Cultural depictions of the

Salem witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Not everyone wh ...

abound in art, literature and popular media in the United States, from the early 19th century to the present day. The literary and dramatic depictions are discussed in Marion Gibson's ''Witchcraft Myths in American Culture'' (New York: Routledge, 2007) and see also Bernard Rosenthal's ''Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692''

In literature

* ''Salem, an Eastern Tale'' (1820), by an unknown author, published serially in three instalments of the ''New York Literary Journal and Belles-Lettres Repository,'' a New York-based literary journal * ''

Rachel Dyer ''Rachel Dyer: A North American Story'' is a Gothic fiction, Gothic historical novel by American writer John Neal. Published in 1828 in Portland, Maine, it is the first Bookbinding, bound novel about the Salem witch trials. Though it garnered ...

'' (1828), by

John Neal John Neal (August 25, 1793 – June 20, 1876) was an American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist. Considered both eccentric and influential, he delivered speeches and published essays, novels, poems, and short stories between the 1 ...

(1793–1876) * American poet

John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...

(1807–1892) wrote many poems about the events, starting with " The Weird Gathering"(1831), and later, " Calef in Boston" (1849), about the public debates between

Robert Calef Robert Calef (baptized 2 November 1648 – 13 April 1719) was a cloth merchant in colonial Boston. He was the author of ''More Wonders of the Invisible World'', a book composed throughout the mid-1690s denouncing the recent Salem witch trials of ...

and

Cotton Mather Cotton Mather (; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he join ...

in the aftermath of the trials *''

Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown" is a short story published in 1835 by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story takes place in 17th-century Puritan New England, a common setting for Hawthorne's works, and addresses the Calvinist/Puritan belief that a ...

'' is a short story published in 1835 by

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...

* '' The Salem Belle: A Tale of 1692'', anonymous. Tappan & Dennett, Boston, 1842 * '' Witching Times'' (serialized 1856–57), by

John William De Forest John William De Forest (May 31, 1826 – July 17, 1906) was an American soldier and writer of literary realism, best known for his Civil War novel '' Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty''. He also coined the term for the Great Am ...

(1826–1906) * '' Lois the Witch'' (1859), a novella by

Elizabeth Gaskell Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (''née'' Stevenson; 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer detailed studies of Victorian era, Victoria ...

(1810–1865), is based on the Salem witch hunts and depicts how jealousy and sexual desire can lead to hysteria. She was inspired by the story of

Rebecca Nurse Rebecca Nurse (née Towne; February 13, 1621 – July 19, 1692) was a woman who was accused of witchcraft and executed by hanging in New England during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. She was fully exonerated fewer than twenty years later. She ...

whose accusation, trial and execution are described in '' Lectures on Witchcraft'', by

Charles W. Upham Charles Wentworth Upham (May 4, 1802 – June 15, 1875) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Upham was also a member, and President of the Massachusetts State Senate, the 7th List of mayors of S ...

, the Unitarian minister in Salem in the 1830s. Historical figure Cotton Mather makes an appearance in the story. * '' Giles Corey of the Salem Farms'' (1868), a play by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to comp ...

(1807–1882) * '' Salem: A Tale of the Seventeenth Century'' (1874), a historical novel by D. R. Castleton (Harper, New York) * " Giles Corey, Yeoman" (1893), a play by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930) * '' The Witch of Salem, or Credulity Run Mad, by John R. Musick. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1893. Historical fiction set during the witchcraft trials. Pauline Bradford Mackie 001

* '' Ye lyttle Salem maide, a story of witchcraft'' (1898), a novel by Pauline Bradford Mackie (1873–?), Lamson, Wolffe and Co., Boston, 1898. * '' The Witch Hunter's Wards; or The Hunted Orphans of Salem'' by Richard R. Montgomery, ''Pluck and Luck'' No. 151, April 24, 1901. * '' Dulcibel: A tale of old Salem'' by Henry Peterson, Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1907. Historical fiction. * Various stories by

H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...

(1890–1937) are set in the fictional town of

Arkham Arkham () is a fictional city situated in Massachusetts, United States. An integral part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H. P. Lovecraft, Arkham is featured in many of his stories and those of other Cthulhu Mythos writers. Arkham ...

, Massachusetts, said to have been founded by refugees from the Salem trials. For example, in '' The Dreams in the Witch-House'', the witch Keziah Mason is said to have fled Salem. * '' A Witch of Salem: Grand Opera in Two Acts'' (1926), book by Nelle Richmond Eberhart, music by

Charles Wakefield Cadman Charles Wakefield Cadman (December 24, 1881 – December 30, 1946) was an American composer. For 40 years, he worked closely with Nelle Richmond Eberhart, who wrote most of the texts to his songs, including ''Four American Indian Songs''. She als ...

* '' A Mirror for Witches'' (1928) by

Esther Forbes Esther Louise Forbes (; June 28, 1891 – August 12, 1967) was an American novelist, historian and children's writer who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal. She was the first woman elected to membership in the American Antiquar ...

(1891–1968) * '' Road to Endor'' (1940) by Esther Hammand * '' The Devil in Boston'' (1948, premiered 1953 in Los Angeles), translated by June Barrows Mussey from the original German " Wahn oder Der Teufel in Boston" (1948, premiered 1949 in Frankfurt a. M.), a play by

Lion Feuchtwanger Lion Feuchtwanger (; 7 July 1884 – 21 December 1958) was a German Jewish novelist and playwright. A prominent figure in the literary world of Weimar Republic, Weimar Germany, he influenced contemporaries including playwright Bertolt Brecht. ...

(1884–1958), a German-Jewish writer in exile in the US. Main characters are Cotton Mather (1663–1728) and Hanna Parrish, Feuchtwanger's adaptation of Elizabeth Parris. Depicts the dynamics of the

witch hunt A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...

and the interests of the Mathers. A fictional character represents Enlightenment thought. * ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' (1952), a play by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

(1915–2005). Arguably the most famous cultural depiction, uses the trial events to reflect on the actions of the

House Committee on Unamerican Activities The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty an ...

and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Joe McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age 48 in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the mo ...

