Dark Hours Co.

A group of friends posed by a memorial dedicated to the 1692 Salem witch trials in 1945. In 1976, Linda R. Caporael, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, published a paper titled 'Ergotism: The Satan Loosed In Salem.' This paper proposed the theory that a fungus found in contaminated bread, known as ergot, might have been responsible for the symptoms attributed to 'witchcraft,' leading the townspeople of Salem to persecute one another. Ergot is the name of the fungus, which typically grows on rye and related plants. When ingested by humans, it can lead to a range of symptoms, including convulsions, choking, hallucinations, or gangrene (resulting in the loss of limbs). Those who ceased consuming tainted bread early enough might have had the chance to recover. This explains why some individuals suffering from 'demonic possessions' who sought refuge in churches and stopped eating low-grade rye bread experienced miraculous recoveries. Members of the clergy, who could afford higher-quality bread, were less susceptible to poisoning than commoners. Ergot poisoning was distressingly common during the Middle Ages and claimed many lives in Europe in gruesome ways. There is a strong correlation between wet summers (ideal conditions for ergot growth) and reports of witchcraft. Notably, in Norway and Scotland, records of witch persecution were predominantly found in regions where rye was cultivated and used for bread production.