Salem Witchcraft & Folklore Festival

Join Dr. Randall Ulyate, mythology professor and archaeologist, for an exploration of the signs and symbols of historic grave markers with a special focus on the iconography found in Salem’s cemeteries. Learn about historic Christian burial traditions and the symbolism of the death heads, hourglasses, scythes, and more.

This lecture will cover traditional Christian burial rituals and practices in the US and Europe, the beliefs that they are founded on, and why witches have historically been excluded from these practices. We will look at examples of how the bodies of accused and condemned witches are marked, or unmarked, and what that tells us about the status of the deceased and the social values and belief systems of the region during that time period.

Presented in Salem, Massachusetts at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel. Attendees may join both in-person and online.