The Witch cult in Western Europe

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

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29

(b) _Woman_

The Queen of Elphin, or Elfhame, is sometimes called the Devil, and it is
often impossible to distinguish between her and the Devil when the latter
appears as a woman. Whether she was the same as the French Reine du Sabbat
is equally difficult to determine. The greater part of the evidence
regarding the woman-devil is from Scotland.

In 1576 Bessie Dunlop's evidence shows that Thom Reid, who was to her what
the Devil was to witches, was under the orders of the Queen of Elfhame:

'Interrogat, Gif sche neuir askit the questioun at him, Quhairfoir he
com to hir mair [than] ane vthir bodye? Ansuerit, Remembring hir,
quhen sche was lyand in child-bed-lair, with ane of her laiddis, that
ane stout woman com in to hir, and sat doun on the forme besyde hir,
and askit ane drink at her, and sche gaif hir; quha alsua tauld hir,
that that barne wald de, and that hir husband suld mend of his
seiknes. The said Bessie ansuerit, that sche remembrit wele thairof;
and Thom said, That was the Quene of Elfame his maistres, quha had
commandit him to wait vpoun hir, and to do hir gude. Confessit and
fylit.'[119]

In 1588 Alison Peirson 'was conuict for hanting and repairing with the gude
nychtbouris and Quene of Elfame, thir diuers [3]eiris bypast, as scho had
confest be hir depositiounis, declaring that scho could nocht say reddelie
how lang scho wes with thame; and that scho had freindis in that court
quhilk wes of hir awin blude, quha had gude acquentence of the Quene of
Elphane. And that scho saw nocht the Quene thir seuin [3]eir.'[120] In 1597
at Aberdeen Andro Man was accused that

'thriescoir yeris sensyne or thairby, the Devill, thy maister, come to
thy motheris hous, in the liknes and scheap of a woman, quhom thow
callis the Quene of Elphen, and was delyverit of a barne, as apperit
to the their, thow confessis that be the space of threttie two yeris
sensyn or thairby, thow begud to have carnall deall with that
devilische spreit, the Quene of Elphen, on quhom thow begat dyveris
bairnis, quhom thow hes sene sensyn.... Thow confessis that the
Devill, thy maister, quhom thow termes Christsonday, and supponis to
be ane engell, and Goddis godsone, albeit he hes a thraw by God, and
swyis [sways] to the Quene of Elphen, is rasit be the speaking of the
word _Benedicite_.... Siclyk, thow affermis that the Quene of Elphen
hes a grip of all the craft, bot Christsonday is the gudeman, and hes
all power vnder God.... Vpon the Ruidday in harvest, in this present
yeir, quhilk fell on a Wedinsday, thow confessis and affermis, thow
saw Christsonday cum out of the snaw in liknes of a staig, and that
the Quene of Elphen was their, and vtheris with hir, rydand on quhyt
haikneyes, and that thay com to the Binhill and the Binlocht, quhair
thay vse commonlie to convene, and that thay quha convenis with thame
kissis Christsonday and the Quene of Elphenis airss. Thow affermis
that the quene is verray plesand, and wilbe auld and young quhen scho
pleissis; scho mackis any kyng quhom scho pleisis, and lyis with any
scho lykis'.[121]

