Panic Over Witch Rumours

[England]

India's poorest state has been gripped by speculation that groups of witches are killing people in the region.

Members of the public are getting worried and authorities have appealed to residents not to carry out witch hunts.

Panic has spread throughout the remote state of Chhattisgarh in the last few weeks after reports that witches were knocking on people's doors.

It was claimed they were asking for onions and chapati breads - local staple foods - and anyone who gave them the items would die.


Local government official Subodh Kumar Singh said: "We have asked people not to believe in gossip mongering and try and think rationally.

"Awareness campaigns have been launched asking people not to harass women by calling them 'tonhi' (witch).

Chhattisgarh, in the east of the country, is deeply traditional and superstitions and beliefs in the occult are rampant.

Last year, at least 10 women were killed there on suspicion of being witches.

As panic has spread many people, including local politicians, scribbled prayers written in cow dung on their walls to ward away the witches, said the Indian Express newspaper.

[Dahir]

This takes me way back to the Salem trials in America.

Those were in the mid 1800s, now that means that India is approximately 150 years behind the United States.

...just my calculation! :D

[SilentObserver]

This takes me way back to the Salem trials in America.

Those were in the mid 1800s, now that means that India is approximately 150 years behind the United States.

...just my calculation! :D

I was also thinking of the Salem witch hunts. They were actually in the late 1600's.
Perhaps they should be looking for ergot poisoning in this place in India.

It is believed by many historians that the Salem witch hunts were do to ergot poisoning. In the right conditions, the grain rye can be contaminated with a fungus called 'ergot'. There is a chemical in this fungus called lsyergic acid, commonly known as LSD. A street drug called 'acid'.
Supposedly, the grain was contaminated, everybody was eating the bread made from the grain daily. Some people would be getting really ripped on LSD and hallucinate, and act really weird. The other people who know doubt were also ripped on acid, would hallucinate that these others were witches. And of course because they were all ripped, hysteria would ensue.

Better check the bread in India. Then the water.

[Woodrow]

I was also thinking of the Salem witch hunts. They were actually in the late 1600's.
Perhaps they should be looking for ergot poisoning in this place in India.

It is believed by many historians that the Salem witch hunts were do to ergot poisoning. In the right conditions, the grain rye can be contaminated with a fungus called 'ergot'. There is a chemical in this fungus called lsyergic acid, commonly known as LSD. A street drug called 'acid'.
Supposedly, the grain was contaminated, everybody was eating the bread made from the grain daily. Some people would be getting really ripped on LSD and hallucinate, and act really weird. The other people who know doubt were also ripped on acid, would hallucinate that these others were witches. And of course because they were all ripped, hysteria would ensue.

Better check the bread in India. Then the water.

Very much a possibility. The old sailing ships had the same problem with it to, from the flour carried on board being contaminated. that is believed to be the cause of some of the so called Ghost Ships" in which ships would be found sailing and when boarded there was no sign of any crew. Apparantly something caused the crew to abandon ship. a suspected cause is they simply abandoned ship after hallucinating and seeing all kinds of hobgoblins on the ship.

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[Dahir]

Aaah!

Salem Which Trials -- 1690s?

WHAT?

I could've sworn it was in the 1800s, or was I lied to in US History class?


:uhwhat

[Woodrow]

The most famous of the trials were in 1692.

[Dahir]

The most famous of the trials were in 1692.

Still bugs me to know that I recently did a play for the Salem Witch Trials in my US History class and the was based in the 1800s....this is just confusing!

[SilentObserver]

Still bugs me to know that I recently did a play for the Salem Witch Trials in my US History class and the was based in the 1800s....this is just confusing!

Maybe your history teacher was suffering from ergot poisoning.

[Woodrow]

Check here:

http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/


I would bet the name of one of the key figures in the trials "George Lincoln Burr" Got her confused. And she was thinking of Abraham Lincoln.

nd also because much of the stries traced back to a slave woman. Most Americans associate Slavery with southern States in the 1800s and not Massachusetts in the 1600s

[snakelegs]

what is india's poorest state - is it bihar? uttar pradesh?
symptom of lack of education and poverty - sad to think that so many people in the world are still in this state.

[north_malaysian]

what is india's poorest state - is it bihar? uttar pradesh?
symptom of lack of education and poverty - sad to think that so many people in the world are still in this state.

chhatisgarh...

[Dawud_uk]

As panic has spread many people, including local politicians, scribbled prayers written in cow dung on their walls to ward away the witches, said the Indian Express newspaper

i know this is serious, but lol, writing prayers in cow dung? lol.

[Pk_#2]

AsalamuAlaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Heh,

what ever next? :p

[SophiaCroft]

I feel so sorry for those Women who were killed for this Myth! It is totally so foolish of people to believe in this kind of Stuff!