Conjuring Up Old Sterotypes - The Prosy Rose

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE "The Conjuring"

Earlier I wrote how I am a fan of movies. I particularly enjoy horror films.  More specifically I enjoy certain types of horror films. I'm not a fan of those "torture porn" movies; the ones where the point is to find more elaborate ways to kill someone (typically sexually secure women). No, what I enjoy are creepy atmospheric horror films. I enjoy movies that make you turn on all the lights, close the closet doors and double check all your locks when you get home.

So I was particularly excited when I saw the previews for The Conjuring. The director, James Wan, directed both  Saw and Insidious. While I have declined to see the former, I found the latter to be just what I like in a horror film.

Once again James Wan was using his directing talents in the horror genre. This time though the film would be based on a true story from the files of real "ghost hunters." I have had a passing interest in "parapsychology" since I was in grade school. I have read the adventures of ghosts hunters like Hans Holzer as well about the real life Ed and Lorraine Warren who are portrayed in the film.

So I was curious to see how Hollywood would depict one of their cases. I knew the Warrens were devout Catholics. I knew they considered themselves expert demonologists and there would most likely be a heavy Judeo-Christian message to the film. Still, the trailers and the review had me excited and I was prepared to ignore any evangelizing. It looked to be a good old fashioned creepy scare full of bumps, thumps, and apparitions.


Using that set of criteria, The Conjuring did not fail. It was creepy. It was scary. I jumped and gasped several times. I even put my hand over my eyes and watched between my fingers a few times. It was wonderful and it proved that Hollywood could still do horror without rivers of fake blood, layers of latex, and the depictions of every way conceivable to dismember the human body.

However, the biggest gasp the movie drew from me was not in response to a dark cellar, a confrontation with an unseen force or even from a door slam. The biggest gasp came from a few casual lines of dialogue in the scene where the Warrens were explaining the source for the haunting: a Salem witch.

Really? Really! Seriously? Yes, according to the movie the source for all evil was a woman named Bathsheba who escaped the Salem Witch trials and was later found sacrificing her seven month old son to Satan. When discovered she hung herself and cursed all who would live on her land. Later the move doubles down and says that sacrificing children is what "witches" do.

OK, let back this up for a moment. First, recall that this movie was “based on a true story.” While this doesn't mean non-fiction, it is worth noting that among the accused in Salem there was no one named Bathsheba. 

In fact after getting home and doing some research it seems that the "witch" referenced is mostly likely Bathsheba Sherman.  Bathsheba was originally born Bathsheba Thayer in 1812 (a little hard to be a Salem Witch when she was born 120 years later). She married Judson Sherman in 1844 and then gave birth to their son in 1859. Bathsheba did not kill her son, nor did Bathsheba hang herself. She died an old woman of seventy-three. 

An infant did die in her care. The mortal wound was determined to have been caused by a large sewing needle somehow impaled at the base of the child's skull. There was insufficient evidence to find Bathsheba guilty of wrong doing, although this sad story seems to be the genesis of the stories regarding Bathsheba being a "witch." While the law did not find her guilty, the court of public opinion did. According to many reports she lived the rest of her life as a recluse under the weight of suspicion and rumor.

But what this means is that Bathsheba had no link to Salem. Why, then, did the movie include a tie in to Salem? In trying to be sensational, the movie perpetuated a myth and exploited of one of our nation’s great tragedies.

I thought we had come a long way since 1692. I mean after all, the very jurors of the Salem Witch Trials wrote a "Declaration of Regret" in 1697 wherein they expressed their remorse, acknowledging their "... errors in acting on such evidence to the condemning of any person; and do hereby declare, that we justly fear that we were sadly deluded and mistaken..." 

In 1711 the Massachusetts legislature granted amnesty and exonerated all but six of the accused. In 1957 the state of Massachusetts formally apologized for the events and exonerated Ann Pudeator. Finally in 2001 the final five accused were exonerated.

In short, it has been clearly demonstrated that the Salem Witch trials were not a tool for hunting out dark demonic child killing witches in our colonial midst. No, they were a travesty of horrible justice resulting from power struggles, congregational strife and personal jealousies. Before it was over, nineteen people were convicted of being witches and hung to death. One man who would not enter a plea to the accusations was pressed to death, and as many as up to thirteen died in prison including an infant!

The point is, having this movie which purports to be  "Based on a True Story" throw out a "Salem Witch" who never existed as the source for the haunting and malicious acts persecutes the innocent dead! The men and woman of Salem who were wrongly persecuted are themselves beyond harassment now; but some were only recently exonerated and their names and reputations should be treated with respect. When these men and women are once again branded as boogeymen and used for cheap thrills and lazy narrative, the persecuted are denied the last possible good they can do on this earth: to serve as a warning about the dangers of unfounded accusations and injustice resulting from religious hysteria and persecution.

And let’s not forget that this movie indicates that sacrificing their children to Satan is just something witches do. This attempts to reinforce a disgusting stereotype. Ok, I understand the trope of a "witch." I do. I understand the idea of the "wicked witch" has been around probably since the first campfire.

However, that's just it: "Wicked" witches not all witches.

There are many pagans in this country and some identify as witches. Read up on Wicca; these witches are not worshiping Satan and are certainly not sacrificing children!  

Was it too much for this movie, if it wanted to play with the witch trope, to add just an adjective or two? You know, "evil," "wicked," "dark," "Satanic" or even "rumored" in front of that "witch" word. Nope, once again this movie had to use a broad stereotype paint brush and go with just "witches." All witches must equal the demonic evil kind.

Bathsheba Sherman is a tragic character with no ties to Salem. Why manipulate her history other than to capitalize on the trope and to perpetuate the idea that maybe there really was something 'evil' about the accused in Salem.

Look, I'm not a fan of using the witch stereotype, but I get it. Big bad witches have been around for as long as there have been fairy princess in distress. However, there is no reason to continue to exploit the real tragedy and injustice that was the Salem Witch trials or to portray all witches as demonic child killers. There just isn't.

For me, conjuring up stereotypes and perpetuating injustice were the scariest parts of the movie.

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(special thanks to amazing editor TB)