Another Aberdeen witch, Marion Grant, was accused in the same year and
confessed, 'that the Devill, thy maister, quhome thow termes Christsonday,
causit the dans sindrie tymes with him and with Our Ladye, quha, as thow
sayes, was a fine woman, cled in a quhyt walicot'.[122] In Ayrshire in 1605
Patrick Lowrie and Jonet Hunter were accused that they 'att Hallowevin
assemblit thame selffis vpon Lowdon-hill, quhair thair appeirit to thame
are devillische Spreit, in liknes of ane woman, and callit hir selff Helen
Mcbrune'.[123] In the Basses-Pyrenees in 1609, one could 'en chasque
village trouuer vne Royne du Sabbat, que Sathan tenoit en delices co[~m]e
vne espouse priuilegiee'.[124] At the witch-mass the worshippers 'luy
baisent la main gauche, tremblans auec mille angoisses, & luy offrent du
pain, des [oe]ufs, & de l'argent: & la Royne du Sabbat les recoit, laquelle
est assise a son coste gauche, & en sa main gauche elle tient vne paix ou
platine, dans laquelle est grauee l'effigie de Lucifer, laquelle on ne
baise qu'apres l'auoir premierement baisee a elle'.[125] In 1613 the
Lancashire witch, Anne Chattox, made a confused statement as to the sex of
the so-called spirits; it is however quite possible that the confusion is
due to the recorder, who was accustomed to consider all demons as male:
'After their eating, the Deuill called Fancie, and the other Spirit
calling himselfe Tibbe, carried the remnant away: And she sayeth that at
their said Banquet, the said Spirits gaue them light to see what they did,
and that they were both shee Spirites and Diuels.'[126] In 1618 at
Leicester Joan Willimott 'saith, that shee hath a Spirit which shee calleth
Pretty, which was giuen vnto her by William Berry of Langholme in
Rutlandshire, whom she serued three yeares; and that her Master when he
gaue it vnto her, willed her to open her mouth, and hee would blow into her
a Fairy which should doe her good; and that shee opened her mouth, and he
did blow into her mouth; and that presently after his blowing, there came
out of her mouth a Spirit, which stood vpon the ground in the shape and
forme of a Woman, which Spirit did aske of her her Soule, which she then
promised vnto it, being willed thereunto by her Master.'[127] William
Barton was tried in Edinburgh about 1655:

'One day, says he, going from my own house in Kirkliston, to the
Queens Ferry, I overtook in Dalmeny Muire, a young Gentlewoman, as to
appearance beautiful and comely. I drew near to her, but she shunned
my company, and when I insisted, she became angry and very nyce. Said
I, we are both going one way, be pleased to accept of a convoy. At
last after much entreaty she grew better natured, and at length came
to that Familiarity, that she suffered me to embrace her, and to do
that which Christian ears ought not to hear of. At this time I parted
with her very joyful. The next night, she appeared to him in that same
very place, and after that which should not be named, he became
sensible, that it was the Devil. Here he renounced his Baptism, and
gave up himself to her service, and she called him her beloved, and
gave him this new name of Iohn Baptist, and received the Mark.'[128]

At Forfar in 1662 Marjorie Ritchie 'willingly and friely declared that the
divill appeired to her thrie severall tymes in the similitud of a womane,
the first tyme in on Jonet Barrie's house, the second tyme whyle she was
putting vp lint in the companie of the said Jonet, and that the divill did
take her by the hand at that tyme, and promised that she should never want
money; and therafter that the divill appeired to her in the moiss of
Neutoune of Airly, wher and when she did renunce her baptism'.[129] In 1670
Jean Weir, sister of the notorious Major Weir, gave an account of how she
entered the service of the Devil; the ceremony began as follows: 'When she
keeped a school at Dalkeith, and teached childering, ane tall woman came to
the declarants hous when the childering were there; and that she had, as
appeared to her, ane chyld upon her back, and on or two at her foot; and
that the said woman desyred that the declarant should imploy her to spick
for her to the Queen of Farie, and strik and battle in her behalf with the
said Queen (which was her own words).'[130] Among the Salem witches in
1692, 'this Rampant Hag, Martha Carrier, was the person, of whom the
Confessions of the Witches, and of her own Children among the rest, agreed,
That the Devil had promised her, she should be Queen of Hell.[131]

3. _Identification_

As it is certain that the so-called 'Devil' was a human being, sometimes
disguised and sometimes not, the instances in which these persons can be
identified are worth investigating. In most cases these are usually men,
and the names are often given, but it is only in the case of the Devil of
North Berwick that the man in question is of any historic importance; the
others are simply private individuals of little or no note.

