The Witch cult in Western Europe

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The ceremony is one of the earliest of which there is any record. In 1303 a
Bishop of Coventry was accused at Rome of a number of crimes, amongst
others 'quod diabolo homagium fecerat, et eum fuerit osculatus in
tergo'.[474] Guillaume Edeline was tried in 1453; he was 'docteur en
theologie, prieur de S. Germain en Laye, et auparavant Augustin, et
religieux de certaines aultres ordres. Confessa ledit sire Guillaume, de sa
bonne et franche voulente, avoir fait hommage audit ennemy en l'espece et
semblance d'ung mouton, en le baisant par le fondement en signe de
reverence et d'hommage.'[475] Martin Tulouff, tried in Guernsey in 1563,
went to a meeting, 'ou ly avoet chinq ou vi chatz, d'ou il y en avoet ung
qui estoit noir, qui menoit la dance, et d^t [*q] il estoit sur ses pieds
plat, et que ladite Collennette le besa [*p] de derriere, et luy [*p] la
crysse. Et luy dist ladite vieillesse [*q] ledit chat estoit le
diable.'[476] Estebene de Cambrue, in 1567, described the ceremonies at the
Sabbath: 'Ils se mettent a dancer a l'entour d'une pierre, sur laquelle est
assis vn grand homme noir, qu'elles appellent Mosieur, & chacun de
l'assemblee luy va baiser le derriere.'[477] The witches of Poictiers in
1574 'dansoyent a l'entour du bouc: puis vn chacun luy baisoit le
derriere'.[478] The same ceremony took place at North Berwick in 1590: 'Now
efter that the deuell had endit his admonitions, he cam down out of the
pulpit, and caused all the company to com and kiss his ers, quhilk they
said was cauld lyk yce.'[479] Jane Bosdeau confessed that at meetings at
Puy-de-Dome in 1594 'all the Witches had Candles which they lighted at his,
and danced in a Circle Back to Back. They kiss'd his Backside, and pray'd
that he would help them.'[480] Andro Man of Aberdeen in 1597 confessed
'that all thay quha convenis with thame kissis Christsonday and the Quene
of Elphenis airss'.[481] Rolande de Vernois in 1598 'confessa que le Diable
se presenta pour lors au Sabbat en forme d'vn gros chat noir. Que tous
ceux, qui estoient au Sabbat, alloient baiser ce gros chat noir au
derriere.'[482] Cornelie van Beverwyck, aged 75, at Ghent in 1598, was
accused that 'vous n'avez pas craint de vous agenouiller devant lui, de lui
rendre hommage et de baiser son derriere en signe de soumission'.[483]
Claire Goessen in 1603 went to 'l'assemblee nocturne de Lembeke, ou, apres
la danse, elle a, comme tous les assistans, baise un bouc a l'endroit de sa
queue'.[484] Jeannette d'Abadie in 1609 in the Basses-Pyrenees said,
regarding the renunciation which she made on admission, 'il luy faisoit
renouueller toutes les fois qu'elle alloit au sabbat, puis elle l'alloit
baiser au derriere.'[485] At the celebrated trial of Louis Gaufredy at Aix
in 1610, Magdalene de Demandouls gave a detailed account of the homage
rendered by the witches:

'First the hagges and witches, who are people of a sordid and base
condition, are the first that come to adore the Prince of the
Synagogue, who is Lucifers lieftenant, and he that now holdeth that
place is Lewes Gaufridy: then they adore the Princesse of the
Synagogue who is a woman placed at his right hand. Next they goe and
worship the Diuell who is seated in a Throne like a Prince. In the
second place come the Sorcerers and Sorceresses, who are people of a
middle condition, and these performe the same kind of adoration with
the former, kneeling vpon the ground, but not prostrating themselves
as doe the other; although they kisse the hands and feet of the Diuell
as the first likewise doe. In the third place come the Magicians who
are Gentlemen and people of a higher ranke.'[486]

Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne in 1662 said, 'Somtym he vold be lyk a stirk, a
bull, a deir, a rae, or a dowg, and he vold hold wp his taill wntill we
wold kiss his arce.'[487] The explanation of this rite is given in the
French authorities:

'Le Diable estoit en forme de bouc, ayant vne queue, & au dessoubs vn
visage d'homme noir, ou elle fut contrainte le baiser.--[Elle] depose,
Que la premiere fois qu'elle luy fut presentee elle le baisa a ce
visage de derriere au dessoubs d'vne grande queue: qu'elle l'y a baise
par trois fois, & qu'il auoit aussi ce visage faict comme le museau
d'vn bouc.--Il a vne grande queue au derriere, & vne forme de visage
au dessoubs: duquel visage il ne profere aucune parole, ains luy sert
pour le donner a baiser a ceux qui bon luy semble.--Es festes
solemnelles on baisoit le Diable au derriere, mais les notables
sorcieres le baisoient au visage.'[488] The two faces are thus
distinctly vouched for, and the use of them seems to have been to
distinguish the position of the witch in the society. The mask or
disguise is clearly indicated in the evidence of Isaac de Queyron, who
with others 'le baiserent a vne fesse qui estoit blanche & rouge, &
auoit la forme d'vne grande cuisse d'vn homme, & estoit velue'.[489]

The Devil was also kissed on other parts of his person. Marion Grant of the
Aberdeen witches (1597) confessed that he 'causit the kis him in dyvers
pairtis, and worship him on thy kneis as thy lord'.[490] Some of the Lyons
witches 'le baiserent aux parties honteuses de derriere: les autres le
baisent sur l'espaule.'[491] Jeannette d'Abadie in the Basses-Pyrenees
(1609) confessed 'que le Diable luy faisoit baiser son visage, puis le
nombril, puis le membre viril, puis son derriere'.[492] In connexion with
this last statement, it is worth comparing Doughty's account of an Arab
custom: 'There is a strange custom, (not only of nomad women, but in the
Arabic countries even among Christians, which may seem to remain of the old
idolatry among them,) of mothers, their gossips, and even young maidens,
visiting married women to kiss with a kind of devotion the _hammam_ of the
male children.'[493]

3. _The Dances_

Dances as an important part of fertility rites are too well known to need
description. The witches' dances, taken in conjunction with the dates of
the four great Sabbaths of the year, point to the fact that they also were
intended to promote fertility. There were several forms of ritual dances,
varying apparently according to the form of fertility required, whether of
crops, animals, or human beings. The jumping dance seems to have had for
its object the growth of the crops; the higher the performers jumped the
higher the crops would grow. The so-called 'obscene' or 'indecent' dance
was for the promotion of fertility among animals and women. When the
dancers were disguised as animals, the dance was for the increase of the
animals represented; when undisguised, for the fertility of human beings.

Although the dances took place at English witch meetings, they are merely
mentioned and not described. The Scotch trials give rather fuller accounts,
but the chief details are from France.

The two principal forms of the dance were the ring-dance and the
follow-my-leader dance, but there was also a very complicated form which
was not understood by the Inquisitors, who therefore dismiss it with the
words 'tout est en confusion'. It still survives, however, in the
Basses-Pyrenees, in some of the very villages which were inhabited by
witches in the sixteenth century--those witches whose proceedings de
Lancre describes so vividly.[494]

