiarity.

            On just a side note, one thing that particularly struck me about Mather’s characterization of the Devil is that he himself, much to my surprise, speaks in Latin – the supposedly holy language of God, his son, his angels, his holy pastors and priests, and the holy book (aka the Bible). On page 17, the Devil answers the “Popish Curate” in Latin - quite a beautiful language in of itself. Just ironic I guess…just thought it was worth pointing out.

            Lastly, at one point while reading “Enchantments Encountered,” I couldn’t help but to notice a blatant connection between J.K. Rowling’s creation in the Harry Potter series - the ultimate incarnation of the devilish wizard: HeWhoMustNotBeNamed (the infamous Voldemort). I didn’t want to be THAT person to make the obvious connection between Harry Potter and witchcraft, but it’s there, and really does deserve some attention. Mather says he “will not Name” the other evil spirits “lest [he] should by Naming, Teach them” (19-20). I take this to mean that Mather fears naming these evil spirits because, just like Rowling creates in her series, saying the name of such an evil spirit will only recognize his power and strengthen him further. So, Rowling is no dummy…she knew a lot of British and American literature before she began this series. If she didn’t, would we have pop-culture’s new depiction of evil: the bald, nose-less Voldemort? I think not. I stand in my claim that, well, Harry Potter is one badass series of literature :]

            So, in reading excerpts of Cotton Mather’s On Witchcraft, I have come to understand a little bit more about the psyche of the tormented souls of Salem--a collective psyche of unimaginable fear that would drive anyone, even you or I, to do some unthinkable things. And, just because it’s fun, I did include a Harry Potter reference in my understanding of the reading :] I am thaaat kid :]

I think Voldemort needs to learn to brush his teeth...just saying.

“Colossians.” The New Revised Standard Version The Holy Bible: Ed. Thomas Nelson. Graded     Press, 1990. Print.

Mather, Cotton. On Witchcraft. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2005. Print.