There’s always a lot of discussion in the Pagan community about the so-called Burning Times, which is the term used to describe the witch hunts of early modern Europe. Often, that conversation shifts over towards Salem, Massachusetts, and the famous trial in 1692 that resulted in twenty executions. However, in the more than three centuries since then, the historical waters have gotten a bit muddied, and many modern Pagans find themselves sympathetic towards Salem’s accused. While sympathy, and certainly empathy, are always good things to have, it’s also important that we don’t let emotions color the facts. Add in the numerous films and television series that reference Salem, and things get even more distorted. Let’s look at some important historical evidence that people often forget about the Salem witch trials. Did You Know? It's unlikely that anyone in Salem was actually practicing witchcraft—most of the community consisted of devout and pious Christians.

No one was burned at the stake in Salem, but nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death under heavy stones.

One of the most popular theories as to what could have caused the mass hysteria of Salem is that of ergot poisoning, but recent scholars have questioned this idea.

01 of 05 Nobody Got Burned at the Stake Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Being burned at the stake was an occasionally used method of execution in Europe, when one was convicted of witchcraft, but was generally reserved for those who refused to repent of their sins. No one in America has ever been put to death this way. Instead, in 1692, hanging was the preferred form of punishment. Twenty people were put to death in Salem for the crime of witchcraft. Nineteen were hanged, and one–elderly Giles Corey–pressed to death. Seven more died in jail. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused.

03 of 05 Spectral Evidence Was Considered Legit Corbis/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images It’s pretty hard to show any sort of concrete, tangible evidence that someone is in league with the Devil or fiddling around with spirits. That’s where spectral evidence comes in, and it played a significant role in the Salem trials. According to USLegal.com, “Spectral evidence refers to a witness testimony that the accused person's spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person's physical body was at another location. [State v. Dustin, 122 N.H. 544, 551 (N.H. 1982)]." What does that mean, in layman’s terms? It means that even though supernatural evidence might seem sketchy to us in this day and age, for people like Cotton Mather and the rest of Salem, it was perfectly acceptable in cases of necessity. Mather saw the war against Satan as being just as important as the war against the French and the local Native American tribes. Which brings us to…