. * ''

Tituba of Salem Village ''Tituba of Salem Village'' is a 1964 children's novel by African-American writer Ann Petry about the 17th-century West Indian Slavery, slave Tituba, of the same name who was the first to be accused of practicing witchcraft during the 1692 Sale ...

'' (1956), a children's book by

Ann Petry Ann Petry (October 12, 1908 – April 28, 1997) was an American writer of novels, short stories, children's books and journalism. Her 1946 debut novel '' The Street'' became the first novel by an African-American woman to sell more than a mill ...

* '' The Witchcraft of Salem Village'' (1956), a children's book by

Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Her writing career spanned over two decades, during which she composed six novels, two memoirs, and mor ...

* ''The Crucible'' (1961), an opera by Robert Ward (1917–2013), based on the 1952 play by

* '' The Pariah'' (1983) by

Graham Masterton Graham Masterton (born 16 January 1946, in Edinburgh) is a British author known primarily for horror fiction. Originally editor of ''Mayfair'' and the British edition of '' Penthouse'', his debut novel, ''The Manitou'', was published in 1976. T ...

takes place in Salem and attributes the trials to the presence of the Aztec demon Mictlantecuhtli * '' Witches' Children'' (1987), a young adult novel by Patricia Clapp, told from the perspective of Mary Warren, one of the young accusers * '' I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem'' (1992), translated from the original French '' Moi, Tituba, sorcière noire de Salem'' (1986), by

Maryse Condé Maryse Condé (née Marise Liliane Appoline Boucolon; 11 February 1934 – 2 April 2024) was a French novelist, critic, and playwright from the French Overseas department and region of Guadeloupe. She was also an academic, whose teaching car ...

. Condé freely imagines Tituba's childhood and old age, endows her with a contemporary social consciousness, and allows her to narrate the tale. * '' A Break with Charity'' (1992), a young adult novel by

Ann Rinaldi Ann Rinaldi (August 27, 1934 – July 1, 2021) was an American journalist and young adult fiction author. She was best known for her historical fiction, including '' In My Father's House'', '' The Last Silk Dress'', ''An Acquaintance with Darknes ...

(1934–2021), takes the Salem trials as its main setting * ''The Secret Circle Trilogy'' (1992) is a young adult book series by

L.J. Smith John Smith III (born May 13, 1980), commonly known as L. J., which stands for "Little John", is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutger ...

, which takes place in New Salem. The series focuses on Cassie Blake, a 16-year-old girl who is drawn to a group of high school teenagers who are witches and are hunted by witch hunters. * '' Acceptable Risk'' (1994), an adult medical thriller novel by

Robin Cook Robert Finlayson "Robin" Cook (28 February 19466 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 until his death in 2005 and served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 until ...

(born 1940), with a plot that attributes the afflictions in Salem to an unusual mold that is rediscovered by present-day medical researchers. * '' Beyond the Burning Time'' (1996), a young adult novel by

Kathryn Lasky Kathryn Lasky (born June 24, 1944) is an American children's writer who also writes for adults under the names Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann. Her children's books include several Dear America books, The Royal Diaries books, ''Sugaring T ...

, which depicts the trials through the eyes of a fictional young woman, Mary Chase. * '' Gallows Hill'' (1997) by

Lois Duncan Lois Duncan Steinmetz (April 28, 1934 – June 15, 2016), known as Lois Duncan, was an American writer, novelist, poet, and journalist. She is best known for her Young adult fiction, young-adult novels, and has been credited by historians as a pi ...

(1934–2016) is young-adult fiction in which main character Sarah, and many others, turn out to be reincarnations of those accused and killed during the trials. * In the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

Past Doctor Adventures The ''Past Doctor Adventures'' (sometimes known by the abbreviation ''PDA'' or ''PDAs'') were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and published under the BBC Books imprint. ...

novel ''

The Witch Hunters The ''Past Doctor Adventures'' (sometimes known by the abbreviation ''PDA'' or ''PDAs'') were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and published under the BBC Books imprint. ...

'' (1998) by Steve Lyons, the

First Doctor The First Doctor is the original incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell in th ...

, his granddaughter

Susan Foreman Susan Foreman (also known as Susan Campbell in spin-off media) is a fictional character in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The granddaughter of the Doctor and original Companion (Docto ...

and their companions

Ian Chesterton Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell and was one of the members of the programme's first r ...

and Barbara Wright visit

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...

in the midst of the witch trials. Historical figures such as Reverend

Samuel Parris Samuel Parris (1653February 27, 1720) was a Puritan minister in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Also a businessman and one-time plantation owner, he gained notoriety for being the minister of the church in Salem Village, Massachusetts during t ...

Abigail Williams Abigail Williams (born c. 1681, date of death unknown) was an 11- or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eventually ...

, Ann Putnam, Jr. and John Proctor are major characters in the novel. * Both the third and fourth books in the

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

series (''

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' ( ; also ) is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the third installment in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The novel follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third yea ...

'' (1999) and ''

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwar ...

'' (2000), respectively) make slight references to the Salem trials. The trials are further described in the

Pottermore Wizarding World Digital is a digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment and news company. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J. K. Rowling regarding the Wizarding World. The site feat ...

website. * '' Dorcas Good, The Diary of a Salem Witch'' (1999) by Rose Earhart, is a fictional diary of remembrance by an adult character, based on her imprisonment as a child during the witchcraft trials, based on what happened to

Dorothy Good Dorothy Good (historically referred to as Dorcas Good; born ca. 1687/1688) was the daughter of William Good and Sarah Good (née Solart). Witchcraft Accusation Dorothy and her mother Sarah were accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem at th ...

. * '' Witch Child'' (2000) by Celia Rees, is a fictional story about a young woman in

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

who was a healer and pagan. * '' I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembly, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony 1691'' ( Dear America Series) (2004), by

Lisa Rowe Fraustino Lisa Rowe Fraustino is an American writer and editor of children's literature. Biography In 1961 Lisa was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. She currently lives with her husband in Connecticut where she teaches at Eastern Connecticut State Unive ...