The ring dances were usually round some object; sometimes a stone,
sometimes the Devil stood or was enthroned in the middle. Thomas Leyis,
with a great number of other witches, 'came to the Market and Fish Cross of
Aberdeen, under the conduct and guiding of the Devil present with you, all
in company, playing before you on his kind of instruments: Ye all danced
about both the said crosses, and the meal market, a long space of time; in
the which Devil's dance, thou the said Thomas was foremost and led the
ring, and dang the said Kathren Mitchell, because she spoiled your dance,
and ran not so fast about as the rest. Testified by the said Kathren
Mitchell, who was present with thee at the time forsaid dancing with the
Devil.'[495] Margaret Og was indicted for going to Craigleauch 'on Hallow
even last, and there, accompanied by thy own two daughters, and certain
others, your devilish adherents and companions, ye danced all together,
about a great stone, under the conduct of Satan, your master, a long
space'.[496] Jonet Lucas was accused of 'danceing in ane ring' on the same
occasion.[497] Beatrice Robbie was 'indited as a notorious witch, in
coming, under the conduct of the Devil thy master, with certain others, thy
devilish adherents, to Craigleauche, and there dancing altogether about a
great stone, a long space, and the Devil your master playing before
you'.[498] In the Basses-Pyrenees, 'Ils se mettent a dancer a l'entour
d'une pierre, qui est plantee audit lieu, sur laquelle est assis un grand
homme noir.'[499] Jane Bosdeau, who 'confessed freely and without Torture
and continued constant in it in the midst of the Flames in which she was
burnt', said that she had been to a witch-meeting, 'and danced in a circle
back to back'.[500]

'Les Sorciers dansent, & font leurs danses en rond, doz contre doz.
Les boiteux y vont plus dispostement que les autres [et] incitoient
les autres a sauter & danser.[501] ... Quelquefois, mais rarement, ils
dansent deux a deux, & par fois l'vn ca & l'autre la, & tousiours en
confusion: estans telles danses semblables a celles des Fees, vrais
Diables incorporez, qui regnoient il n'y a pas log temps.'[502] 'On y
dance tousiours le dos tourne au centre de la dance, qui faict que les
filles sont si accoutumees a porter les mains en arriere en cette dace
ronde, qu'elles y trainent tout le corps, & luy donnent vn ply courbe
en arriere, ayant les bras a demy tournez: si bien que la plupart ont
le ventre communement grand, enfle & avance, & vn peu penchant sur le
deuant. On y dance fort peu souuent vn a vn, c'est a dire vn homme
seul auec vne femme ou fille.... On n'y dancoit que trois sortes de
bransles, communement se tournant les espaules l'vn a l'autre, & le
dos d'vn chascun visant dans le rond de la dance, & le visage en
dehors. La premiere c'est a la Bohemienne.... La seconde c'est a
sauts; ces deux sont en rond.'[503] 'Ils apperceurent a l'entree [d'vn
bois], vn rond, ou cerne, dans lequel il y auoit plusieurs vestiges de
pieds d'ho[~m]es, d'efans, & d'Ours, ou bien d'autres bestes
semblables,[504] lesquels estoient seulement enfoncez d'vn demy doigt
dans la neige, quoy que pour eux ils y entrassent iusques a la
ceinture.'[505]

The Swedish witches danced in the same manner. 'We used to go to a gravel
pit which lay hard by a cross-way, and there we put on a garment over our
heads, and then danced round.'[506] The round dance was so essentially a
witch dance that More says, 'It might be here very seasonable to enquire
into the nature of those large _dark Rings_ in the grass, which they call
_Fairy Circles_, whether they be the _Rendezvouz_ of Witches, or the
dancing places of those little Puppet Spirits which they call _Elves_ or
_Fairies_.'[507]

It will be seen from the above quotations that there were many varieties in
the ring dance; this was the case also in the follow-my-leader dance. There
seems to have been also a combination of the two dances; or perhaps it
would be more correct to say that sometimes the ring and follow-my-leader
figures were used together so as to form one complete dance, as in the
modern Lancers. In both forms of the dance one of the chief members of the
society was the 'ring-leader', or leader of the dance. In the
follow-my-leader dance this was often the Devil, but in the ring dances
this place was usually taken by the second in command. When, however, the
Devil was the leader, the second-in-command was in the rear to keep up
those who could not move so quickly as the others. As pace was apparently
of importance, and as it seems to have been a punishable offence to lag
behind in the dance, this is possibly the origin of the expression 'The
Devil take the hindmost'.

