The first of twenty people killed in Salem, Massachusetts for witchcraft was Bridget Bishop. Bridget Bishop was reportedly loud, flashy, and rude in contrast to the social and religious norms of her day. She was also married multiple times, a serious social taboo in her day.
One of her husbands was even thought to have been bewitched to death by Bishop. Her reputation obviously marked her as suspect before any witch trial began. Bishop’s body was thoroughly searched for “witch marks.” A “witch’s tet” between “ye pupendum and anus” was discovered on her person. Her accusers claimed this to be the suckle point between her and her devil, which took the form of a small hairy animal. Bridget Bishop was found guilty of witchcraft and was hanged from the branches of a large oak tree growing in a place that would later be known as “Witches Hill.” The Salem Witch Trials still serve as historic examples of the extreme dangers inherent to religious fundamentalism in America.
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