Elizabeth Stile of Windsor, in 1579, gives a description of Father
Rosimond's changes of form, which points to his being the Chief of the
Windsor witches: 'She confesseth, her self often tymes to haue gon to
Father Rosimond house where she founde hym sittyng in a Wood, not farre
from thence, vnder the bodie of a Tree, sometymes in the shape of an Ape,
and otherwhiles like an Horse.'[132] In the reign of Elizabeth, 1584, there
is a list of eighty-seven suspected persons, among whom occur the names of
'Ould Birtles the great devil, Roger Birtles and his wife and Anne Birtles,
Darnally the sorcerer, the oulde witche of Ramsbury, Maud Twogood
Enchantress, Mother Gillian witch' and several other 'oulde witches'.[133]
The account by John Stearne the pricker, in 1645, indicates that one of the
magistrates of Fenny Drayton was the local Devil: 'Some will say, It is
strange they should know when they should be searched, if it be kept
private. I answer, Let it be kept never so private, it hath been common,
and as common as any other thing, as they themselves have confessed: for so
did they of Fenny-Drayton in Cambridge-shire, who made very large
Confessions, as, that the devil told them of our coming to town.'[134] One
of the clearest cases, however, is that of Marsh of Dunstable in 1649,
'whom Palmer confessed to be head of the whole Colledge of Witches, that
hee knows in the world: This Palmer hath been a witch these sixty years (by
his own confession) long enough to know and give in the totall summe of all
the conjuring conclave, and the Society of Witches in England.'[135]

In Scotland a certain number of identifications are also possible. Alison
Peirson, tried in 1588, learnt all her charms and obtained all her
knowledge from the Devil, who came to her in the form of Mr. William
Sympson, her mother's brother's son, who was a great scholar and doctor of
medicine in Edinburgh.[136] Jonet Stewart in 1597 'learnt her charms from
umquhill Michaell Clark, smyth in Laswaid, and fra ane Italean strangear
callit Mr. John Damiet, ane notorious knawin Enchanter and Sorcerer'.[137]
In the trial of Marion Pardon of Hillswick in 1644 'it was given in
evidence that a man spoke of the devil as Marion Pardon's pobe, i.e.
nurse's husband or foster father'.[138] In a case tried at Lauder in 1649
there is an indication that one of the magistrates was the Chief of the
witches; Robert Grieve accused a certain woman at a secret session of the
court, 'but the Devil came that same night unto her, and told her that Hob
Grieve had fyled her for a witch'.[139] Isobel Ramsay in 1661 was accused
that 'you had ane uther meiting wt the devill in yor awne hous in the
liknes of yor awne husband as you wes lying in yor bed at qch tyme you
engadged to be his servant and receaved a dollar from him'.[140] When a man
had special knowledge as to which women were witches, it is suggestive that
he might be himself the Devil; as in the case of the Rev. Allan Logan, who
'was particularly knowing in the detection of witches. At the
administration of the communion, he would cast his eye along, and say: "You
witch wife, get up from the table of the Lord", when some poor creature
would rise and depart.'[141]

It seems probable that the infamous Abbe Guibourg was the head of the Paris
witches, for it was he who celebrated the 'black mass' and performed the
sacrifice of a child, both of which were the duties of the 'Devil'.[142]