At North Berwick Barbara Napier met her comrades at the church, 'where she
danced endlong the Kirk yard, and Gelie Duncan played on a trump, John
Fian, missellit, led the ring; Agnes Sampson and her daughters and all the
rest following the said Barbara, to the number of seven score of
persons.'[508] Isobel Gowdie was unfortunately not encouraged to describe
the dances in which she had taken part, so that our information, instead of
being full and precise, is very meagre. 'Jean Martein is Maiden to the
Coven that I am of; and her nickname is "Over the dyke with it", because
the Devil always takes the Maiden in his hand next him, when we dance
Gillatrypes; and when he would loup from [words broken here] he and she
will say, "Over the dyke with it."'[509] Another Scotch example is Mr.
Gideon Penman, who had been minister at Crighton. He usually 'was in the
rear in all their dances, and beat up all those that were slow'.[510]
Barton's wife 'one night going to a dancing upon Pentland Hills, he [the
Devil] went before us in the likeness of a rough tanny Dog, playing on a
pair of Pipes'.[511] De Lancre concludes his description of the dances (see
above, p. 131) by an account of an 'endlong' dance. 'La troisieme est aussi
le dos tourne, mais se tenant tous en long, & sans se deprendre des mains,
ils s'approchent de si pres qu'ils se touchent, & se rencontrent dos a dos,
vn homme auec vne femme; & a certaine cadance ils se choquent & frapent
impudemment cul contre cul.'[512] It was perhaps this dance which the
Devil led: 'Le Diable voit parfois dancer simplement comme spectateur;
parfois il mene la dance, changeant souuent de main & se mettant a la main
de celles qui luy plaisent le plus.'[513] In Northumberland in 1673 'their
particular divell tooke them that did most evill, and danced with them
first.--The devill, in the forme of a little black man and black cloaths,
called of one Isabell Thompson, of Slealy, widdow, by name, and required of
her what service she had done him. She replyd she had gott power of the
body of one Margarett Teasdale. And after he had danced with her he
dismissed her, and call'd of one Thomasine, wife of Edward Watson, of
Slealy.'[514] Danaeus also notes that the Devil was the leader: 'Th[~e] fal
they to dauncing, wherin he leadeth the daunce, or els they hoppe and
daunce merely about him.'[515] This is perhaps what de Lancre means when he
says that 'apres la dance ils se mettent par fois a sauter'.[516] A curious
variation of the follow-my-leader dance was practised at Aberdeen on Rood
Day, a date which as I have shown elsewhere corresponds with the
Walpurgis-Nacht of the German witches. The meeting took place upon St.
Katherine's Hill, 'and there under the conduct of Satan, present with you,
playing before you, after his form, ye all danced a devilish dance, riding
on trees, by a long space.'[517]

Other variations are also given. 'The dance is strange, and wonderful, as
well as diabolical, for turning themselves back to back, they take one
another by the arms and raise each other from the ground, then shake their
heads to and fro like Anticks, and turn themselves as if they were
mad.'[518] Reginald Scot, quoting Bodin, says: 'At these magicall
assemblies, the witches neuer faile to danse; and in their danse they sing
these words, Har har, divell divell, danse here danse here, plaie here
plaie here, Sabbath sabbath. And whiles they sing and danse, euerie one
hath a broome in hir hand, and holdeth it vp aloft. Item he saith, that
these night-walking or rather night-dansing witches, brought out of
_Italie_ into _France_, that danse which is called _La Volta_.'[519] There
is also a description of one of the dances of the Italian witches: 'At Como
and Brescia a number of children from eight to twelve years of age, who had
frequented the Sabbat, and had been re-converted by the inquisitors, gave
exhibitions in which their skill showed that they had not been taught by
human art. The woman was held behind her partner and they danced backward,
and when they paid reverence to the presiding demon they bent themselves
backwards, lifting a foot in the air forwards.'[520]

