The Witch cult in Western Europe

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'the said Elizabeth desired this informant, and the rest that were in
the roome with her, to sit downe, and said, shee would shew this
informant and the rest some of her impes: and within halfe an houre
there appeared a white thing in the likeness of a cat, but not
altogether so big: and being asked, if she would not be afraid of her
impes, the said Elizabeth answered, "What, do yee think I am afraid of
my children?" And that shee called the name of that white impe, Hoult.
And this informant further saith, That presently after there appeared
another white impe, with red spots, as big as a small dog, which shee
then called Jarmara: and that immediately after, there appeared at the
threshold of the doore another impe about the bignesse of the first,
but did presently vanish away. And then the said Elizabeth being
asked, if any more impes would come? she answered, "That Vinegar Tom
would come by and by". And forthwith there appeared another in the
likenesse of a dumb dogge, somewhat bigger than any of the former. And
the said Elizabeth also told this informant, that shee had three impes
from her mother, which were of a browne colour, and two from the old
beldam Weste; and that there had five [? four] impes appeared, but
shee had one more, called Sack and Sugar. And the said Elizabeth
further confessed to this informant, that shee had one impe for which
she would fight up to the knees in bloud, before shee would lose it;
and that her impes did commonly suck on the old beldam Weste, and that
the said beldam's impes did suck on her the said Elizabeth
likewise.--Anne Leech saith, That she had a grey impe sent to her, and
that this examinant, together with the said Elizabeth Clark, and
Elizabeth the wife of Edward Gooding, did about a yeer since, send
their imps to kill a black cowe and a white cowe of Mr. Edwards, which
was done accordingly. And this examinant saith, that she sent her grey
impe, Elizabeth Clark a black imp, and Elizabeth Gooding a white imp.
And this examinant confesseth, that she and the said Elizabeth
Gooding, sent either of them an imp to destroy the childe of the said
Mr. Edwards; this examinant's imp being then a white one, and
Elizabeth Gooding's a black imp; and that about thirty yeers since,
this examinant had the said white imp and two others, a grey and a
black imp of one Anne, the wife of Robert Pearce of Stoak in Suffolk,
being her brother; and that these imps went commonly from one to
another, and did mischief where ever they went; and that when this
examinant did not send and imploy them abroad to do mischief, she had
not her health, but when they were imployed, she was healthfull and
well, and that these imps did usually suck those teats which were
found about the privie parts of her body.--Hellen Clark confesseth,
that about six weeks since, the Devill appeared to her in her house,
in the likenesse of a white dog, and that she calleth that familiar
Elimanzer; and that this examinant hath often fed him with milk
pottage.--Rebecca West saith, that about a moneth since, the aforesaid
Anne Leech, Elizabeth Gooding, Hellen Clark, Anne West, and this
examinant, met all together at the house of the aforesaid Elizabeth
Clark in Mannyntree, where they spent some time in praying unto their
familiars, and every one in order went to prayers; afterwards some of
them read in a book, the book being Elizabeth Clarks; and this
examinant saith, that forthwith their familiars appeared, and every
one of them made their severall propositions to those familiars, what
every one of them desired to have effected.--The Information of
Matthew Hopkins, Gent. taken upon oath before the said Justices. This
informant saith, That being lately at Colchester, he went to the
castle, where the said Rebecca Weste, with the other five, are secured
until the next gaole delivery: and this informant going to Rebecca
Weste, and asking her how shee came first to be a witch, the said
Rebecca told this informant, that about a yeare since, or thereabouts,
halfe an houre before sun-set, the said Anne Weste (her mother)
carried the said Rebecca Weste towards Mannintree (which is about a
small mile from the place where the said Anne dwelt) and the said
Rebecca told this informant, that as her mother and shee walked
together, the said Anne told the said Rebecca, shee must keepe secret
whatsoever shee saw, whither they were then going; and the said
Rebecca promised so to doe; and the said Rebecca told this informant,
that her mother and shee went to the house of the aforesaid Elizabeth
Clarke, where at their comming in they found the aforesaid Anne Leech,
widow, Elizabeth Gooding, Hellen Clarke, and the house-keeper
Elizabeth Clarke, and that forthwith the Devill appeared to them in
the shape of a dogge; afterwards in the shape of two kitlyns; then in
the shape of two dogges; and that the said familiars did doe homage in
the first place to the said Elizabeth Clarke, and skipped up into her
lap and kissed her; and then went and kissed all that were in the
roome, except the said Rebecca: and the said Rebecca told this
informant, that immediately one of the company asked the said Anne her
mother, if shee had acquainted her daughter (the said Rebecca) with
the businesse. [Rebecca then took an oath of secrecy]; after she had
consented to all these things, the Devill came into her lap, and
kissed her, and promised to doe for her what she could desire.--The
Information of Elizabeth Otley of Wyvenhoe, taken upon oath before the
said justices. This informant saith, that Alice Dixon, who now stands
committed for a suspected witch, did in the presence of Mary Johnson
of the same town, charge and accuse the said Mary Johnson to be the
death of this informant's child, saying, that the said Mary Johnson
did carry an impe in her pocket to this informant's house, and put the
said impe into the house, at an hole in the doore, bidding it go rock
the cradle, and do the businesse she sent it about.--The Information
of Joseph Long, Minister of Clacton in the County of Essex, taken