(born 1961), is young-adult historical fiction set during the Salem Witch Trials * In '' The Last Witchfinder'' (2006), a historical novel by

James Morrow James Morrow (born March 17, 1947) is an American novelist and short-story writer known for filtering large philosophical and theological questions through his satiric sensibility. Most of Morrow's oeuvre has been published as science fiction ...

(1947-living), the Salem Witch Trials feature prominently. * "

Oyer and Terminer In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French , which literally means 'to hear and to determine') was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the commission was also ...

", a sci-fi short story by Joe Masdon in the collection "

Time Twisters Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compa ...

" (Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, eds, DAW, 2007), is set during the Salem witch trials * '' The Lace Reader'' (2008) by Brunonia Barry, is a psychological suspense novel based in Salem and refers to many aspects of the trials including the arrest of

Bridget Bishop Bridget Bishop (née Magnus; 1632 – 10 June 1692) was a midwife and the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692. Nineteen were hanged, and one, Giles Corey, was pressed to death. Altogether, about 200 peop ...

. * '' The Heretic's Daughter: A Novel'' (2008), by

Kathleen Kent Kathleen may refer to: People * Kathleen (given name) * Kathleen (singer), Canadian pop singer Places * Kathleen, Alberta, Canada * Kathleen, Georgia, United States * Kathleen, Florida, United States * Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Florida), ...

, is a fictionalized account of the case of

Martha Carrier Martha Carrier (née Allen; about 1650 – 19 August 1692) was a Puritan accused and convicted of being a witch during the 1692 Salem witch trials. Early life Martha Allen was born about 1650 to Andrew Allen (or Allin) (1623–1690), one of the ...

, as told from the point of view of her 10-year-old daughter, Sarah Carrier. * '' The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane'' (2009) by

Katherine Howe Katherine Howe (born 1977) is an American novelist who lives in New England and New York City. She specializes in historical novels which she uses to query ideas about "the contingent nature of reality and belief." Her debut novel was the ''New ...

, is a fictional account of a woman in the 21st century connecting with an ancestor, Deliverance Dane of

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

, who was accused of

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

during the Salem witch trials. * '' Time of the Witches'' (2009) by Ann Meyers is a story that describes a fictional character, Drucilla, as she grows up during the witch trials. Many real people, including Tituba, make appearances. * '' Supernatural: One Year Gone'' (2011) by Rebecca Dessertine is a story based on the TV show ''

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

'' in which

Dean Winchester Dean Winchester is one of the two protagonists from the American drama television series ''Supernatural'', along with his younger brother Sam. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed b ...

travels to Salem and discovers a journal by one of his ancestors from the time of the Witch Trials that reveals all the women hanged were innocent and that the ''real'' witches instigated the trials as a cover for their evil activities. At the end of the story, while fighting the witches, Dean summons the ghosts of all those killed in the Trials and they kill the two evil witches responsible for their deaths. * ''Conversion'' (2014) by

describes the

mass hysteria Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...

of the fictional St. Joan's Academy in Danvers, Massachusetts, interlaced with intercalary chapters from the perspective of Ann Putnam – one of the Salem accusers – as she tells the town's new reverend how the witch hunt began and escalated based on her testimony and the testimonies of the other girls. The novel explores the occurrence of modern-day hysteria through juxtaposition against the Salem Witch Trials. * ''Becky Nurse of Salem'' (2019) by

Sarah Ruhl Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, poet, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), '' The Clean House'' (2004), and '' In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been ...

is a play in which a modern descendant of Rebecca Nurse examines the injustice done during the Salem witch trials and the effects those trials continue to have in the present. Ruhl also examines the historical inaccuracies that "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller has perpetuated which mask the gender and sexual politics that seem to have been at the root of Miller's play, as well as the hysteria perpetrated in Salem. *'' The Once and Future Witches'' (2020) by Alix E. Harrow is set in an alternate past in which witchcraft is real, but has been banned, and in which women seek to reclaim their power through witchcraft. The action takes place in a town called New Salem, 100 miles from the original Salem (called "Old Salem" in the book), which was destroyed by witchcraft and features in important ways in the storyline. * ''We Ride Upon Sticks'' (2020) by

Quan Barry Amy Quan Barry (born Saigon) is a Vietnamese American poet, novelist, and playwright. She is a recipient of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize. Barry is a Lorraine Hansberry Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Biog ...

is set in the 1980s in

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the beach ...

, which was known as

Salem Village Danvers is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the beach ...

during the Salem Witch Trials. The protagonists are members of a field hockey team who take inspiration from the events of 1692, starting a coven and using what may be witchcraft to gain a winning edge. * ''Gallows Hill'' (2023) by

Lois Ruby Lois Ruby is the author of several children's and young adult books, including some historical fiction. Her most notable works are the historical fiction novels ''Steal Away Home'' and ''The Secret of Laurel Oaks''. Personal life Ruby is a fo ...

, a young-adult novel that follows Thomas, a young Quaker recently arrived from England, and Patience, a young Puritan girl, and their perspectives on the trials.

In popular culture and media

Film

* ''

Maid of Salem ''Maid of Salem'' is a 1937 American historical drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray and Harvey Stephens. It was made and distributed by Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures, Plot A young girl in Sal ...

'' (1937): a film starring

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

and

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

, with

Bonita Granville Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer. The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a child actress, making ...

Gale Sondergaard Gale Sondergaard (born Edith Holm Sondergaard; February 15, 1899 – August 14, 1985) was an American actress. Sondergaard began her acting career in theater and progressed to films in 1936. She was the first recipient of the Academy Award ...

Louise Dresser Louise Dresser (born Louise Josephine Kerlin; October 5, 1878 – April 24, 1965) was an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the many films in which she played the wife of Will Rogers, including ''State Fair'' and ' ...

Beulah Bondi Beulah Bondi (born Beulah Bondy; May 3, 1888 – January 11, 1981) According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At ...

