29. Witch Finders Used Trickery and Optical Illusions to Frame Innocents
Witches and sorcerers supposedly neither felt pain nor bled when pricked. In and of itself, it was not conclusive proof that an accused was a witch or sorcerer. However, pricking was circumstantial evidence that could be used along other evidence and testimony to tip the scales towards conviction. Because everything about witch hunts was terrible, it is perhaps unsurprising that witch-finders used flim-flam. They routinely manipulated the process to demonstrate that they had, indeed, found a witch – and thus deserved to get paid.
Devices with sharp needles were thrust into “normal” volunteers to draw blood. Then, through sleight of hand, a different needle was substituted to use on the accused. Some devices had hollow handles with retractable needles, that gave the optical illusion of being plunged into an accused’s flesh without drawing blood. Sometimes they utilized needles with a sharp end for demonstration, and a blunt end to use on the accused. Special trick needles with bends created the illusion of “piercing” a witch’s tongue without drawing blood. Trick knives were also used, with hollows to make it look like they had “cut” through an accused’s flesh or tongue without drawing blood.
Related: Witch Test: 10 Historical Tests for Proving Someone Was a Witch.
