The "swimming test," also known as trial by water or ducking, was a medieval judicial ordeal used during historical witch trials to ascertain the guilt or innocence of an accused individual based on their reaction to being submerged in water. It was widely believed to be a method of divine judgment.
The Ordeal Defined
During a swimming test, the accused individual was typically bound, often with their right thumb tied to their left big toe, and then carefully lowered or forcibly thrown into a body of water such as a pond, river, or specially designated pool. The core belief behind this practice was that pure water, being a divine element, would "reject" anyone who had made a pact with the devil or was involved in witchcraft, causing them to float.
How the Test Was Conducted:
- Binding: The individual accused of witchcraft was secured, often with specific knots or ties designed to prevent them from intentionally swimming or sinking.
- Submersion: They were then placed into a body of water, sometimes lowered gently, other times thrown in.
- Observation: Authorities and witnesses would carefully observe whether the accused sank or floated on the water's surface.
Outcomes and Interpretations
The results of the swimming test were interpreted with a grim and often fatal logic. The outcome dictated whether the accused was deemed innocent or guilty of witchcraft.
| Outcome | Interpretation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sinking | The water "accepts" the individual. | Innocent |
| Floating | The water "rejects" the individual due to their unholy nature. | Guilty |
According to this belief, if the accused person sank to the bottom, they were considered innocent, as the pure water had "accepted" them. However, this often meant the individual drowned. Conversely, if the person floated on the surface, they were declared guilty of witchcraft, as the water was thought to have "rejected" them. A guilty verdict almost invariably led to further punishment, typically execution.
The Perverse Logic
The rationale behind the swimming test was based on a distorted theological concept: a witch, having renounced their baptism and formed a covenant with the Devil, was believed to have lost their spiritual "weight" or connection to the divine, making them unnaturally buoyant in holy or pure water. This meant that surviving the ordeal by floating tragically confirmed guilt, leading to a death sentence by other means, while the "proof" of innocence often resulted in death by drowning.
Such judicial ordeals were particularly common during the height of the witch hunt hysteria in 17th-century England and parts of colonial America, though their legality and effectiveness were often debated and eventually largely discredited by legal authorities.
For more details on historical witchcraft trials and the methods used, you can explore resources on the history of witchcraft.