Virginia Weidler Virginia Anna Adeleid Weidler (March 21, 1927 – July 1, 1968) was an American child actor, child actress, popular in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life and career Weidler was born on March 21, 192 ...

, and

Madame Sul-Te-Wan Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was an American actress. She was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and telev ...

Tituba Tituba () was an enslaved Native American woman who was one of the first to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials of 1692–1693. She was enslaved by Samuel Parris, the minister of Salem Village, in the Province of Massachusett ...

, directed by

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a Scottish-American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from ...

* ''

I Married a Witch ''I Married A Witch'' is a 1942 American romantic screwball comedy fantasy film directed by René Clair and written by Robert Pirosh and Marc Connelly. Starred by Veronica Lake as the title character witch whose plan for revenge goes comically ...

'' (1942): a film starring

Veronica Lake Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in films noir with Alan Ladd durin ...

and

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...

, with

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist, newspaper columnist and actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, through his many years writing essays ...

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' ...

and Elizabeth Patterson, directed by

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

; a witch burned in Salem centuries ago (Lake) comes back to haunt descendants of Puritan (March) who sent her to her death. Comedy-fantasy with special effects. * ''

'' (1957): a Franco-East German film, originally titled ''Les Sorcières de Salem'', starring

Simone Signoret Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and ...

and

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...

and directed by

Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (; 4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory o ...

. Its screenplay was adapted by

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

from Arthur Miller's ''

''. * '' Bell Book and Candle'' (1958): a film starring

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

and

Kim Novak Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired actress and painter. Her contributions to cinema have been honored with two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and a s ...

; Novak plays a witch from old Salem who is still living in 1950s

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

. * ''Three Sovereigns for Sarah'' (1985): a film starring

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

and directed by

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the ...

, based on the story of

Sarah Cloyce Sarah Cloys/Cloyce (alt. Cloys/Cloyes; Towne; c. 1641 – 1703) was among the many accused during Salem Witch Trials including two of her older sisters, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Eastey, who were both executed. Cloys/Cloyce was about 50 years old ...

, the sister of

and Mary Esty who were executed for witchcraft, but who managed to survive. *''

Hocus Pocus Hocus-pocus is an exclamation used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. Hocus Pocus, Hokus Pokus, or variants may also refer to: Books * Hocus Pocus (novel), ''Hocus Pocus'' (novel), a 1990 novel ...

'' (1993), a Disney comedy film, starring

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...

and

Kathy Najimy Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist play ''The Kathy and Mo Show'', which she wrote and performed with Mo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her ...

as three sisters who were hanged as witches in colonial Salem, and who return to life in twentieth century Salem to wreak comic havoc. Coincidentally, Parker would later discover, as documented in the NBC program '' Who Do You Think You Are?'', that her 10th great-grandmother, Esther Elwell, was charged with witchcraft in November 1692, but was not tried. * ''

'' (1996) is a film adaptation of

's 1952 play ''

'', from a screenplay written by Miller himself; starring

Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Day-Lewis, numerous a ...

and

Winona Ryder Winona Laura Horowitz (born ), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder's L ...

* ''

Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost ''Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost'' is a 1999 American direct-to-video animated supernatural horror comedy film, and the second of the direct-to-video films based upon ''Scooby-Doo'' Saturday morning cartoons. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera ...

'' (1999), loosely based on the Salem mythology, recounts a descendant of a witch, who attempts to revive her and destroy the town that condemned her. * '' Keeper of Souls'' (2004), a horror film set in a fictional Southern town called Grove Hill, connects the demon to the Salem Witch Trials. * '' The Covenant'' (2006), a horror film that takes places in

Ipswich, Massachusetts Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,785 at the 2020 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island. A res ...

, which ties the supernatural powers of the present-day characters to their colonial ancestors, who had been charged with witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. * ''Salem: Examine the Evidence'' (2011) is a documentary film about the trials shown daily the Visitor Center in Salem, Massachusetts. It was filmed entirely on-location with re-enactors and scholars for the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

and the

Essex National Heritage Area The Essex National Heritage Area is a National Heritage Area composed of all of Essex County, Massachusetts. It is overseen by the Essex National Heritage Commission (ENHC), a non-profit organization based in Salem, Massachusetts. The commission ...

(https://www.essexheritage.org/salemwitchhunt/) * ''Salem: The True 1692'' (2011) is a 3D film about the trials. (https://cinemasalem.com/movies/the-true-1692-3d) * '' A Haunting in Salem'' (2011) is a 3D

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

film directed by

Shane Van Dyke Shane Thomas Van Dyke (born August 28, 1979) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. He is the son of Barry Van Dyke and grandson of Dick Van Dyke. Early life Van Dyke was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Mary (née Carey ...

and starring

Bill Oberst Jr Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

., Courtney Abbiati and Jenna Stone. * '' The Lords of Salem'' (2012), a horror film written and directed by

Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...

about a coven of 300-year-old witches who were secretly imprisoned and tortured during the

. * ''

ParaNorman ''ParaNorman'' is a 2012 American animated comedy horror, comedy horror film produced by Laika, LLC, Laika. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler (filmmaker), Chris Butler (the latter's feature directorial debut), and written by Butler, the film ...

'' (2012) animated film takes place in a Massachusetts town that in 1712 held witch trials and convicted and executed an innocent girl as a witch. * ''

The Autopsy of Jane Doe ''The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' is a 2016 supernatural horror film directed by André Øvredal, his first English-language film. It stars Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch as father-and-son coroners who experience supernatural phenomena while examining the ...

'' (2016) is a horror movie depicting an autopsy performed on a dead woman found in a bizarre crime scene. The coroners find increasingly strange clues and experience supernatural and unexplainable events in their attempt to find out the mysterious body's identity and cause of death. Towards the end of the film, the body was revealed to be that of a Salem witch. * ''

Fear Street Trilogy ''Fear Street'' is a series of American horror films based on R. L. Stine's book series of the same name. Involving slasher and supernatural elements, the films' overall story revolves around teenagers who work to break the curse that has been ...