At Salem also the account given by the witches of the Rev. George Burroughs
points to his filling the office of 'Devil', for he was 'Head Actor at some
of their Hellish Randezvouses, and one who had the promise of being a King
in Satan's kingdom.--He was the person who had Seduc'd and Compell'd them
into the snares of Witchcraft'.[143] That Burroughs was a religious person
is no argument against his being also the 'Devil' of Salem. Apart from the
well-known psychological fact that a certain form of religious feeling can
exist at the same time as the propensity to and practice of sexual
indulgence, there is proof that many of the witches were outwardly
religious according to the tenets of Christianity. So many Christian
priests were also followers of the witch-religion that the Inquisitors of
the sixteenth century were greatly exercised in their minds as to how to
deal with the offenders. Antide Colas confessed that she attended the
midnight mass on Christmas Eve, then went to a witch meeting, and returned
to the church in time for the mass at dawn on Christmas morning.[144] At
Ipswich in 1645 'Mother Lakeland hath been a professour of Religion, a
constant hearer of the Word for these many years, and yet a witch (as she
confessed) for the space of near twenty years'.[145] The best-known case
of the kind is that of Major Weir in Edinburgh in 1670, whose outward
appearance tallies with the usual descriptions of the Devil, and whose
conduct is only explainable on the supposition that he actually was the
Chief of the witches: 'His garb was still a cloak, and somewhat dark, and
he never went without his staff. He was a tall black man, and ordinarily
looked down to the ground; a grim countenance, and a big nose.'[146] His
reputation for piety was so great that a woman, who had actually seen him
commit an offence against the criminal law, was flogged for mentioning the
fact and thus defaming a man of such extreme and well-established piety. He
was tried as a witch on his own unsolicited confession, and was burnt
together with his staff, dying 'impenitent' and renouncing all hope of a
Christian heaven. The most interesting case historically, however, is that
of the Devil of the North Berwick witches (1590). The number of people
involved was thirty-nine, i.e. three Covens; but though the names of all
were known, only four were tried. The records are given in considerable
detail, and the identification of the Chief is therefore possible.

The character of the accused in this case is of great importance when
considering the evidence. Nothing more unlike the conventional idea of
witches can well be imagined than the man and women who were arraigned on
that occasion. Agnes Sampson, the wise wife of Keith, was 'a woman not of
the base and ignorant sort of Witches, but matron-like, grave and settled
in her answers, which were all to some purpose'. John Fian, or Cunynghame,
was a schoolmaster, therefore a man of education; Effie McCalyan, the
daughter of Lord Cliftonhall, was a woman of family and position; Barbara
Napier was also of good family. These were clearly the moving spirits of
the band, and they were all persons capable of understanding the meaning
and result of their actions.[147]

The accusation against the witches was that they had met together to plot
the murder of the King and Queen by witchcraft. The trial therefore was on
a double charge, witchcraft and high treason, and both charges had to be
substantiated. Keeping in mind Lord Coke's definition of a witch as 'a
person who has conference with the Devil to take counsel or to do some
act', it is clear that the fact of the Devil's bodily presence at the
meetings had to be proved first, then the fact of the 'conference', and
finally the attempts at murder. The reports of the trial do not, however,
differentiate these points in any way, and the religious prepossession of
the recorders colours every account. It is therefore necessary to take the
facts without the construction put upon them by the natural bias of the
Christian judges and writers. The records give in some detail the account
of several meetings where the deaths of the King and Queen were discussed,
and instructions given and carried out to effect that purpose. At each
meeting certain ceremonies proper to the presence of the Grand Master were
performed, but the real object of the meeting was never forgotten or even
obscured.

The actual evidence of the affair was given by Agnes Sampson (also called
Anny Simpson or Tompson), John Fian, Euphemia or Effie McCalyan, and
Barbara Napier. As it was a case of high treason, the two leaders, Sampson
and Fian, were tortured to force them to divulge the name of the prime
mover. Both these two and Effie McCalyan were condemned and executed;
Barbara Napier, equally guilty according to the evidence but more fortunate
in her jurors, was released; for which action the jurors themselves were
subsequently tried.

Though the means used by the witches may seem ridiculous, the murderous
intention is very clear. First they performed incantations to raise a storm
to wreck the Queen's ship on her way to Scotland, and the storm which
actually arose very nearly effected their purpose. As it failed, however,
they betook themselves to the accredited method of melting a waxen image,
but they were also ready to use poisons, which were to their minds the most
virulent that could be prepared.

I have arranged the evidence so as to make as far as possible a consecutive
narrative of the occurrences.

