Cincinnati.com: The tale of Ohio's only known witch trial
Dressing like a witch at Halloween is now commonplace, but witchery was once dangerous business
Professor Janine Hartman, who teaches a course at the University of Cincinnati titled Women and Witchcraft, was interviewed for a feature story in the Cincinnati Enquirer on the topic of witches in Ohio’s history.
Just in time for Halloween, the article focuses on the 1803 Ohio Witch Trial in Bethel, Ohio. The trial was modeled after prior witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts…but had a much better outcome. As it turned out, the local accused of being a witch most likely had epilepsy.
Since then, movies like “Harry Potter” and “Hocus Pocus” have gentled the idea of witches and witchcraft.
"Something has changed in our culture," Hartman said, adding: Acting like, dressing like or even claiming to be a witch, is now “as American as apple pie."
However: "We have such narrow beliefs," Hartman says in the article, pointing to the fact that “many buildings still don't have 13th floors and animal shelters still report that black dogs and cats are harder to find homes for.”
Featured image of witch from iStock/Katerina Sisperova
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