The Witch-cult in Western Europe Part 34

1593. She had three or foure impes, some call them puckrels, one like a grey cat, another like a weasel, another like a mouse.[932]

1597. Christian Livingston of Leith. Scho affermit that hir dochter was tane away with the Farie-folk, and declarit to Gothrayis wyff, than being with barne, that it was a man chyld scho was with; as it provit in deid: And that all the knawlege scho had was be hir dochter, wha met with the Fairie.[933]

1597. Isobell Strathaquhin and her daughter, of Aberdeen. Theye depone that hir self confessis that quhat skill so ever scho hes, scho hed it of hir mother; and hir mother learnit at ane elf man quha lay with hir.[934]

1597. Andro Man of Aberdeen. Thriescoir yeris sensyne or thairby, the Devill, thy maister, com 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 s.p.a.ce of threttie twa 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.... Vpon the Ruidday in harvest, in this present yeir, quhilk fell on ane Wedinsday, thow confessis and affermis, thow saw Christsonday c.u.m owt of the snaw in liknes of a staig, and that the Quene of Elphen was their, and vtheris with hir, rydand vpon quhyt haiknayes, and that thay com to the Binhill, and Binlocht, quhair thay vse commonlie to convene, and that thay quha convenis with thame kissis Christsonday and the Quene of Elphenis airss, as thow did thy selff.

Item, thow affermis that the elphis hes schapes and claythis lyk men, and that thay will have fair coverit taiblis, and that thay ar bot schaddowis, bot ar starker nor men, and that thay have playing and dansing quhen thay pleas; and als 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.... The said Andro confessis that Chrystsonday rydis all the tyme that he is in thair c.u.mpanie, and hes carnall deall with thame; also, that the men that c.u.mis with thame, hes do with the Quene of Elfane.[935]

... Thou confesses that the devil thy master, whom thou terms Christsunday, and supposes to be an angel and G.o.d's G.o.dson-albeit he has a thraw by G.o.d, and sways to the Quene of Elphin-is raised by the speaking of the word _Benedicite_. Suchlike thou affirms that the Queen of Elphin has a grip of all the craft, but Christsunday is the goodman, and has all power under G.o.d.[936]

1608. Lyons district. Ils dansent deux a deux, & par fois l'vn ca & l'autre la; estans telles danses semblables a celles des Fees, vrais Diables incorporez, qui regnoient il n'y a pas long temps.[937]

1615. Jonet Drever of Orkney. To be convict and giltie of the fostering of ane bairne in the hill of Westray to the fary folk callit of hir our guid nichtbouris. And in haveing carnall deall with hir. And haveing conversation with the fary xxvj ?eiris bygane. In respect of her awne confessioun.[938]

1616. Katherine Caray of Orkney. At the doun going of the sun are great number of fairie men mett her together with a maister man.[939]

1616. Elspeth Reoch of Orkney. Sho confest that quhen shoe wes ane young las of twelf yeiris of age or therby and haid wandereit out of Caithnes quher sho wes borne to Lochquhaber ye cam to Allane McKeldowies wyfe quha wes your ant That she upon ane day being out of the loch in the contrey and returning and being at the Loch syd awaiting quhen the boit sould fetch hir in. That thair cam tua men to her ane cled in blak and the uther with ane grein tartane plaid about him And that the man with the plaid said to her she was ane prettie And he wald lerne her to ken and sie ony thing she wald desyre.... And thairefter within tua yeir she bure her first bairne And being delyverit in hir sisteris hous the blak man cam to her that first came to hir in Lochquhaber And callit him selff ane farie man.... On yule day she confest the devell quhilk she callis the farie man lay with her At quhilk tyme he bade hir leave Orkney.[940]

1618. Joan Willimot of Leicester. This Examinate saith, That shee hath a spirit which shee calleth Pretty, which was giuen vnto her by William Berry of Langholme in Rutlands.h.i.+re, whom she serued three yeares; and that her Master when hee 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 shee then promised vnto it.[941]

1633. Isobel Sinclair of Orkney. s.e.x times at the reathes of the year, shoe hath bein controlled with the Phairie.[942]

