For this week’s discussion. our group reflected on the infamous Salem Witch Trials. This specific study caught my eye since I am a fan of the supernatural and the themes of feminism that this specific part of history has to offer. The given essay, however, perplexed me, specifically because it focuses on the ‘scientific’ explanation of why the convicted witches were acting insane in the first place, which I’ve never learned of before. The given article for analysis is titled ‘How Rye bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials’. The author, Kate Lohnes, goes in depth of the science that is now known behind the ‘supernatural’ convulsions that the young girls were diagnosed with that inevitably were observed to be caused by witchcraft during that time. Now what’s interesting to me is that these convulsions spread like wildfire, and because of the lack of modern science and knowledge of the microbial world, 19 women died of hanging or poor imprisonment because they were convicted of witchcraft and bewitching the town with this certain plague.

around two centuries later, in a future with better access to books and studies about illnesses, evidence arose for the explanation of such symptoms, which has since become the latter hypothesis. In 1976 Dr. Linda Caporrael studies the Salem Witch Trials and finalizes that the town plague was not caused by the bewitchment of the people, but because the people had Ergotism, a disease caused by a fungus grown on wrongly harvested rye, when they are overexposed by the sun. Her hypothesis was later defended by Historians, as the weather of harvesting rye in 1691 Salem could have gone through this wrongful harvest. Here is a link to a Ted-Ed video for more detail of the history of the Salem Witch Trials. There is still much debate as to why the girls and later the whole town of Salem went through, but this case study leads me into a path of curiosity in which asks:
what other acts of God and Mythological beings have been debunked by modern science?

One instance that comes to mind when answering this question are the superstitions that surround a solar eclipse. Having seen the 2017 one in person, my mind finds itself gravitating toward how terrifying it would have been for those that lived in a time that had no scientific explanation for why the sun suddenly disappeared during the day. With no sun there is darkness, and darkness itself plays a vital role in many mythologies as a symbolism for the omen of evil, specifically in the Hindu tradition. As quoted from the journal, Believe it or not: Indian myths and superstitions around the solar eclipse:
‘The sun, which is worshipped as a major life force in the universe, disappears during the solar eclipse, making it an omen of all things evil. Naturally then, a number of rituals are conducted to minimise the negative effects of this natural phenomenon.’

It is human nature to have an explanation for the unknown in order to find comfort in terrifying situations, such as the sun turning completely black in the middle of the day. In Hinduism, solar eclipses, or Grahan, are explained through the the Bhagavata Purana, one of the Eighteen Great Histories of Hinduism. The story tells the tale of the demon Rahu and his revenge for when Vishnu cut his head off as a punishment for drinking Amrit, the nectar of immortality. In his vengeful state, Rahu devours the sun. The association between demons and solar eclipses have created superstitions among the hindu community, and is seen as an ‘Unholy Happening’.
A fast is generally observed during solar eclipses as people consider all food and even water to be cursed objects. Temples are closed during a solar eclipse. It is believed that offering prayers during an eclipse has harmful effects, as it is an unholy event. All Hindus take a cold bath after the eclipse, to wash off all negative energies.
It is insane the amount of knowledge we have now, especially with the technology accessible to us compared to centuries ago. Solar eclipses are studied so thoroughly to the point where we know the exact dates they will happen, and how they truly come to be. Although it is set in stone that they occur due to the shadow of the moon perfectly aligning with the shape of the sun, the explanations through mythology come to great use for fathoming the progress for human knowledge. In a time of technological advancements, it is inevitable that modern science will prevail in learning the unknown now, but of course it is important to keep these mythologies and legends alive for the sake of learning and respecting the cultures that they come from.
To end this blog, I would love to share a quote from ABC news during the 1979 total eclipse pertaining to the upcoming solar eclipses:
The next solar eclipse seen in Canada will be on April 8th, 2024, and given the current climate of the world we live in, I hope for a better future for all of us.
references cited:
Kate Lohnes, Encyclopædia Britannica, How Rye Bread May Have Caused The Salem Witch Trials, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-rye-bread-may-have-caused-the-salem-witch-trials, (accessed August 06, 2020)
“What Really happened During the Salem Witch Trials – Brian A. Pavlac”, Youtube, Uploaded by Ted-ed, 04 May 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVd8kuufBhM
IndiaToday Webdesk, Indiatoday, Believe it or not: Indian myths and superstitions around the solar eclipse, https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/culture/story/total-solar-eclipse-indian-hindu-myths-supersitions-rahu-surya-grahan-religious-rituals-lifest-1030644-2017-08-21#:~:text=Eclipses%20or%20grahan%20are%20considered,omen%20of%20all%20things%20evil. (accessed August 06, 2020)
Aastha Ki Dor, OnlinePrasad.com blog, What is The Impostance of Solar Eclipse in Hinduism, http://blog.onlineprasad.com/what-is-the-importance-of-solar-eclipse-in-hinduism/ (accessed August 06. 2020)
“May the Shadow Of the Moon Fall on A world At Peace” ABC news report from February 26, 1979″, Youtube, Uploaded by Rusty, 09 August 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORaGlgLnw64
images:
getty Images, “Salem Witch Trials”, History.com, https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials
Pixabay, “solar Eclipse”, Pixabay.com, https://pixabay.com/illustrations/solar-eclipse-sun-moon-astronomy-1116853/
Rowe Dorothy, “Rahu and Ketu, Intense Points of Influence in Our Lives”, Distanceenergywork.com, https://www.distanceenergywork.com/encyclopedia/rahu-and-ketu/
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