What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been: The “Moldy Bread” Myth and Salem. And evening with Margo Burns, Project Manager and Associate Editor, Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt (Cambridge, 2009)
Science Magazine published an article, “Ergotism, the Satan Loosed in Salem?” in 1976 which posited that the visions and sensations described by the accusers during the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 could have been the result of eating rye bread made with flour tainted by the ergot fungus. The hypothesis was immediately debunked by experts, but more than four decades later, this interpretation is still pervasive. Burns will explain how it became cemented in the public imagination, a case study in how people come to believe and hold onto myths about historical events.
EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Salem Historical Society collaborates with others in the support, development and sponsorship of key events helping to promote Salem’s history. We are involved with events such as the annual re-enactment of Salem’s resistance to the British during the Revolutionary War - Leslie’s Retreat, the newly conceived Ancestry Days, the First Day Walk and Lecture. We participate in the annual Essex Heritage Trails and Sails weekends as well as Historic Salem’s Christmas in Salem and many other events throughout the year. Check Destination Salem’s website, linked below, for a complete calendar of events happening in Salem.
DESTINATION SALEM
The Office of Tourism & Cultural Affairs for Salem, Massachusetts
Check Destination Salem’s website for up a to date calendar of events happening in Salem. As the official destination marketing organization for the City of Salem, Destination Salem cooperatively markets Salem as one of Massachusetts’ best destinations for families, couples, domestic and international travelers who are seeking an authentic New England experience, cultural enrichment, American history, fine dining, unique shopping and fun. The organization is a nonprofit, public-private partnership funded by both the City of Salem and the businesses that invest in advertising in the annual Salem City Guide & Map and the annual Guide to Haunted Happenings https://www.salem.org/.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Earlier Event: June 2
Historic New England Open House
Later Event: June 28
Cunning Folk: English Occult Practices in Early America