1653. 'Yorks.h.i.+re. There was (he saith) as I have heard the story credibly reported in this Country a Man apprehended for suspicion of Witchcraft, he was of that sort we call white Witches, which are such as do cures beyond the ordinary reasons and deductions of our usual pract.i.tioners, and are supposed (and most part of them truly) to do the same by ministration of spirits (from whence under their n.o.ble favours, most Sciences at first grow) and therefore are by good reason provided against by our Civil Laws, as being ways full of danger and deceit, and scarce ever otherwise obtained than by a devillish compact of the exchange of ones Soul to that a.s.sistant spirit, for the honour of its Mountebankery. What this man did was with a white powder which, he said, he received from the Fairies, and that going to a Hill he knocked three times, and the Hill opened, and he had access to, and conversed with a visible people; and offered, that if any Gentleman present would either go himself in person, or send his servant, he would conduct them thither, or shew them the place and persons from whom he had his skill.' [Hotham's account ends here; Webster continues first in his own words and then in inverted commas as if quoting, but gives no authority.]

To this I shall only add thus much, that the man was accused for invoking and calling upon evil spirits, and was a very simple and illiterate person to any mans judgment, and had been formerly very poor, but had gotten some pretty little meanes to maintain himself, his Wife and diverse small children, by his cures done with this white powder, of which there were sufficient proofs, and the Judge asking him how he came by the powder, he told a story to this effect. 'That one night before day was gone, as he was going home from his labour, being very sad and full of heavy thoughts, not knowing how to get meat and drink for his Wife and Children, he met a fair Woman in fine cloaths, who asked him why he was so sad, and he told her it was by reason of his poverty, to which she said, that if he would follow her counsel she would help him to that which would serve to get him a good living: to which he said he would consent with all his heart, so it were not by unlawful ways: she told him it should not be by any such ways, but by doing of good and curing of sick people; and so warning him strictly to meet her there the next night at the same time, she departed from him, and he went home. And the next night at the time appointed he duly waited, and she (according to promise) came and told him that it was well he came so duly, otherwise he had missed of that benefit, that she intended to do unto him, and so bade him follow her and not be afraid. Thereupon she led him to a little Hill and she knocked three times, and the Hill opened, and they went in, and came to a fair hall, wherein was a Queen sitting in great state, and many people about her, and the Gentlewoman that brought him, presented him to the Queen, and she said he was welcom, and bid the Gentlewoman give him some of the white powder, and teach him how to use it, which she did, and gave him a little wood box full of the white powder, and bad him give 2 or 3 grains of it to any that were sick, and it would heal them, and so she brought him forth of the Hill, and so they parted. And being asked by the Judge whether the place within the Hill, which he called a Hall, were light or dark, he said indifferent, as it is with us in the twilight; and being asked how he got more powder, he said when he wanted he went to that Hill, and knocked three times, and said every time I am coming, I am coming, whereupon it opened, and he going in was conducted by the aforesaid Woman to the Queen, and so had more powder given him. This was the plain and simple story (however it may be judged of) that he told before the Judge, the whole Court, and the Jury, and there being no proof, but what cures he had done to very many, the Jury did acquit him.[943]

1655. It might be here very seasonable to enquire into the nature of those large _dark Rings_ in the gra.s.s, which they call _Fairy Circles_, whether they be the _Rendezvouz_ of Witches, or the dancing place of those little Puppet Spirits which they call _Elves_ or _Fairies_.[944]

1661. Jonet Watson Of Dalkeith. She confessed that three months before the Devill apeired vnto her, in the liknes of ane prettie boy, in grein clothes. As also about the tyme of the last Baille-fyre night, shoe was at a Meitting in Newtoun-dein with the Deavill, who had grein cloathes vpone him, and ane blak hatt vpone his head; wher schoe denyd Christ, and took her self to be the servant of the Deivill.[945]

1662. Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne. I was in the Downie-hillis, and got meat ther from the Qwein of Fearrie, mor than I could eat. The Qwein of Fearrie is brawlie clothed in whyt linens, and in whyt and browne cloathes, &c.; and the King of Fearrie is a braw man, weill favoured, and broad faced, &c.

