The Witch cult in Western Europe

M >> Margaret Alice Murray >> The Witch cult in Western Europe

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'at the Sabbath the Devil used to summon the Wizards and Witches in
regular order (she remembered very well having heard him call the old
woman _Collette_ the first, in these terms: _Madame the Old Woman
Becquette_): then the woman _Fallaise_; and afterwards the woman
_Hardie_. Item, he also called _Marie_, wife of _Massy_, and daughter
of the said _Collette_. Said that after them she herself was called by
the Devil: in these terms: _The Little Becquette_: she also heard him
call there _Collas Becquet_, son of the said old woman (who [Collas]
held her by the hand in dancing, and some one [a woman] whom she did
not know, held her by the other hand): there were about six others
there she did not know.[767]

At Queensferry in 1644 thirteen women were tried and seven executed for
witchcraft.[768]

At Alloa (1658), though thirteen persons, or one Coven, were brought to
trial, the word is used to indicate a smaller number: 'Margret Duchall
lykewayis declared that ther was sex women mair besyd hir self that was in
thair cuwing' [then follow the names of the six].--'Jonet Blak confessed
severall meetings with the abowenamed cuwing.--Kathren Renny being asked
quhat meetingis scho had with the diwell, and the rest of hir cuwing, scho
ansuered scho had severall meitingis with all tham abowenamed.'[769] Little
Jonet Howat of Forfar (1661) said, 'Ther was thair present with the divell
besyd hirselfe, quhom he callit the prettie dauncer, the said Issobell
Syrie, Mairie Rynd, Hellen Alexander, Issobell Dorward, and utheris whoise
names shoe did not know, to the number of 13 of all.'[770] The trial of
Jonet Kerr and Issobell Ramsay at Edinburgh (1661) gives the names of
thirteen persons, or one Coven.[771] At Crook of Devon (1662) there were
tried twelve women and one man, i.e. one Coven.[772] Isobel Gowdie of
Auldearne (1662) gives the most detail concerning the Covens: 'Jean Mairten
is Maiden of owr Coeven. Johne Younge is Officer to owr Coeven.--Ther ar
threttein persons in ilk Coeven.' Her evidence shows that there were
several Covens in the district: 'The last tyme that owr Coven met, we, and
an vther Coven, wer dauncing at the Hill of Earlseat, and befor that we ves
beyond the Meikle-burne; and the vther Coven being at the Downie-hillis, we
went besyd them.--[She and four others] with the Divell, wer onlie at the
making of it [a charm], bot all the multitude of all owr Coevens got notice
of it, at the next meitting ... all my owin Coeven gott notice of it werie
schortlie.' She also notes that each member of her Coven 'has an Sprit to
wait wpon ws, quhan ve pleas to call wpon him'. Janet Breadheid, of the
same Coven as Isobel Gowdie, gives the names of thirty-nine persons, or
three Covens, who were present in the Kirk of Nairn when she was admitted
into the Society.[773] In Somerset (1664) the number of accused was
twenty-six persons, or two Covens.[774] At Newcastle-on-Tyne (1673) Ann
Armstrong stated that at the meeting at the 'rideing house in the close on
the common' she saw ten men and women whom she knew and 'thre more, whose
names she knowes not'. At another meeting 'at Rideing Millne bridg-end she
see the said Anne Forster, Anne Dryden, and Luce Thompson, and tenne more
unknowne to her.--Att the house of John Newton off the Riding, the said
Lucy wished that a boyl'd capon with silver scrues might come down to her
and the rest, which were five coveys consisting of thirteen person in every
covey.' At a large meeting at Allensford, where a great many witches were
present, 'every thirteen of them had a divell with them in sundry shapes.'
It is also noticeable that Ann Armstrong mentions twenty-six persons by
name as having been at various meetings to her knowledge.[775] At Paisley
(1692) thirteen persons of high position brought an action for libel
against six others for saying that they, the thirteen, had drunk the
Devil's health in the house of one of them; the libellers were punished,
but the number of persons libelled suggests that the accusation might have
been true.[776]