before the said Justices. This informant saith, that Anne the wife of
John Cooper of Clacton aforesaid, being accused for a witch: Confessed
unto this informant, that she the said Anne hath had three black impes
suckled on the lower parts of her body; called by the names of Wynowe,
Jeso, and Panu. And the said Anne further confessed unto this
informant, that she the said Anne offered to give unto her daughter
Sarah Cooper an impe in the likenes of a gray kite [kit], to suck on
the said Sarah; which impes name the said Anne called Tom boy; and
told the said Sarah, there was a cat for her.--This informant Henry
Cornwall saith, that the said Margaret [Moone] did confesse to him
that she had twelve impes, and called them by their names; of which he
remembers onely these following: Jesus, Jockey, Sandy, Mrit.
Elizabeth, and Collyn.--The information of Francis Milles, taken upon
oath before the said Justices. This informant saith, that she asking
the said Margaret [Moone] for her impes, which sucked those teats; she
said, if she might have some bread and beere, she would call her said
impes; which being given unto her, she put the bread into the beere,
and set it against an hole in the wall, and made a circle round the
pot, and then cried, Come Christ, come Christ, come Mounsier, come
Mounsier: And no impe appearing, she cried out and said, she had
devilish daughters, which had carried her impes away in a white bagge,
and wished they might be searched.--The information of Francis Stock,
and John Felgate, taken upon oath before the said Justices. The said
Francis and John say, that the said Sarah Barton, told them, that the
said Marian [Hocket] had given and delivered unto her the said Sarah
three imps, and that the said Marian called them by the names of
Littleman, Pretty-man, and Dainty.--This examinant, Elizabeth Harvie
saith, that about halfe a yeer since, the said Marian Hocket brought
three things to her house, two of them being smaller than mouses, and
the other somewhat bigger and longer; and that the said Marian told
this examinant they were pretty things, and would do her and this
examinant good, if shee this examinant would keep them.--Rose
Hallybread saith, that about fifteen or sixteen yeers since, there was
an imp brought to her house by one Goodwife Hagtree, which imp this
examinant entertained, fed it with oatmeale, and suckled it on her
body, for the space of a yeer and a halfe, or thereabouts, and then
lost it: And this examinant further saith, that about half a yeer
since, one Joyce Boanes (who is now also accused for Witchcraft),
brought to this examinants house another imp, in the likenesse of a
small grey bird, which this examinant received. And this examinant
further saith, that about eight dayes since, Susan Cock, Margaret
Landish, and Joyce Boanes, (all which stand now suspected for
Witchcraft) brought to this examinants house each of them an imp, (in
all three) to which this examinant added one of her own imps; and then
the said Joyce Boanes carryed the said four imps to the house of one
Robert Turner, to torment his servant.--Joyce Boanes saith, that about
thirteen yeers since, shee had two imps which came into the bed to her
in the likenesse of mouses, and that they sucked on this examinants
body. And this examinant also saith, that she carried one of her said
imps, called Rug, to the house of the said Rose Hallybread; and that
her said imp Rug, with the three imps of the said Rose Hallybread,
Susan Cock, and Margaret Landish, each of them sending one, were
carried by this examinant from the house of the said Rose Hallybread,
to the house of the said Robert Turner to kill the servant of the said
Robert.--Susan Cock saith, that about three or four yeeres since, one
Margery Stoakes, this examinants mother, lying upon her death-bed, and
this examinant comming to visit her, shee the said Margery desired
this examinant privately to give entertainment to two of her imps, and
withall told this examinant, they would do this examinant good: And
this examinant saith, that the same night her said mother dyed, the
said two imps came to her accordingly, and sucked on her body: And
this examinant saith, that one of the said imps was like a mouse, and
the name of that was Susan; that the other was of a yellow colour,
about the bigness of a cat; and that the name of that imp was
Besse.--Rebecca Jones saith, that as shee was going to St. Osyth
(where this examinant doth now dwell) to sell her said masters butter,
a man met with her, being in a ragged sute, and having such great
eyes, that this examinant was much afraid of him; who came to this
examinant, and gave her three things like to moules, having foure feet
a piece, but without tayles, and of a black colour, and bid this
examinant nurse the said three things, untill he did desire them
againe; And this examinant asked the said man, what she should give
them to eate, and he told this examinant milke, and that they would
not hurt her, and wished her not to be afraid of them. And the said
man told this examinant, that those three things which he gave her,
would avenge her on her enemies, and bid her murther some, but not too
many, and he would forgive her; and then went away from this
examinant. And this examinant saith, that the names of her three imps
were Margaret, Amie, and Susan. And that a while after, this examinant
and one Joyce Boanes, now in prison, did send each of them an impe to
kill one Thomas Bumstead of St. Osyth: And that the impe which the
said Joyce Boanes sent was a dund one like unto a mouse.--Johan Cooper
saith, That she hath been a witch about twenty yeers, and hath three
familiars, two like mouses, and the third like a frog; the names of
the two like mouses are Jack, and the other Prickeare, and the name of
the third, like a frog, is Frog.--Anne Cate saith, That she hath four
familiars, which shee had from her mother, about two and twenty yeeres
since, and that the names of the said imps are James, Prickeare,
Robyn, and Sparrow: and that three of these imps are like mouses, and
the fourth like a sparrow, which she called Sparrow.'[852]