Ther wes elf-bullis rowtting and skoylling wp and downe thair and affrighted me.... As for Elf-arrow-heidis, the Devill shapes them with his awin hand, and syne deliueris thame to Elf-boyes, who whyttis and dightis them with a sharp thing lyk a paking needle.... We went in to the Downie hillis; the hill opened, and we cam to an fair and large braw rowme in the day tym. Thair ar great bullis rowtting and skoylling ther, at the entrie, quhilk feared me.... The Devill wold giw ws the brawest lyk money that ewer wes coyned; within fowr and twantie houris it vold be horse-muke.[946]

1662. Janet Breadheid of Auldearne. He gaw me ane piece of money, lyk a testain ... and gaw me an vthir piece of money, lyk the first, bot they both turned read, and I got nothing for thaim.[947]

1662. Bute. [The devil] 'gave her ane elf errow stone to shott him [a child of seven] which she did ten dayes therafter that the child dyed imediately therafter. Jonet Morisoune declares the devill told her it was the fayries that took John Glas child's lyfe. Mcfersone in Keretoule his dochter lay sick of a very unnaturall disease. The disease quhilk ailed her was blasting with the faryes and that she healed her with herbes. Item being questioned about her heileing of Alester Bannatyne who was sick of the lyk disease answred that he was blasted with the fairyes also and that she heiled him thereof with herbs and being questioned anent hir heileing of Patrick Glas dochter Barbara Glas answred that she was blasted with the faryes also. Being inquired quhat difference was betwix shooting and blasting sayes that quhen they are shott ther is no recoverie for it and if the shott be in the heart they died presently bot if it be not at the heart they will die in a while with it yet will at last die with it and that blasting is a whirlwinde that the fayries raises about that persone quhich they intend to wrong quhich may be healed two wayes ether by herbs or by charming.'[948]

1664. Alice Duke of Wincanton, Somerset. When the Devil doth anything for her, she calls for him by the name of _Robin_, upon which he appears.[949]

1664. Elizabeth Style of Wincanton, Somerset. When she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the name of _Robin_.[950]

1670. Jean Weir of Edinburgh. When she keeped a school at Dalkeith, and teached childering, ane tall woman came to the declarant's hous when the childering were there; she had, as appeared to her, ane chyld upon her back, and on or two at her foot; and 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).[951]

1677. Inveraray. Donald McIlmichall was tried 'for that horrid cryme of corresponding with the devill'; the whole evidence being that he entered a fairy hill where he met many men and women 'and he playd on trumps to them quhen they danced'.[952]

1697. Margaret Fulton in Renfrews.h.i.+re. She was reputed a Witch, has the Mark of it, and acknowledged that her Husband had brought her back from the _Faries_.[953]

1697. James Lindsay, alias Curat, in Renfrews.h.i.+re. He was called the Gleid, or Squint-Ey'd Elff.[954]

Nineteenth century. It was the common rumour that Elphin Irving came not into the world like the other sinful creatures of the earth, but was one of the Kane-bairns of the fairies, whilk they had to pay to the enemy of man's salvation every seventh year. The poor lady-fairy,-a mother's aye a mother, be she Elve's flesh or Eve's flesh,-hid her Elf son beside the christened flesh in Marion Irving's cradle, and the auld enemy lost his prey for a time.... And touching this lad, ye all ken his mother was a hawk of an uncannie nest, a second cousin of Kate Kimmer, of Barfloshan, as rank a witch as ever rode on ragwort.[955]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 915: Quicherat, i, p. 67; Murray, pp. 25 6.]

[Footnote 916: Id., i, p. 87; M., p. 42.]

[Footnote 917: Id., i, pp. 88-9; M., p. 43.]

[Footnote 918: Id., i, p. 177; M., p. 80.]

[Footnote 919: Id., i, p. 178; M., 80.]

[Footnote 920: Id., i, p. 186; M., p. 84.]

[Footnote 921: Id., i, p. 187; M., p. 84.]

[Footnote 922: Id., i, p. 209; M., p. 91.]

[Footnote 923: Bour-le-mont, cp. Bour-jo, 'a word of unknown derivation'.

See Walter Scott, _Witchcraft and Demonology_.]

[Footnote 924: Q., i, p. 210; M., p. 91.]

[Footnote 925: Q., i, pp. 211-12; M., pp. 91-2.]

[Footnote 926: Id., i, p. 242; M., pp. 96-7.]

[Footnote 927: _Examination of John Walsh._]

[Footnote 928: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, pp. 52-3, 56-7.]

[Footnote 929: Id., i, pt. ii, pp. 162-3.]

[Footnote 930: Remigius, pt. i, p. 55.]

[Footnote 931: Giffard, p. 10; _Percy Soc._ viii.]

[Footnote 932: Id. ib., p. 9.]

[Footnote 933: Pitcairn, ii, p. 25.]

[Footnote 934: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 177.]

[Footnote 935: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp, 119, 121, 125.]

[Footnote 936: Burton, i, p. 253.]

[Footnote 937: Boguet, p. 132.]