Liz Ramos, under the supervision of Lochlann the cat, calls for reverence of the spirit of Tituba…
Greetings witches! As we continue our research into witchcraft, it is important that we look into various people and the contributions they have left to the legacy of the craft, both large and small, highly visible and obscure. One of the most interesting people in my own research has been Tituba.
Who was Tituba? Tituba was an enslaved person of color who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials by her Master Reverend Samuel Parriss’ daughter Betty and niece Abigail Williams. Tituba tended to the home and to the girls’ care, and while with the family, she had begun teaching the girls how to fortune-tell when they were bored in the long winter months. After this, when the Witch Trials were stirring, the girls were said to be having fits of hysteria, writhing in pain, screaming, throwing belongings, and claiming they were being tormented by “spectors”. When local doctor William Griggs examined the girls and could find no medical reason for their outbursts, he claimed the fits were caused by “evil hands”, either witchcraft or demonic possession. After hearing this, the girls accused Tituba and “her voodoo” as the cause. When brought to court, Tituba did confess to the crime. She shared that she had met with the Devil and signed his book, rode a broomstick, saw cats, dogs, birds, and wolves, and choked or pinched the girls. She also told the court that she was beaten and told by Reverend Parris to confess to witchcraft, and said that Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were her conspirators. Because she confessed, she was not sent to the gallows to hang. She spent 13 months in prison as Parris refused to bail her out. Eventually she was bailed out by an unknown donor, and all records of her vanish after this.
Please note that I said she was a person of color – while most stories claim she is from Barbados, this cannot be confirmed. Documents vary and say she is “Indian”, “Negro”, Native American” or a mix of “Indian and Negro” – and looking at how Europeans classified people of color at this time and the lack of records for enslaved people, it is impossible to know her true origins. It is known that she and her husband – an enslaved man named John Indian – were purchased by Parris and brought back to Salem with him after a visit to his plantation in Barbados. Please also note that I did not write that she confessed to fortune telling or anything related to voodoo or other Afro-Carribean practices. All of the things she confessed to come from European folklore.
A great book (fictional) that I read that attempts to share the story of Tituba from her point of view is I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé. I purchased my copy from WitchHaus, a cute shop in Salem, but you can find this on Amazon or a book retailer near you.
As you research the faces of witchcraft, may you broaden your understanding and further immerse yourself in the craft. Blessed be witches!
PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.
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