_John Fian_, tried December 26, 1590. The first items relate to his
consulting with the Devil and working witchcraft. 7. Item, Fylit, for
the rasing of wyndis att the Kingis passing to Denmark, and for the
sending of ane letter to Marioun Linkup in Leyth, to that effect,
bidding hir to meit him and the rest, on the see, within fyve dayes;
quhair Satan delyuerit ane catt out of his hand to Robert Griersoune,
gevand the word to 'Cast the same in the see hola!': And thaireftir,
being mountit in a schip, and drank ilk ane to otheris, quhair Satane
said, 'ye shall sink the schip', lyke as thay thocht thay did. 8.
Item, Fylit, for assembling him selff with Sathane, att the Kingis
returning to Denmark; quhair Satan promeist to raise ane mist, and
cast the Kingis Majestie in Ingland.

_Agnes Sampson_, tried January 27, 1591. The first part of the dittay
is entirely occupied with her conferences with the devil and her
healing the sick by his advice. 40. Item, fylit and convict, of the
delyuerie of ane letter, quhilk John Fiene, clerk, maid in George
Mutis bak[e] hous in the Pannis, accumpaneit with the gudwyff of the
hous, Gelie Duncan [and eight others], quha convenit thair for rasing
of storme, to stay the Quene's hame cuming to Scotland; eftir
consultatioun, quhether Gelie Duncan or Bessie Thomsoun wes meitest to
send the letter with; and concludit to send the said Gelie, quhilk
letter wes send to Marioun Lenchop in Leyth. The effect quhairoff is
this: Marioun Lenchop, ye sall warne the rest of the sisteris, to
raise the wind this day, att eleavin houris, to stay the Quenis cuming
in Scotland. Lyke as they that wer convenit at the Pannis sould do
their part be-eist; and to meit thame that wer in the Pannis; and att
thair meting, thay sould mak the storme vniversall thro the see. [Then
follows the method of doing this by casting in a cat.]

[From _Newes from Scotland_.] The said Agnis Tompson (Sampson)
confessed, that the Divell, being then at North Barrick Kirke
attending their comming, in the habit or likenesse of a man ... and
having made his ungodly exhortations, wherein he did greatly inveigh
against the King of Scotland, he received their oathes for their good
and true service towards him, and departed; which done, they returned
to sea, and so home again. At which time, the witches demaunded of the
Divell, 'why he did beare such hatred to the Kinge?' who aunswered,
'By reason the King is the greatest enemie hee hath in the world.' All
which their confessions and depositions are still extant upon record.

_Barbara Napier_, tried May 8, 1591. Released. Assisors tried June 7,
and acquitted. The said Barbara was accusit, that scho gaif hir
presens, in the maist develisch and tressonabill Conventioune, haldin
be hir and hir complices in the Divellis name, vpoune Lambmes-ewin
last, att the New-heavin callit Aitchesounes-heavin, betuix
Musselburcht and Prestonpannis, sin his Majestie come furth of
Denmark; quhair war assemblit nyne principallis, to witt, Agnes
Sampsoune, Jonett Straittoun, Ewfame McCalyeane, hir selff, Johne
Fiene, Robert Griersoun, George Moitis wyffe in Prestoune, Margrett
Thomsoune, and Donald Robesoune; quhilk is nyne persounes, the Devill,
quha wes with thame in liknes of ane blak man, thocht maist meit to do
the turne for the quhilk thay wer convenit; and thairfore, he sett
thame nyne nerrest to him selff, in ane cumpany; and thay, togidder
with the wyffe of Saltoune myle and the rest of the inferiouris, to
the nowmer of threttie persounes, standand skairse the lenth of ane
buird frae the foirsaid nyne persounes in ane vthir cumpany;[148]
Agnes Sampsoune proponit the distructioune of his hienes persoune,
saying to the Dewill, 'We haif ane turne ado, and we would fain be att
itt gif we could, and thairfore help ws to itt'. The Dewill ansuerit,
he sould do quhat he could, bott it wald be lang to, because it wald
be thoirterit [thwarted], and he promeist to hir and thame ane pictour
of walx, and ordenit hir and thame to hing, roist, and drop ane taid,
and to lay the droppis of the taid [mixed with other supposedly
virulent poisons], in his hienes way, quhair his Maiestie wald gang
inowre or outowre, or in ony passage quhair itt mycht drop vpoun his
hienes heid or body, for his hienes distructioune, that ane vther
mycht haif rewlit in his Maiesties place, and the ward [government]
mycht haif gane to the Dewill. Att the quhilk conventioune, his hienes
name wes pronunceit in Latine; and Agnes Sampsoune wes appointit to
mak the pictour and to gif it to the Devill to be inchantit, quhilk
scho maid in deid, and gaif itt to him; and he promiseit to giff it to
the said Barbara and to Effie McCalyan, att the nixt meting to be
roistit. Margarett Thomsoun was appointit to dropp the taid. There wes
ane appointit to seik sum of his hienes linning claithes, to do the
turne with.