3. _Duties_

An important part of the organization was the system of reporting to the
Grand Master everything which had happened since the previous Great
Assembly. The chief work of the Covens was the performance of magical
rites, either publicly at the Esbats or privately in the houses of the
witches and their neighbours. As these rites, especially when performed
privately, were more or less in the nature of experiments, the results were
reported and when successful were recorded in writing for future use. The
book in which the records were made remained in the hands of the Devil, who
in this way had always a store of well-tried magical spells and recipes to
kill or cure, from which he could instruct his followers as occasion
demanded.

The position of the Devil as the instructor of the witches is to be found
in most of the trials in Great Britain. Cooper states this plainly: 'He
_deliuers_ unto his _Proselite_, and so to the rest, _the Rules of his
Art_, instructing them in the manner of _hurting_ and _helping_, and
acquainting them with such _medicines_ and _poysons_ as are vsuall
herevnto.'[777] Bessie Dunlop (1567) never attempted to cure any disease
without first consulting Thom Reid, 'quhen sundrie persounes cam to hir to
seik help for thair beist, thair kow or yow, or for ane barne that was tane
away with ane evill blast of wind, or elf-grippit, sche gait and sperit at
Thom, Quhat mycht help thame?--Sche culd do nathing, quhill sche had first
spokin with Thom.'[778] Alison Peirson (1588) learnt her craft from Mr.
William Simpson, her mother's brother's son, who lived among the fairy
folk; 'the saide Mr Williame tauld hir of ewerie seiknes and quhat herbis
scho sould tak to haill thame, and how scho sould vse thame; and gewis hir
his directioune att all tymes.'[779] Agnes Sampson, the Wise Wife of Keith
(1590), always asked the Devil's advice in serious cases; 'she had a
familiar spirit, who upon her call, did appear in a visible form, and
resolve her of any doubtful matter, especially concerning the life or death
of persons lying sick.'[780] Grissel Gairdner of Newburgh (1610) was
executed for consulting with the 'Devill, and seiking of responssis fra
him, at all tymes this fourtene or fyftene [3*]eir bygane, for effectuating
of hir devillisch intentiones'.[781] Elspeth Reoch in Orkney (1616)
confessed that the fairy man, whom she met, told her 'he wald lerne her to
ken and sie ony thing she wald desyre'.[782] Isobel Haldane of Perth (1623)
also obtained all her information as to life and death from the man with
the 'grey beird' whom she met among the fairy folk.[783] Jonet Rendall,
another Orkney witch (1629), stated that 'the devill apperit to you, Quhom
ye called Walliman, claid in quhyt cloathis with ane quhyt head and ane
gray beard, And said to you He sould learne yow to win almiss be healling
of folk'[784] Sandie Hunter was only moderately successful in curing cattle
till he covenanted with the Devil, who 'came to him in the form of a
Mediciner, and said, _Sandie, you have too long followed my trade, and
never acknowledged me for your Master. You must now take on with me, and be
my servant, and I will make you more perfect in your Calling._ Whereupon
the man gave up himself to the Devil. After this, he grew very famous
throw the Countrey, for his Charming and cureing of diseases in Men and
Beasts.'[785] Reginald Scot says that the witches were taught by the Devil
to make magical ointments, and that he 'supplied their want of powders and
roots to intoxicate withal'.[786] It was the Devil who pointed out which
graves were to be opened in order to obtain the material for working magic;
and when the bodies had been exhumed and dismembered, he told the witches
how to use the fragments.[787] It was the Devil who made[788] or
baptized[789] the wax and clay images, and who stuck the first thorn or pin
into them.[790] It was the Devil who held the mock plough at Auldearne, and
taught the witches of that place all the charms they knew. 'We get all this
power from the Divell', says Isobell Gowdie.[791] It was the Devil who
instigated and superintended the wrecking of the bridge at Cortaquhie,
concerning which Helen Guthrie said, 'shee her selfe, Jonnet Stout, and
others of them did thrust ther shoulderis againest the bridge', and Isobel
Smyth confessed, 'Wee all rewed that meitting, for wee hurt our selves
lifting.'[792]

