Lore

Lore 296 Revisiting Half Hanged

December 29, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Lore 296: Revisiting "Half-Hanged" is a rerun of the classic Episode 12, chosen to give the production team a holiday break after nearly 11 years of continuous new releases. 
  • The episode explores historical instances of superstition in early America, where accusations of witchcraft were often used as excuses to target disliked neighbors, frequently leading to cruel outcomes like the attempted execution of Mary Webster. 
  • The central narrative focuses on Mary Webster of Hadley, Massachusetts, who survived being hanged by townspeople convinced she was cursing Philip Smith, only for Smith to die later from injuries that reinforced the community's fears. 

Segments

Rerun Announcement and Context
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Lore 296: Revisiting “Half-Hanged” is a rerun of Episode 12, allowing the team a rare simultaneous holiday break.
  • Summary: The Lore team is taking a break, necessitating the reissuing of an older episode, Episode 12: Half-Hanged. Aaron Mahnke views this as an opportunity to showcase personal favorite episodes to new listeners. He notes this is an infrequent occurrence, planned for a maximum of twice a year.
Simeon Smith Sorcerer Tales
Copied to clipboard!
(00:02:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Simeon Smith, a tailor and Continental Army veteran in New Hampshire, was locally accused of being a sorcerer capable of riding neighbors and interfering with butter churning.
  • Summary: Simeon Smith of Wentworth, New Hampshire, was widely disliked and labeled a sorcerer based on local folklore. Accusations included magically riding neighbors, causing butter to fail churning, and shapeshifting into a gnat or a giant. These stories illustrate how superstition was used to explain the unexplainable in early America.
General Witchcraft Accusations
Copied to clipboard!
(00:03:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Witchcraft accusations in early America were serious, often rooted in social disputes, and could lead to ruinous consequences for the accused.
  • Summary: Stories of witchcraft were a mixture of fact, fiction, and hysterical superstition used to explain misfortune. Accusations often targeted those who were wealthy, held different religious beliefs, or were simply disliked, sometimes resulting in property confiscation after conviction. Examples include a farmer shooting a silver bullet at a cat, which allegedly caused a neighbor to break her hip.
Mary Webster Trial and Hanged
Copied to clipboard!
(00:09:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Mary Webster, an outspoken and poor woman from Hadley, Massachusetts, was accused of witchcraft, tried, acquitted in Boston, but subsequently murdered by locals who hanged her.
  • Summary: Philip Smith, a respected town leader, fell ill with seizures and claimed he was being pricked with nails, leading locals to blame Mary Webster. After disrupting her attempts to break the supposed spell, young men dragged Mary out, hanged her, and buried her in the snow. Despite this, Mary Webster survived the hanging and lived for 11 more years, later becoming an ancestor of Margaret Atwood.
Debbie Griffin’s Fate
Copied to clipboard!
(00:24:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Debbie Griffin, an outsider living near Simsbury, Connecticut, was accused of witchcraft after a church communion cup was stolen and she was seen vanishing into the meeting house.
  • Summary: Debbie Griffin was shunned for her unusual skills, her association with a black cat and goose (familiars), and her possession of fine yarn. When a golden communion cup was stolen, men watched her seemingly vanish into the church and reappear with a plate, leading them to chase her to Three Cornered Pond. Legend states she jumped into the pond after being shot, and the plate’s reflection can still be seen on full moons.
Show Credits and Promotions
Copied to clipboard!
(00:29:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Lore content extends beyond the podcast into book series and a television show on Amazon Prime Video.
  • Summary: The episode concludes with credits for Aaron Mahnke and Chad Lawson, noting that Lore is available as books and a two-season television show on Amazon Prime Video. Listeners are directed to grimandmild.com for information on other podcasts produced by the company.