_Agnes Sampson_, continued. Anny Sampsoun affirmed that sche, in
company with nyn vthers witches, being convenit in the nycht besyd
Prestounpannes, the deuell ther maister being present standing in the
midis of thame; ther a body of wax, schaipen and maid be the said Anny
Sampsoun, wrappit within a lynnyng claith, was fyrst delyuerit to the
deuell; quhilk efter he had pronuncit his verde, delyuerit the said
pictour to Anny Sampsoun, and sche to hir nyxt marrow, and sa euery
ane round about, saying, 'This is King James the sext, ordonit to be
consumed at the instance of a noble man Francis Erle Bodowell!'
Efterwart again, at ther meting be nycht at the kirk of Northberick,
wher the deuell, cled in a blak gown with a blak hat vpon his head,
preachit vnto a gret nomber of them out of the pulpit, having lyk
leicht candles rond about him. The effect of his language was till
knaw, what skaith they had done, whow many they had won to ther
oppinion sen their last meting, what succes the melting of the pictour
had tane, and sic vain toyes. And because ane auld sely pure plowman,
callit Grey Meill, chancit to say that 'nathing ailit the King yet,
God be thankit' the deuell gaif him a gret blaw. Then dyuers amang
them enterit in a raisonyng, maruelling that all ther deuellerie culd
do na harm to the King, as it did till others dyuers. The deuell
answerit, 'Il est vn home de Dieu'.[149]

_Euphemia McCalyan_, tried June 9, 1591, executed (burnt alive) June
25, 1591. Evidence was first given as to her practising witchcraft and
consorting with well-known witches. Item, indyttit and accusit, of the
conventicle had att North Berwick Kirk, tuentie dayes before
Michelmas, 1590; and thair inquyring for the Kings pictour, gewin by
Annie Sampsoun to the Dewill, to be inchantit, for the tressonabill
distructioun of the King. Item, indyttit and accusit, for being att
ane Conventioun haldin at the New Heaven callit the Fayrie-hoillis,
att Lambmes last wes, to the effect immediatlie aboue writtin. Item,
Indytit and accusit, for an Conventioun halden by yow and utheris
notorious Wichis, youre associattis, att the Brwme-hoillis, quhair yow
and thay tuik the sea, Robert Griersoun being your admerell and
Maister-manne. [Then comes the recital of the magical means used to
raise a tempest], quhairby the Quene wes putt back be storme. Item,
Indytit, for consulting with the said Annie Sampsoun, Robert
Griersoun, and diuers vtheris Wichis, for the tressonabill staying of
the Quene's hame-cuming, be storme and wind; and rasing of storme, to
that effect; or ellis to haif drownit hir Majestie and hir cumpany, be
coniuring of cattis and casting of thame in the sea, at Leith, at the
bak of Robert Griersounis hous.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29