The book in which the magical recipes were recorded must have been of great
value to its owner, and one which he would not willingly allow to pass out
of his hands. A volume of this kind was known to be extant till the
beginning of the last century; it was called the Red Book of Appin. There
are two stories as to how it was taken from the Devil, but both stories
agree that it was obtained by a trick. It was in manuscript and contained
charms for the cure of cattle, and was consulted when cows were bewitched
and refused to give milk. It was also supposed to confer magical powers on
the owner, who was said to know what the inquiry would be before the
inquirer opened his lips; and it was in itself so magical that the owner
had to wear a hoop of iron on his head when turning its leaves.[793]
Another Devil's-book was carried away, apparently as a joke, by Mr.
Williamson of Cardrona, who took it from the witches as they danced on
Minchmoor, but they followed him and he returned it.[794]

The system of reporting everything to the Chief of the community makes it
certain that he was supplied with such current information as made his
knowledge of public and private affairs appear miraculous to the
uninitiated. Even those who supplied that information had firm faith in his
supernatural power to kill or cure, and believed with equal ardour in the
charms which he taught them to make and use.

In reviewing the evidence it seems clear that the witches of the Covens
were bound to exercise their powers in the intervals between the meetings;
they were bound to attend those meetings, unless absolutely prevented, in
order to learn new methods as well as to make their reports; and they were
bound to obey the Grand Master's orders and to treat him with the deference
and respect due to his exalted position.

4. _Discipline_

Discipline was maintained by a system of rewards and punishments, enforced
or relaxed according to the personal character of the Chief. As a rule only
the severer punishments are recorded, but occasionally there are
indications of minor chastisements.

The contemporary writers make the system of rewards and punishments very
clear:

'Satan calleth them togither into a Diuelish Sinagoge, and that he may
also vnderstand of them howe well and diligently they haue fulfilled
their office of intoxicating committed vnto them, and who they haue
slaine.'[795] 'Such as are absent, and have no care to be assoygned,
are amerced to this paenalty, so to be beaten on the palms of their
feete, to be whipt with iron rods, to be pincht and suckt by their
Familiars till their heart blood come, till they repent them of their
sloath, and promise more attendance and diligence for the
future.'[796] '_Taking account also of the proceedings_ of his other
Schollers, and so approuing or condemning accordingly.'[797] Sometimes
at their solemn assemblies, the Devil commands, that each tell what
wickedness he hath committed, and according to the hainousness and
detestableness of it, he is honoured and respected with a general
applause. Those on the contrary, that have done no evil, are beaten
and punished.'[798]

The usual punishment was beating, which was inflicted for various offences,
chiefly disrespect or neglect of duty. At Arras in 1460 Jean Tacquet, a
rich eschevin, 'had endeavoured to withdraw his allegiance from Satan who
had forced him to continue it by beating him cruelly with a bull's
pizzle.'[799] In Lorraine (1589) the Grand Master seems to have been
peculiarly brutal:

'Jana Gerardina, Catharina Russa, und Francisca Fellaea bezeugten,
dass sie mehr als einmal schwerlich mit harten Streichen haetten buessen
muessen, wenn sie keinen Schaden oder Unglueck angestifft haetten. Und
wie Nicolaea Morelia sagt, hat er sie dermassen zerschlagen, dass ihr
der Athem davon ausgeblieben, und sie bey nahe gestorben waere; Uber
welches sich dann nicht zu verwundern sey, sintemahl er eiserne Haende
habe, mit denen er ihnen so unbarmhertzig die Koepffe zerschlagen, dass
sie deren nicht mehr empfinden.'[800]