In 1646 the Huntingdonshire witches were tried. Elizabeth Weed of Great
Catworth confessed that--

'about one and twenty yeares since she being saying her Prayers in the
evening about bedtime, there did appeare unto her three Spirits, one
in the likeness of a young man or boy, and the other two of two
Puppies, the one white and the other black. Being demanded the name of
the lesser Spirits, shee saith the name of the white one was Lilly,
and the blacke one Priscill; and that the office of Lilly was to hurt
man, woman, or childe; and the office of Priscill was to hurt Cattell
when she desired.--Francis Moore saith, that about eight yeares since
she received a little blacke puppy from one Margaret Simson of great
Catworth, which dog the said Margaret had in her bed with her, and
took it thence when she gave it to the Examinate: The Examinate
further saith, that the said Margaret told her, that she must keep
that dogge all her life time; and if she cursed any Cattell, and set
the same dog upon them, they should presently dye, and the said
Margaret told her that she had named it already, his name was Pretty.
And the said Examinate further saith, that about the same time one
goodwife Weed gave her a white Cat, telling her, that if she would
deny God, and affirme the same by her bloud, then whomsoever she
cursed and sent that Cat unto, they should dye shortly after.
Whereupon the said Examinate saith that shee did deny God, and in
affirmation thereof shee pricked her finger with a thorne, whence
issued bloud, which the Cat presently licked, and the said gooodwife
(_sic_) Weed named the Cat _Tissy_. And she further saith, that she
killed the said Dog and Cat about a yeare since.--Joan Wallis of
Keiston said [that the Devil came to her] and shee asked what his name
was, and he said his name was Blackeman, and asked her if she were
poore, and she said I; then he told her he would send one Grissell and
Greedigut to her, that shall do any thing for her. And after Blackman
was departed from her, within three or four dayes, Grissell and
Greedigut came to her, in the shapes of dogges with great brisles of
hogges haire upon their backs.' The accounts given by John Winnick,
Ellen Shepheard, and Anne Desborough suggest that they are confused
amplifications of the ritual to be observed in taking a familiar, the
ritual being clearly given in the confession of Francis Moore when she
was presented with the cat Tissy. John Winnick said, 'On a Friday
being in the barne [where he lost his purse] there appeared unto him a
Spirit, blacke and shaggy, and having pawes like a Beare, but in bulk
not fully so big as a Coney. The Spirit asked him what he ailed to be
so sorrowfull, this Examinate answered that he had lost a purse and
money, and knew not how to come by it againe. The Spirit replied, if
you will forsake God and Christ, and fall down and worship me for your
God, I will help you to your purse and mony againe: This Examinate
said he would, and thereupon fell down upon his knees and held up his
hands. Then the Spirit said, tomorrow about this time of the day, you
shall find your purse. Whereupon at the time prefixed, this Examinate
went unto the place, and found his purse upon the floore and tooke it
up, and looking afterwards into it, he found there all the money that
was formerly lost: but before he had looked into it, the same Spirit
appears unto him, and said, there is your purse and your money in it:
and then this Examinate fell downe upon his knees and said, my Lord
and God I thanke you. The said Spirit at that time brought with him
two other Spirits, for shape, bignesse, and colour, the one like a
white Cat, the other like a grey Coney: and while this Examinate was
upon his knees, the Beare Spirit spake to him, saying, you must
worship these two Spirits as you worship me, and take them for your
Gods also: then this Examinate directed his bodie towards them, and
call'd them his Lords and Gods. Then the Beare Spirit told him that
when he dyed he must have his soule, whereunto this Examinate yielded.
