During the Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts, which occurred in 1692, a total of 19 people were accused of witchcraft. They were executed by hanging, and another person was pressed to death.
Around 150 others were imprisoned in terrible conditions that led to the deaths of at least five more innocent individuals. Animals were also not safe from the hysteria, including dogs, which are often regarded as man’s best friend.
So, how did these beloved, four-legged creatures get tangled up in the mess? In 17th-century Salem, dogs were a part of daily life. People kept dogs for protection, hunting, and companionship.
However, a number of folklore traditions associate dogs with the devil. For instance, it was said that a poodle named Boy had supernatural powers, such as shape-shifting and prophecy.
The poodle belonged to Prince Rupert, an English-German cavalry commander who was on the Royalist side during the English Civil War.
Between 1643 and 1644, word spread across Europe about Boy’s magical abilities, which he used to help his master on the battlefield.
These types of stories had been around long before the Salem witch trials took place. The legends may have added to the fears that dogs were connected to the devil.
The official records of Salem’s trials do not mention any dogs being tried or killed for witchcraft. But they did appear in the testimony multiple times, usually because an accused witch was believed to have a dog as a “familiar”—a supernatural sidekick who would do her bidding.
There were also reports that the devil had shown up in the form of a dog. On May 16, 1692, a 45-year-old man named John Kimball from Amesbury, Massachusetts, testified against Susanna Martin, a 71-year-old widow.
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