In the Lyons district (1598) 'les Sorciers rendent conte a Satan de ce
qu'ils ont fait des la derniere assemblee, estans ceux la les mieux venus
qui ont commis le plus de meschancetez. Les autres sont sifflez & mocquez
de tous; l'on les fait mettre a l'escart, & sont encor le plus souuent
battus & maltraitez de leur Maistre'.[801] According to Bodin, 'chacun
Sorcier doit rendre compte du mal qu'il a faict sur peine d'estre bien
battu.'[802] De Lancre says, 'Les Sorciers le vont adorer trois nuicts
durant. Ceux qui par nonchalance, ou autre petit empeschement ne s'y
trouuent, sont foueettez & battus a l'outrance.'[803] Alexander Hamilton
(1630) stated that 'thair was ane new tryst appointed be him to be keipit
wt thame altogidder within xiii days thereftir upon the cauldbit mure
Quhilk meitting was nocht keipit be the said Alexr for the quhilk caus and
breking of that tryst the said Alexr was maist rigorouslie strukin be the
devill wt ane battoun at ane meitting keipit betuix thame schortlie
thereftir upone gairnetoune hillis'.[804] In France (1652) two sisters were
tried for witchcraft: 'Icelle confesse n'avoir faict mourir qu'un vaulx et
d'avoir ete battu par le diable, deux fois, parce qu'elle ne vouloit faire
mourir aultres personnes et bestiault.' The other sister was 'interrogee sy
le diable ne luy avoit conseille de cracher la Sainte Hostie hors de sa
bouche, ou bien ne la point recepvoir, dist que non, mais bien que le
diable l'at une fois battue fort parce qu'elle l'avoit receu'.[805] The
girls at Lille (1661) informed Madame Bourignon that the witches 'are
constrained to offer him their Children, or else the Devil would Beat
them'.[806] Isobel Gowdie's account is, as usual, very full:

'Som tymis, among owr felwis, we wold be calling him "Blak Johne", or
the lyk, and he wold ken it, and heir ws weill aneughe; and he ewin
then com to ws, and say, "I ken weill aneughe what [3*]e wer sayeing
of me!" And then he vold beat and buffet ws werie sor. We wold be
beattin if ve wer absent any tyme, or neglect any thing that wold be
appointit to be done. Allexr Elder, in Earlseat, vold be werie often
beattin. He is bot soft, and cowld never defend him self in the leist,
bot greitt and cry, quhan he vold be scourging him. Bot Margret
Wilson, in Auldearne, wold defend hir selfe fynelie, and cast wp hir
handis to keip the stroakis off from hir; and Bessie Wilson would
speak crustie with hir townge, and wold be belling again to him
stowtlie. He wold be beatting and scurgeing ws all wp and downe with
cardis [cords] and vther sharp scurges, like naked gwhastis; and we
wold still be cryeing, "Pittie! pittie! Mercie! mercie, owr Lord!" Bot
he wold haue neither pittie nor mercie. When he vold be angrie at ws,
he wold girne at ws lyk a dowge, as iff he wold swallow ws wp.'[807]

The Swedish witches (1669) also had reason to complain of their
Grand-Master's cruelty: 'heretofore it was sufficient to carry but one of
their Children [to the meeting] or a strangers Child with them, but now he
did plague them and whip them if they did not procure him Children.'[808]
Among the Northumberland witches (1673):

'All of them who had donne harme gave an account thereof to their
protector, who made most of them that did most harme, and beate those
who had donne no harme.--At the said meeting their particular divell
tooke them that did most evill, and danced with them first, and called
every of them to an account, and those that did most evill he maid
most of.--The devill, in the forme of a little black man and black
cloaths, calld 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.'[809]

