This may be a morbid subject for some, but anyone who has seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them knows it doesn’t stray from the darker side of things. And that includes what goes on in the MACUSA.
One of the more disturbing scenes from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was in the MACUSA’s execution chamber, where Tina Goldstein’s life was nearly snuffed out. But did you know the death chamber we saw isn’t as entirely far-fetched as it seems? Our friends over at Mugglenet.com pointed out a few parallels the MACUSA shares with events from actual history.
Courtesy: Warner Bros.
This film hearkened us back to the time of the Salem Witch Trials, thanks to Mary Lou Barebone and her New Salem Philanthropic society. More than a dozen people were executed during the 1692 Hysteria, but witch hunts have been around since the Medieval times.
A Room of History
Think back to the execution chamber inside the MACUSA. We saw a large, white room filled with water. Above it, a chair. One of the witches takes Tina’s wand and pulls out a memory from her mind, dropping it into the black sea below the chair. Mugglenet.com refers to Tina’s memories as her “noose,” since they entrance her so much, she willingly slides into the death chair. Hanging was a popular method of disposing accused witches, especially in Salem.
The chair itself can be likened to a “ducking stool,” a form of torture in 17th Century England. Those on trial would sit on a chair attached to a see-saw, which would then get dunked into a body of water. It was mostly meant for humiliation, but some on trial for witchcraft would be fully immersed as another test. It was thought that witches could float because they went against their baptism, and the innocent would sink like a stone. There was also accusations that witches in general just couldn’t stand water, so why not toss them into a rushing river?
And of course, the water turns into bubbling volcanic lava, threatening to swallow Tina whole and burn her to death. Burning at the stake was once a legal punishment for people accused of treason or heresy. Execution by fire for witchcraft offenses mainly took place in 15th and 16th Century Europe.
Next: J.K Rowling’s New Twitter Banner is a Clue to Her New Work
Events like the Salem Witch Trials only lasted a year but the hysteria was very much a real thing. The fragility of the human psyche can sometimes have devastating effects on the public. It’s always fascinating to see real-life events play out in a magical world where actual witches were also at risk.