'' (2021), a horror movie trilogy that regularly references the trials of Salem, for example Sheriff Goode is an homage to one of the first victims of the Salem trials, Sarah Good. * ''

Hocus Pocus 2 ''Hocus Pocus 2'' is a 2022 American fantasy comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher, written by Jen D'Angelo and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1993 film ''Hocus Pocus (1993 film), Hocus Pocus'' and the second installment ...

'' (2022), A horror sequel to Hocus Pocus, 2 teenage girls bring back the Sanderson sisters and the witches bring havoc back to Salem just like they did 29 years ago.

Television and radio

* And early episode of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

radio program '' You Are There'' dramatized key events of the Witch Trials (1947). * The television series ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

'' (1964–1972) includes six episodes in Season 7 (1970) that were filmed on location in Salem, with a plot that includes time travel to 1692. *

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...

's television series '' In Search of...'' (1977–1982) aired Season 5, Episode 109: "Salem Witches" (1980) * In episode four, "Agents of Satan" (which first aired on October 31, 1982), of the science-fiction TV show ''

Voyagers! ''Voyagers!'' is an American science-fiction television series about time travel that aired on NBC from October 3, 1982, to July 10, 1983, during the 1982–1983 season. The series starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Plot Phineas Bogg ( ...

'', the main characters, Bogg and Jeff, help save Abiah Folger, the mother of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

, from being burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials. * A television mini-series ''Three Sovereigns for Sarah'', starring

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 12, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' ''A Streetcar ...

and

Will Lyman William Lyman (born May 20, 1948) is an American actor. Known for his polished, resonant voice, he has narrated the PBS series '' Frontline'' since its second season in 1984. He played William Tell in the action/adventure television series ''Cr ...

, first aired on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

on May 27, 1985. * In ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' animated television comedy series (1989–present), a segment of the 1997 Halloween special episode " Treehouse of Horror VIII" is based on the Salem witch trials. *Episode 348 of Season 19 of the sketch comedy series ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' (first aired October 2, 1993) contained a skit depicting the "Salem Bitch Trials" in which Abigail Wolcott, played by

Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...

(who played

Betty Parris Elizabeth Parris (November 28, 1682 – March 21, 1760) was one of the young girls who accused other people of being witches during the Salem witch trials. The accusations made by Parris and her cousin Abigail Williams caused the direct death of ...

in the aforementioned ''Voyagers!'' episode and the witch Prue Halliwell in the TV series ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadc ...

'', see below), is examined by Deputy Governor Danforth, played by

Phil Hartman Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American comedian, actor, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, and his family moved to the United States when he w ...

, on charges of "bitchcraft." * In Season 3, Episode 4 of ''

The Scooby-Doo Show ''The Scooby-Doo Show'' is an American animated mystery comedy series. The title of the series is an umbrella term for episodes of the third incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. A total of 40 episodes ran for three seasons, ...

'', the main cast of characters arrives in Salem to investigate a "witch" (who turns out to be a human covering up her crimes in a witch costume) haunting the town. * In the television series ''

Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...

'' (1996–2000), in Season 1, Episode 23 (1997), "The Crucible," a class field trip goes to Salem to re-enact the trials. * In ''

Histeria! ''Histeria!'' is an American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, ''Histeria!'' was an explicitly educational program c ...

'', an animated television series for children (1998–2001), episode 36, "When America Was Young", included a People's Court-style sketch based upon the trials. View episode: http://video.aol.com/video/tv-histeria-when-america-was-young/1813972 *

The History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the General Entertainment Content division of The Wa ...

's '' In Search of History'' (1996–2000) television series aired the episode "Salem Witch Trials" (1998). * In the ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'' episode "

Gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger root, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly ...

Buffy Summers Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' before going on to appear in The WB/ UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998� ...

Willow Rosenberg Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan. Willow plays an integra ...

and

Amy Madison Amy Madison is a fictional character on the American television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer,'' portrayed by Elizabeth Anne Allen; the character is a witch, and is portrayed by unnamed rats for parts of three seasons, having transformed hers ...

are sentenced to burn at the stake after the apparent sacrifice of two children in an occult ritual. * In ''

'', a television series (1998–2006), part of the fictional background is that

Melinda Warren ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...

, an ancestor of the three fictional protagonists, was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials. See Season 1, Episode 9, "The Witch Is Back" (1998) and Season 3, Episode 4, "All Halliwell's Eve" (2000) *

's television series ''Secrets of the Dead'' (2000— ) aired Season 2, Episode 1: "Witches' Curse" (2002), featuring Linnda R. Caporael *

aired a documentary, ''Witch Hunt'' (2002). * ''Salem Witch Trials (film), Salem Witch Trials'' (2002), a mini-series directed by Joseph Sargent and written by Maria Nation, starring Kirstie Alley, Henry Czerny, Gloria Reuben, Jay O. Sanders and Alan Bates, with appearances by Shirley MacLaine and Peter Ustinov, aired in the US on CBS in two parts, in the UK as four parts. * The Discovery Channel's ''Unsolved History'' series (2002–2005) included Episode 23, "Salem Witch Trials" (2003). * ''Ghost Hunters'', Season 3, Episode 17: "Salem Witch", October 24, 2007, explores the haunting of the Hawthorne Hotel by the spirit of

, one of the people executed in 1692. * In ''The Vampire Diaries'', Bonnie Bennett's ancestors were Salem witches, who fled Salem in 1692. * The BBC and the National Geographic Channel aired a documentary about Salem in 2011, hosted by novelist