Punishments for minor offences are rarely recorded. At North Berwick
(1590), when the witches returned after sinking a ship, 'seeing that they
tarried over long, hee at their comming enjoyned them all to a pennance,
which was, that they should kisse his buttockes, in sign of duety to
him.'[810] At Aberdeen (1597) Christen Mitchell confessed that when the
Devil asked her to join, 'thow ansuerit, I will enter in thy band, bot I
will nocht byd thairin; and thairefter that the Devill gawe the a wisk, and
thow fell on thy face one the dyk of that yaird.'[811] Beigis Tod, who
belonged to one of the North Berwick Covens but was not tried till 1608,
was late in arriving at a meeting, 'quhair the Deuill appeirit to thame,
and reprovet the said Beigis Tod verrie scherplie, for hir long tayreing;
to quhome scho maid this ansuer, "Sir, I could wyn na soner."'[812] At
Lille if any witch desired to leave the religion, 'the Devil reproves them
then more severely, and obligeth them to new Promises.'[813] Occasionally
the witches kept discipline among themselves; this seems to have been the
case only when the culprit prevented the proper execution of magical
performances. At Aberdeen Thomas Leyis 'led the ring, and dang the said
Kathren Mitchell, becaus scho spillit your dans, and ran nocht sa fast
about as the rest.'[814] At Auldearne Isobel Gowdie described how the
witches used flint arrow-heads: 'I shot at the Laird of Park, as he ves
crossing the Burn of Boath; bot, thankis to God now, that he preserwit him.
Bessie Hay gaw me a great cuffe, becaus I missed him.'[815] The former
minister of Crighton, Mr. Gideon Penman, acted as the Devil's chaplain;
'ordinarily Mr. Gideon was in the rear in all their dances, and beat up all
those that were slow.'[816] But a reasonable excuse for trifling
misdemeanours could be accepted: 'The devill asked at Kathrine Moore quhair
hir Husband was that he came not she answered there was a young bairne at
home and that they could not both come.'[817]

Capital punishment was reserved for traitors, actual and potential. It must
have been brought into use only after the cult had fallen upon evil days,
and then only when the Chief himself was in danger. Beating to death,
hanging, and poison were the usual means of execution.

The earliest instance occurred in 1450, when the Church had begun to use
its power systematically against the witches. 'The Inquisitor of Como,
Bartolomeo de Homate, the podesta Lorenzo da Carorezzo, and the notary
Giovanni da Fossato, either out of curiosity or because they doubted the
witches whom they were trying, went to a place of assembly at Mendrisio and
witnessed the scene from a hiding-place. The presiding demon pretended not
to know their presence, and in due course dismissed the assembly, but
suddenly recalled his followers and set them on the officials, who were so
beaten that they died within fifteen days.'[818] Alesoun Peirson (1588) was
burnt as a witch, having gained her knowledge from the fairies, who
threatened that 'gif scho wald speik and tell of thame and thair doingis,
thay sould martir hir'.[819] The Lorraine witches (1589) took an oath of
silence, 'welchen Eyd sie so hoch und heilig halten, dass wenn sie
Eydbruechig werden, so darfuer halten, also ob sie ewig darumb musten
verdampt und gestrafft seyn.'[820] Alice Gooderidge, the Derbyshire witch
(1597), was tried for witchcraft, 'she should haue bin executed, but that
her spirit killed her in the prison.'[821] Jeannette d'Abadie (1609) was
more fortunate than most in that she was not killed, 'elle a este battue au
sabbat reellement & corporellem[~e]t par deux sorcieres qu'elle nomme, par
ce qu'elle auoit reuele les mysteres du sabbat.'[822] John Stewart, the
'juglour' of Irvine (1618)--