In Lorraine the round dance always moved to the left. As the dancers faced
outwards, this would mean that they moved 'widdershins', i.e. against the
sun. 'Ferner, dass sie ihre Taentze in einem ronden Kreiss rings umbher
fuehren, und die Ruecke zusammen gekehret haben, wie eine unter den dreyen
Gratiis pfleget fuergerissen zu werden, und also zusammen tanzen. Sybilla
Morelia sagt, dass der Reyhen allezeit auff der lincken Hand umbher
gehe.'[521]

One form of the witches' dance seems to survive among the children in the
Walloon districts of Belgium. It appears to be a mixture of the ordinary
round dance and the third of de Lancre's dances; for it has no central
personage, and the striking of back against back is a marked feature. 'Les
enfants font une ronde et repetent un couplet. Chaque fois, un joueur
designe fait demi-tour sur place et se remet a tourner avec les autres en
faisant face a l'exterieur du cercle. Quand tous les joueurs sont
retournes, ils se rapprochent et se heurtent le dos en cadence.'[522]

4. _The Music_

The music at the assemblies was of all kinds, both instrumental and vocal.
The English trials hardly mention music, possibly because the Sabbath had
fallen into a decadent condition; but the Scotch and French trials prove
that it was an integral part of the celebration. The Devil himself was the
usual performer, but other members of the society could also supply the
music, and occasionally one person held the position of piper to the Devil.
The music was always as an accompaniment of the dance; the instrument in
general use was a pipe, varied in England by a cittern, in Scotland by 'the
trump' or Jew's harp, also an instrument played with the mouth.

The Somerset witches said that 'the Man in black sometimes playes on a Pipe
or Cittern, and the company dance'.[523]

The North Berwick witches (1590), when at the special meeting called to
compass the death of the king, 'danced along the Kirk-yeard, Geilis Duncan
playing on a Trump.'[524] The instrument of the Aberdeen Devil (1597),
though not specified, was probably a pipe; it is usually called 'his forme
of instrument' in the dittays. Isobel Cockie of Aberdeen was accused of
being at a Sabbath on Allhallow Eve: 'Thou wast the ring-leader, next
Thomas Leyis; and because the Devil played not so melodiously and well as
thou crewit, thou took his instrument out of his mouth, then took him on
the chaps therewith, and played thyself thereon to the whole company.'[525]
At another meeting, Jonet Lucas was present: 'Thou and they was under the
conduct of thy master, the Devil, dancing in ane ring, and he playing
melodiously upon ane instrument, albeit invisibly to you.'[526] At Tranent
(1659) eight women and a man named John Douglas confessed to 'having merry
meetings with Satan, enlivened with music and dancing. Douglas was the
pyper, and the two favourite airs of his majesty were "Kilt thy coat,
Maggie, and come thy way with me", and "Hulie the bed will fa'."'[527]
Agnes Spark at Forfar (1661) 'did see about a dozen of people dancing, and
they had sweet music amongst them, and, as she thought, it was the music of
a pipe'.[528] Barton's wife was at a meeting in the Pentland Hills, where
the Devil 'went before us in the likeness of a rough tanny Dog, playing on
a pair of Pipes. The Spring he played (says she) was, The silly bit
Chiken, gar cast it a pickle and it will grow meikle.'[529] At Crook of
Devon (1662) the two old witches, Margaret Huggon and Janet Paton,
confessed to being at a meeting, and 'the foresaids hail women was there
likeways and did all dance and ane piper play'.[530]

In France the instruments were more varied. Marie d'Aspilcouette, aged
nineteen, 'voyoit dancer auec violons, trompettes, ou tabourins, qui
rendoyent vne tres grande harmonie'.[531] Isaac de Queyran, aged
twenty-five, said that a minor devil (_diabloton_) played on a tambourine,
while the witches danced.[532] But as usual de Lancre is at his best when
making a general summary:

'Elles dancent au son du petit tabourin & de la fluste, & par fois
auec ce long instrument qu'ils posent sur le col, puis s'allongeant
iusqu'aupres de la ceinture; ils le battent auec vn petit baston: par
fois auec vn violon. Mais ce ne sont les seuls instrumes du sabbat,
car nous auos apprins de plusieurs, qu'on y oyt toute sorte
d'instrumens, auec vne telle harmonie, qu'il n'y a concert au monde
qui le puisse esgaler.'[533]

Vocal music was also heard at the meetings, sometimes as an accompaniment
of the dance, sometimes as an entertainment in itself. When it was sung as
a part of the dance, the words were usually addressed to the Master, and
took the form of a hymn of praise. Such a hymn addressed to the god of
fertility would be full of allusions and words to shock the sensibilities
of the Christian priests and ministers who sat in judgement on the witches.
Danaeus gives a general account of these scenes: 'Then fal they to
dauncing, wherin he leadeth the daunce, or els they hoppe and daunce merely
about him, singing most filthy songes made in his prayse.'[534] Sinclair
had his account from a clergyman: 'a reverend Minister told me, that one
who was the Devils Piper, a wizzard confest to him, that at a Ball of
dancing, the Foul Spirit taught him a Baudy song to sing and play, as it
were this night, and ere two days past all the Lads and Lasses of the town
were lilting it throw the street. It were abomination to rehearse
it.'[535] At Forfar Helen Guthrie told the court that Andrew Watson 'made
great merriment by singing his old ballads, and Isobell Shirrie did sing
her song called Tinkletum Tankletum'.[536] Occasionally the Devil himself
was the performer, as at Innerkip, where according to Marie Lamont 'he sung
to us and we all dancit'.[537] Boguet notes that the music was sometimes
vocal and sometimes instrumental: 'Les haubois ne manquent pas a ces
esbats: car il y en a qui sont commis a faire le devoir de menestrier;
Satan y ioue mesme de la flutte le plus souuent; & a d'autrefois les
Sorciers se contentent de chanter a la voix, disant toutefois leurs
chansons pesle-mesle, & auec vne confusion telle, qu'ils ne s'entendent pas
les vns les autres.'[538] At Aix in 1610 'the Magicians and those that can
reade, sing certaine Psalmes as they doe in the Church, especially _Laudate
Dominum de Coelis: Confitemini domino quoniam bonus_, and the Canticle
_Benedicite_, transferring all to the praise of Lucifer and the Diuels: And
the Hagges and Sorcerers doe houle and vary their hellish cries high and
low counterfeiting a kinde of villanous musicke. They also daunce at the
sound of Viols and other instruments, which are brought thither by those
that were skild to play vpon them.'[539] At another French trial in 1652
the evidence showed that 'on dansait sans musique, aux chansons'.[540]

5. _The Feast_

The feast, like the rest of the ritual, varied in detail in different
places. It took place either indoors or out according to the climate and
the season; in Southern France almost invariably in the open air, in
Scotland and Sweden almost always under cover; in England sometimes one,
sometimes the other. Where it was usual to have it in the open, tables were
carried out and the food laid upon them; indoor feasts were always spread
on tables; but in the English accounts of the open-air meal the cloth was
spread, picnic-fashion, on the ground. The food was supplied in different
ways; sometimes entirely by the devil, sometimes entirely by one member of
the community, and sometimes--picnic-fashion again--all the company brought
their own provisions. Consequently the quality of the food varied
considerably; on some occasions it was very good, on others very homely.
But no matter who provided it, the thanks of the feasters were solemnly and
reverently given to the Master, to whose power the production of all food
was due.

In a certain number of cases it is said that the food eaten at the feasts
was of an unsatisfying nature. This statement is usually made in the
general descriptions given by contemporary writers; it is rarely found in
the personal confessions. When it does so occur, it is worth noting that
the witch is generally a young girl. If this were always the case, it would
be quite possible that then, as now, dancing and excitement had a great
effect on the appetite, and that the ordinary amount of food would appear
insufficient.

The taboo on salt is interesting, but it does not appear to have been by
any means universal. It does not seem to occur at all in Great Britain,
where the food at the feasts was quite normal.

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