Hee told him then also that they must suck of his body, to which this
Examinate also yielded.--Ellen Shepheard saith that about five years
since, when she was in her homsted at Molesworth, there appeared unto
her a Spirit, somewhat like a Rat, but not fully so big, of an
iron-grey colour, and said you must goe with me, and she said, I will
not, avoid Satan, and thereupon he went away. Shee saith, that within
a short time after, going into the field, cursing, and fretting, and
blaspheming, there appeared three Spirits more with the former in the
fashion of Rats, of an iron-grey, and said, you must forsake God and
Christ, and goe with me, and take those Spirits for your Gods, and you
shall have all happinesse, whereunto she consented: And moreover they
said unto her, that when she dyed, they must have her body and soule,
and said they must have blood from her, which she granted, and
thereupon they sucked her upon and about her hippes.--Anne Desborough
confesseth, that about thirty yeares since, the first weeke of Cleane
Lent, there appeared unto her a thing some-what bigger than a Mouse,
of a brown colour, and of the likenesse of a mouse. This was while
shee lived at Tichmarsh in the County of Northampton: she being there
in bed, and in a dreame, the said likenesse then gave her a nip, and
thereby awakened her out of her dreame, and then told her (when she
was awakened) that it must have part of her soule; whereupon she was
in a great feare, and gave him no answer, but prayed to God, and
thereupon it vanished away from her. About five dayes after, the same
Mouse appeared to her againe, bringing with it another Mouse, about
the bignesse of an ordinary Mouse, or very little bigger, browne like
the former, save only that the latter had some white about the belly,
whereas the former was all browne. Then the Mouse that first appeared,
said, we must sucke of your body. She yielded to them, and said, they
should; upon her yielding, they went to her and sucked of her bodie,
where the markes are found. The bigger mouse she called Tib, and the
lesser Jone. Tib told her that she must forsake God and Christ, and
take them for her Gods, telling her that when she dyed, they must have
her soule, to all which she yielded.'[853]

In Cambridgeshire in 1647 Dorothy Ellis 'saith that about thirtie yeares
since shee being much troubled in her minde there appeared unto hir the
Devell in the liknes of a great catt and speak unto this ex^t and demanded
of hir hir blood w^ch she gave hime after which the spirit in the liknes of
a catt suck upon the body of this ex^t and the first thing this ex^t
commanded her spirit to doe was to goe and be witch four of the cattell of
Tho. Hitch all which cattell presently died '.[854] John Palmer of St.
Albans in 1649, 'upon his compact with the Divel, received a flesh brand,
or mark, upon his side, which gave suck to two familiars, the one in the
form of a dog, which he called George, and the other in the likeness of a
woman, called Jezebell.'[855] Of the Somerset witches in 1664, Alice Duke
'confesseth that her Familiar doth commonly suck her right Breast about
seven at night, in the shape of a little Cat of a dunnish colour, which is
as smooth as a Want, and when she is suckt, she is in a kind of a
Trance.--Christian Green saith, The Devil doth usually suck her left Brest
about five of the Clock in the Morning in the likeness of an Hedghog,
bending, and did so on Wednesday Morning last. She saith that it is painful
to her, and that she is usually in a trance when she is suckt.'[856] In
1665 Abre Grinset of Dunwich in Suffolk 'did confess that the Devil did
appear in the form of a Pretty handsom Young Man first; and since Appeareth
to her in the form of a blackish Gray Cat or Kitling, that it sucketh of a
Tett and hath drawn blood.'[857]

The only published account of the animal familiar in France shows a
combination of the two classes, for the creature was a toad kept in the
house, fed in a particular way, and used for divination.