, called ''Salem Witch Trial Conspiracy'' in Great Britain, and ''Salem: Unmasking the Devil; and in the US,https://web.archive.org/web/20120101065513/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week/facts-salem-unmasking-the-devil/ with British and American narrators respectively. * In ''Bones (TV series), Bones'' season 5, episode 20: "The Witch in the Wardrobe" references to the occult and the Salem Witch Trials for the basis for the plot. * Aidan from ''Being Human (North American TV series), Being Human'' on the Syfy channel has an encounter with a witch. Aidan: "Let me guess, Salem?" Ms. Gilchrist: "Andover. But Salem got all the press." * In the television series ''The Secret Circle (TV Series), The Secret Circle'', which aired on The CW between 2011 and 2012, the ancestors of the main characters and the witch families in Chance Harbor, are all descendants of six of the eighteen witch families who escaped from Salem in 1692. * The third season of the series ''American Horror Story: Coven'' (2013) primarily follows the antics of a coven of Salem descendants who reside in a boarding school, Miss Robichaux's Academy, in New Orleans, Louisiana. * ''Salem (TV series), Salem'' is an American historical drama television series created by Adam Simon and Brannon Braga; it aired on WGN America beginning April 20, 2014, as its first original-scripted series. Starring Janet Montgomery and Shane West, it was said to be based on the Salem witch trials in the 17th century, with a "twist": the witches were real and in charge of the trials. * In the 6th episode of season 9 of ''Criminal Minds'' the fictional Behavioral Analysis Unit, BAU is hunting an unsub who is recreating the trials. * The season 2 episode "The Salem Witch Hunt" of the NBC series ''Timeless (American TV series), Timeless'' takes place on September 22, 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. In the episode, Lucy, Rufus, and Garcia Flynn try to save Abiah Franklin, the future mother of

, from being hung in the trials after she is accused of Witchcraft. * The Salem Witch Trials were depicted in the ''Legends of Tomorrow'' episode "Witch Hunt." * T+E aired a 4-Part miniseries in October–November 2019 called ''Witches of Salem'' which serves as a dramatized historical documentary which shows what befell Salem in 1692 during the trials. * ''Motherland: Fort Salem'' is a TV series that takes place in an alternate reality some 300 years after the trials in which the witches made a deal with the US Government to allow them to live in return for helping them with their powers. * The eighth episode of the Disney+ miniseries ''WandaVision'', titled "Previously On", is briefly set during the Salem witch trials of 1693, where the witch Agatha Harkness (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Agatha Harkness is accused by her fellow witches of practicing black magic and betraying her coven. She is nearly executed while held against a wooden post before retaliating and killing every member of her coven.

Comic books

* Issue No. 29 of ''Black Cat Mystery Comics,'' from June 1946, includes the cover story, "Black Cat Battles the Salem Witch." *"The Salem Terror" was a story published in ''Wanted Comics'' No. 13 in 1948. It was drawn by Maurice del Bourgo. The entire story has been scanned a
Pappy's Gold Age Comics Blog, No. 920, March 28, 2011
* Issue No. 18 in September 1962 of ''Unknown Worlds'', from American Comics Group, contained an 11-page story called "Witch Hunter of Salem", depicted on the cover, in which the minister who was hunting witches in Salem turned out to be one. Zev Zimmer (Script), C. C. Beck (Pencils), Pete Costanza (Inks); Cover by Ogden Whitney. * ''Marvel Team-Up'' in 1976, included a 4-part serialized storyline (Issues Nos. 41–44) in which Spider-Man, Vision (Marvel Comics), Vision and the Scarlet Witch travel through time to Salem, 1692, to battle Doctor Doom, Dr. Doom —- who has enlisted the help of

– get entangled in the witchcraft accusations. Pages 11–16 in particular in issue No. 42, "Visions of Hate!," depict the historical episode. * In Marvel's ''Fantastic Four'' vol. 1 #185, published in August 1977, the titular super-hero team discovers a hidden town in Colorado called New Salem in which the inhabitants are witches and warlocks, descendants of those who survived the Salem Trials. The inhabitants include Agatha Harkness, Nicholas Scratch and the Salem's Seven. * ''Salem (comics), Salem: Queen of Thorns'' is a 5-issue comic (Nos. 0–4), the first issue published in 2006 and the rest in 2008 by Boom! The entire series was later compiled into a single volume: ''Salem: Queen of Thorns'' in February 2009 ().

Music

* The 1962 opera ''The Crucible (opera), The Crucible'' with music by Robert Ward and a libretto adapted lightly from Miller's play. * The second album by the indie rock band Liars (band), Liars, ''They Were Wrong, So We Drowned'', is a concept album about the trials. *

's album ''Educated Horses'' (2006) contains many references to the trials, mainly in the song "American Witch". His song, entitled "Lords of Salem", also was based on this. * Jello Biafra had a side-project entitled The Witch Trials, and his work with the Dead Kennedys made a few references to them. * Canadian progressive rock band Rush (band), Rush's song "Witch Hunt" (from 1981's ''Moving Pictures (Rush album), Moving Pictures'') is about how manipulators can use fear to "possess" the "ignorant" masses to their liking, much like the

townspeople during the Salem witch trials, Witch Hunts. * American punk-rock band AFI (band), AFI has a song "Malleus Maleficarum" on their album ''Art of Drowning''; the title is based on a Malleus Maleficarum, book of the same name. * American ska-punk band Big D and the Kids Table released an EP in 2005 titled ''Salem Girls'', which contains the titular song that documents one of the trials. * Neal Peterson mentions Alice Parker in his song "I wind my clocks / OneSixNineTwo". Peterson is a descendant of Parker. * American death metal band Ishia have a song called "Witch Hunting in Salem". * American metalcore band Unearth wrote a song about Giles Corey named "Giles" for their album ''III: In the Eyes of Fire''. * American black metal band Ceremonial Castings's 2008 album ''Salem 1692'' is based on the events and two members of the band are direct descendants of Judge John Hathorne. *