'for his better preferring to the day of the assys, was put in ane
lockfast buith, quhair no maner of persoun might haif access to him
quhil the dounsitting of the justice court, and for avoyding of
putting violent handis on himself, was verie strictly gairdit and
flitherit be the airms, as us is, and upon that same day of the assys,
about half ane hour befoir the doun sitting of the justice court, Mr.
David Dickson, minister at Irving; and Mr. George Dunbar, minister of
Air, having went to him to exhort him to call on his God for mercie
for his bygane wicked and evil lyf and that God wold of his infinite
mercie, lowis him out of the handis of the devil quhom he had servit
thir mony years by gane He acquiescit to their prayer and godlie
exhortation, and utterit thir wordis--I am so straitlie gairdit that
it lyis not in my hand to tak off my bonnett, nor to gett bread to my
mouth. And immediately after the departing of the two ministers from
him, the Juglour being sent for at the desyr of my Lord of Eglintoune,
to be confrontit with ane woman of the burgh of Air, callit Janet
Bous, quha was apprehendit by the Magistrates of the burghe of Air,
for witchcraft, to the burghe of Irvine, purposlie for that effer. He
was fund be the burrow officers, quha went about him stranglit and
hangit be the cruik of the dur, with ane tait of hemp (or a string
maid of hemp, supposed to haif been his garten, or string of his
bonnet) not above the length of twa span long, his kneyis not being
from the grund half ane span, and was brocht out of the hous, his lyf
not being so layt expellit: but notwithstanding of quhatsomever meines
usit to the contrair for remeid of his lyf, he revievit not, but so
endit his lyf miserable by the help of the devill his maister.'[823]

Rebecca West, a young Essex witch (1645), confessed to Matthew Hopkins that
'if shee should discover any thing, they all told the said Rebecca, shee
should endure more torments on earth, then could be in hell: and the said
Rebecca told this informant that shee promised to keepe all their secrets;
and moreover they all told her, that shee must never confesse any thing,
although the rope were about her necke, and shee ready to be hanged'.[824]
In Fifeshire (1649) 'ane Mistres Hendersone (sister to Fordell Hendersone,
in the presbytrey of Dumfermling), sometymes lady of Pittahro, being
delated by many to be a witch, was apprehended and caried to Edenbroughe,
wher she was keiped fast; and after her remaining in prison for a tyme,
being in health att night, vpon the morne was founde dead. It was thought,
and spoken by many, that she wronged her selfe, either by strangling or by
poyson.'[825] The Swedish children (1670) were not spared: 'if the Children
did at any time name the Names of those that had carried them away, they
were again carried by force either to Blockula, or to the Cross way, and
there miserably beaten, insomuch that some of them died of it.'[826]
Whether Deliverance Hobbs (1692) was actually beaten, or whether her
statement was made from the knowledge of what might happen to her, cannot
be certain without reference to the records of the trial itself, as
Mather's bias is apt to distort the evidence: 'She now testifi'd, that this
_Bishop_ tempted her to Sign the _Book_ again, and to deny what she had
confess'd. She affirm'd, that it was the Shape of this Prisoner, which
whipped her with Iron Rods, to compel her thereunto.'[827] Elizabeth
Anderson in Renfrewshire (1696) went with her father to a witch-meeting,
'severals of them being affraid that the Declarant would Confess, and tell
of them as she done formerly on her Grand-mother, they threatened to tear
her all in pieces if she did so.'[828] John Reid of the same Coven--

'after his Confession had called out of his prison Window, desiring
Baily Scott to keep that old body Angus Forrester, who had been his
fellow prisoner, closs and secure; whereupon the company asked John
when they were leaving him on Friday night the 21th of May, whether he
desired company or would be afraid alone, he said he had no fear of
anything: So being left till Saturday in the Forenoon, he was found in
this posture, viz. sitting upon a stool which was on the Hearth of the
Chimney, with his feet on the floor and his Body straight upward, his
shoulders touching the lintel of the Chimney, but his Neck tyed with
his own neck-cloath (whereof the knot was behind) to a small stick
thrust into a hole above the lintel of the Chimney, upon which the
Company, especially John Campbel a Chyrurgeon who was called, thought
at first in respect of his being in an ordinary posture of sitting,
and the neck-cloath not having any drawn knot (or _run loup_) but an
ordinary one which was not very strait, and the sticke not having the
strength to bear the weight of his Body or the struggle, that he had
not been quite dead; but finding it otherways, and that he was in such
a Situation that he could not have been the Actor thereof himself,
concluded that some extraordinary Agent had done it, especially
considering that the Door of the Room was secured, and that there was
a board set over the Window which was not there the night before when
they left him.'[829]

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