Silvain Nevillon and Gentien le Clerc were tried at Orleans in 1614.
Silvain confessed--

'qu'il y a des Sorciers qui nourrissent des Marionettes, qui sont de
petits Diableteaux en forme de Crapaux, & leur font manger de la
bouillie composee de laict & de farine, & leur donnent le premier
mourceau, & n'oseroient s'absenter de leur maison sans leur demander
conge, & luy faut dire combien de temps ils seront absens, comme trois
ou quatre iours, & si elles disent que c'est trop, ceux qui les
gardent, n'osent faire leur voyage ny outre-passer leur volonte. Et
quand ils veulent aller en marchandise ou ioueer, & scauoir s'il y fera
bon, ils regardent si les-dites Marionettes sont ioyeuses, en ce cas
ils vont en marchandise, ou ioueer: mais si elles sont maussades &
tristes, ils ne bougent de la maison.--Gentil ou Genti[~e] le Clerc
dit qu'il y auoit plus d'acquest en sa Marionette qu'en Dieu. Et auoit
veu souuent la Marionette dudit Neuillon, qui est comme vn gros
crapaut tout noir, comme d'vne fourrure noire, & estoit dans vne
boette cache soubs vn carreau, qui sautoit & leuoit quand on vouloit
donner a manger audit crapaut. Qu'il l'a veu encore puis six sepmaines
en la ruelle du lict dudict Neuillon, & qu'il a veu qu'il l'apportoit
vne autre fois dans son manteau, qu'il luy a dit vne douzaine de fois,
que s'il vouloit il luy en feroit auoir vne. Qu'il y auoit plus profit
en icelle qu'en Dieu, & qu'il gagneroit rien a regarder Dieu: mais que
sa Marionette luy apportoit tousiours quelque chose.'[858] With this
may be compared the account of a Lapp familiar in 1653: 'Dans chaque
maison il y a un gros chat noir, duquel ils font grand estime, parlant
a luy comme s'il avoit de la raison, ne font rien qu'il ne luy
communique, croyans qu'il leur aide en leurs entreprises, ne manquans
tous les soirs de sortir de leurs cabannes pour le consulter, & les
suit par tout ou ils vont, tant a la pesche qu'a la chasse. Quoy que
cet animal ait la figure d'un chat par son regard, qui est
epouvantable, j'ay creu & croy encore que c'est un Diable familier.'

3. _Methods of obtaining Familiars_

There seem to have been four methods of obtaining familiars: 1, by gift
from the Devil; 2, by gift from a fellow-witch; 3, by inheritance; 4, by
magical ceremonies. Of these, Nos. 2 and 3 appear to be confined to the
domestic familiar, consequently they are found chiefly in the eastern
counties of England.

1. The gift of the Devil was sometimes a divining familiar, sometimes a
domestic familiar, commonly presented at the admission ceremony. As the
divining familiar it represented the Devil himself, and the 'responses'
received to questions were believed to come from him. As the essential
point of this class of familiar was that it should be a species of animals
and not one special animal, the devil merely appointed to the witch what
species she should observe in divining. The domestic familiar, being a
small animal, could be actually given into the hands of the witch, with
instructions for its feeding and for the method of using it. It was
sometimes, but not always, identified with the devil, and was usually[859]
called an 'imp',[860] perhaps with the idea of a small or
miniature Devil, like the Marionette of Silvain Nevillon. It acted as the
Devil's substitute when he himself was not present, and was endowed with
some, though not all, of his power; for this reason the witch often had
more than one familiar, each to serve a single purpose. In 1645 at Ipswich
Mother Lakeland confessed that after she had signed the covenant with the
Devil, 'he furnished her with three Imps, two little Dogs and a Mole.'[861]
In the same year, Rebecca Jones, an Essex witch,

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