, an American symphonic black metal band from Phoenix, AZ, take their name from one of the accusers in the trials. *"Hunting For Witches" by Bloc Party references the hysteria about witches in Salem and uses it as a metaphor for hysteria about immigration in contemporary Britain. * "Burn the Witch (Queens of the Stone Age song), Burn the Witch" by Queens of the Stone Age is about the Salem Witch Trials. * "The Dead Can't Testify" a song by Canadian rock group Billy Talent based on the Salem witch trials. * "Under a Killing Moon" a song by the rock band Thrice talks about Salem Witch Trials and the innocent people burned in them. * Swedish heavy metal band Wolf (band), Wolf wrote a song called "Curse You, Salem", a song about the trials. * Metalcore band Motionless in White released a song titled "Abigail (Motionless in White song), Abigail" on their album ''Creatures (Motionless in White album), Creatures'' about Abigail Williams and the Salem Witch Trials. * The Clutch (band), Clutch album ''Blast Tyrant'' contains the track "(Notes from the Trial of) La Curandera" which is, as stated, notes from a witch trial, and how she exacted her revenge * The One-Eyed Doll concept album ''Witches'' is based on the trials. * Melodic metalcore band The Raven Age released a song titled "Salem's Fate" on their debut album ''Darkness Will Rise''. * Texas rock Band Nothing More released the song "Salem", featured on their third studio album ''The Few Not Fleeting''. * Connecticut musician Dan Barrett from Have a Nice Life released music under the pseudonym "Giles Corey", including an album of the same name. * Taylor Swift released a song "Mad Woman" about female rage, on her lockdown album ''Folklore'' referencing hunting witches. Swift also had a lyric on "I Did Something Bad" from her 2017 album ''Reputation'' also referencing hunting witches. *The Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps 2017 production, "Wicked Games", was based on the trials. * The Cincinnati-based doom metal band Lore released the song "Proctor's Ledge" on their self-titled debut, featuring lyrics reflecting the hanging and burning of accused witches.

Video games

* The 1997 game ''Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' has an enemy called Salem Witch that sometimes drops Shortcake, possibly a reference to Witch cake. * The 2013 game ''Murdered: Soul Suspect'' features the Salem Witch Trials as the motivation for a modern serial killer * The 2014 online multiplayer strategy game ''Town of Salem'' is a more comical version of the Salem Witch Trials, set primarily to the theme of the Mafia (party game), "Mafia" party game. Its 2023 sequel ''Town of Salem 2'' retains similar gameplay to the original, while staying truer to the time period and setting of the Salem Witch Trials. * The 2015 video game ''Fallout 4'', which depicts an alternate future of a post-apocalyptic Boston (referred to in-game as "The Commonwealth"), contains a reimagined version of the town of Salem, including a "Salem Museum of Witchcraft". * Salem is one of "Epic of Remnant" chapter in ''Fate/Grand Order'' smartphone mobile game, briefly based on Salem, Massachusetts of the year 1692. * The 2020 game ''The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope'' takes place in the fictional town of Little Hope, which also had witch-burnings like Salem. * In the 2022 game ''Marvel's Midnight Suns,'' the titular team's home base, the abbey, is located in a hidden pocket dimension in Salem. The abbey's proprietor Caretaker (comics), Caretaker and her sister Lilith (Marvel Comics), Litlith are shown to have been present and hunted during the Salem witch trials by a man named Sebastian Shaw (character), Hiram Shaw.

Internet

* In the web series ''RWBY'', the character Salem, who is both the narrator and one of the main villains, is named after the town. * "The Haunting of the Salem Witch Trials", released on May 26, 2017, is episode 8 of season 2 of BuzzFeed web series, ''BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural'', in which the trials and the theories that surround them are discussed, and the possible ghosts of Salem as a result of the trails are investigated.

Collectibles

*Daniel Low, a jeweler in Salem, Massachusetts, began selling souvenir sterling "Witch" spoons in 1890, using two different patterns, the first with three pins, the word "Salem", and a witch on a broom. (See right)

19th century illustrations depicting the episode

The story of Salem featured prominently in many publications in the 19th century about the 17th century colonial foundations of the United States. The illustrations continue to be reproduced widely in 20th and 21st century publications, in many cases without accurate attribution or reference to the century in which the illustrations were created. This gallery includes their citations and the names, where known, of the artists who created them. Image:JonathanCorwin-house.jpg, Jonathan Corwin's House, Essex St., Salem, MA; "A View of the house of the late Hon'ble Jonathan Corwin (Judge of the Supreme Court of and member of the council appointed in the new charter, May 1692). Erected 1642, by Cap't. Geo. Corwin", circa 1859, Library of Congress, Ira J. Patch, Salem, Mass. This building, as the "Old Witch House", is open to the public, and is the only building left standing in Salem with ties to the witch trials. File:SalemWitchcraftTrial large.jpg, "Witchcraft at Salem Village", in ''Pioneers in the Settlement of America'', Vol. 1, by William A. Crafts. Vol. I Boston: Samuel Walker & Company, 1876, p. 452; illustration likely by F. O. C. Darley or Granville Perkins (not specifically attributed) Image:FlockOfYellowBirds.png, "There is a flock of yellow birds around her head." Engraved illustration by Howard Pyle, to accompany "Giles Cory, Yeoman," a play by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins, ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine'', Volume LXXXVI, 1893, p. 31 Image:GilesCorey-FatherFather-Pyle.jpg, "Father! Father!" Engraved illustration by Howard Pyle, to accompany "Giles Cory, Yeoman," a play by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins, ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine'', Volume LXXXVI, 1893, p. 33. Image:TheSalemMartyr-Noble.jpg, "Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr)," Thomas Satterwhite Noble, 1869. (Collection of the New York Historical Society) Image:Matteson-jacobs.jpg, "Trial of George Jacobs, Sr., George Jacobs, August 5, 1692," Thomkins H. Matteson, painter, 1855 (Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum) Image:Examination of a Witch - Tompkins Matteson.jpg, "The Examination of a Witch (painting), Examination of a witch," Thomkins H. Matteson, painter, 1853 (Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum) Image:ArrestingAWitch-Pyle.jpg, "Arresting a Witch" by illustrator Howard Pyle, to accompany "The Second generation of Englishmen in America," by T. W. Higginson, ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine'', Vol. 67, (June – November), 1883, p. 221. Image:TrialofGilesCorey-Reinhardt.jpg, "Trial of Giles Corey" by illustrator Charles S. Reinhardt, in ''A Popular History of the United States'', Vol. 2, by William Cullen Bryant, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 459. Image:CaptainAldenDenounced.png, "Captain Alden Denounced", by illustrator Alfred Fredericks, in ''A Popular History of the United States'', Vol. 2, by William Cullen Bryant, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 463 Image:TitubaandtheChildren-Fredericks.jpg, "

and the Children", by illustrator Alfred Fredericks, in ''A Popular History of the United States'', Vol. 2, by William Cullen Bryant, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 457 Image:Burroughsandthe Sheriffs-Waud.jpg, "George Burroughs, Burroughs and the Sheriffs," by illustration Alfred Waud, Alfred Rudolph Waud, in ''A Popular History of the United States'', Vol. 2, by William Cullen Bryant, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 470 Image:Martha Corey-Longfellow.jpg, Martha Corey, illustration by John W. Ehninger, to accompany the play "Giles Corey of the Salem Farms" by

, in ''The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow'', Boston, Houghton, 1902 Image:Tituba-Longfellow-Corey.jpg,

, illustration by John W. Ehninger, to accompany the play "Giles Corey of the Salem Farms" by

, in ''The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow'', Boston, Houghton, 1902 Image:Tituba-MaryWalcott-Longfellow.jpg,

and Mary Walcott, illustration by John W. Ehninger, to accompany the play "Giles Corey of the Salem Farms" by

, in ''The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow'', Boston, Houghton, 1902 Image:MaryWalcott Longfellow-Corey.jpg, Mary Walcott accusing Giles Corey, illustration by John W. Ehninger, to accompany the play "Giles Corey of the Salem Farms" by

, in ''The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow'', Boston, Houghton, 1902 Image:CourtTrialofWitches.png, "Court Trial of Witches", illustrator unknown, in ''Witchcraft Illustrated'' by Henrietta D. Kimball, Geo. A. Kimball, publisher, Boston, 1892. Image:GilesCoreysPunishmentandAwfulDeath.png, "Giles Corey's Punishment and Awful Death", illustrator unknown, in ''Witchcraft Illustrated'' by Henrietta D. Kimball, Geo. A. Kimball, publisher, Boston, 1892. Image:TitubaTeachingTheFirstActofWitchcraft.png, "

Teaching the First Act of Witchcraft", illustrator unknown, in ''Witchcraft Illustrated'' by Henrietta D. Kimball, Geo. A. Kimball, publisher, Boston, 1892. Image:AccusedofWitchcraft-Volk.jpg, "Accused of Witchcraft," oil painting by Douglas Volk, 1884. (Collection of the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC) File:W-macewen-the-witches.jpg, "The Witches," oil painting by Walter McEwen, c. 1892. (Collection of the Dallas Museum of Art) Image:TheWitch-no1.jpg, "The Witch, No. 1," lithograph by Joseph E. Baker, published by Geo. H. Walker & Co., c. 1892 Image:TheWitch-no2.jpg, "The Witch, No. 2," lithograph by Joseph E. Baker, published by Geo. H. Walker & Co., c. 1892 Image:TheWitch-no3.jpg, "The Witch, No. 3," lithograph by Joseph E. Baker, published by Geo. H. Walker & Co., c. 1892 Image:TheLegendofSalem-Burroughs.jpg, "The Legend of Salem: The Rev. George Burroughs was accused of witchcraft on the evidence of feats of strength, tried, hung and buried beneath the gallows," Illustration for "Some Legends of the New England Coast," Part III, by Harriet Prescott Spofford, ''Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper'', v. 31, (1871 Feb. 4), p. 345. Image:RebeccaNurse-inChains.jpg, "The sheriff brought the witch up the broad aisle, her chains clanking as she stepped."

, as depicted by artist F.A. Carter in the historical novel, ''The Witch of Salem, or Credulity Run Mad'', by John R. Musick. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1893. p. 275. Image:Dulcibel-frontis.jpg, "She stood up serene but heroic", frontispiece, by Howard Pyle of fictional character accused of witchcraft, Dulcibel Burton, in ''Dulcibel: A tale of old Salem'' by Henry Peterson, Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1907 Image:Dulcibel-Nurse.jpg, "'The Lord knows that I haven't hurt them'", p. 68, illustration by Howard Pyle of

in ''Dulcibel: A tale of old Salem'' by Henry Peterson, Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1907 Image:Dulcibel-marchedfromjail.jpg, "Marched from jail for the last time", p. 208, illustration by Howard Pyle of fictional character accused of witchcraft, Dulcibel Burton, in ''Dulcibel: A tale of old Salem'' by Henry Peterson, Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1907

19th and 20th century photographs of 17th century buildings related to the episode

Although a few of the houses that belonged to the participants in the

are still standing, many of these buildings have been lost. This gallery includes photographs take in the 19th century and early 20th century that preserve the visual record of these homes. Image:HouseWhereWitchcraftStarted.png, "The House Where Witchcraft Started, Now Danvers, Massachusetts, Danvers, Mass.", photographer unknown, in ''Witchcraft Illustrated'' by Henrietta D. Kimball, Geo. A. Kimball, publisher, Boston, 1892. Image:RebeccaNurseHouse.png, "

House, Danvers, Massachusetts, Danvers, Mass.", photographer unknown, in ''Witchcraft Illustrated'' by Henrietta D. Kimball, Geo. A. Kimball, publisher, Boston, 1892. Image:RebeccaNurseHouse-1.jpg, "

House," c. 1900–1906, Detroit Publishing Company. Image:GeorgeJacobsHouse.jpg, George Jacobs, Sr.'s House, Danvers, MA; front, looking northwest, from an old photograph by Frank O. Branzetti; Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS, Reproduction number HABS MASS,5-DAV,7-1. Date of original unknown. Image:GeorgeJacobsHouse-ruin.jpg, George Jacobs, Sr.'s House, Danvers, MA; front, looking northwest, Arthur C. Haskell, Photographer; Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS, Reproduction number HABS MASS,5-DAV,7-5. c. 1935.

References and notes

{{Salem Salem witch trials in fiction, * Massachusetts in fiction