The Witch-cult in Western Europe Part 33

[Footnote 892: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 606, 614.]

[Footnote 893: Taylor, p. 81.]

[Footnote 894: _Volsunga Saga_, Bks. I, II; Wm. Morris, _Collected Works_, xii, pp. 32. 77.]

[Footnote 895: Pausanias, viii, 2, 3, 6, ed. Frazer. Cp. also the animal names applied to priests and priestesses, e.g. the King-bees of Ephesus; the Bee-priestesses of Demeter, of Delphi, of Proserpine, and of the Great Mother; the Doves of Dodona; the Bears in the sacred dance of Artemis; the Bulls at the feast of Poseidon at Ephesus; the Wolves at the Lupercalia, &c.]

[Footnote 896: Remigius, pt. i, pp. 65, 67.]

[Footnote 897: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, pp. 245-6.]

[Footnote 898: Boguet, pp. 120, 132-3.]

[Footnote 899: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 129.]

[Footnote 900: Fournier, p. 16.]

[Footnote 901: Monoyer, p. 30.]

[Footnote 902: Van Elven, v, p. 215.]

[Footnote 903: Boguet, p. 132.]

[Footnote 904: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97, 114-15, 165; Bessie Thom, p. 167. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 905: Goldsmid, p. 10.]

[Footnote 906: _Scottish Antiquary_, ix, pp. 50-2.]

[Footnote 907: Sharpe, pp. 132, 134.]

[Footnote 908: _Surtees Soc._, xl, pp. 191, 193, 194.]

[Footnote 909: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 607, 608, 611. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 910: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 128.]

[Footnote 911: _Surtees Soc._, xl, pp. 192, 194, 197.]

[Footnote 912: Kinloch, p. 129. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 913: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 129, 130.]

[Footnote 914: Kinloch, p. 123.]

APPENDIX I

FAIRIES AND WITCHES

The dwarf race which at one time inhabited Europe has left few concrete remains, but it has survived in innumerable stories of fairies and elves.

Nothing, however, is known of the religious beliefs and cults of these early peoples, except the fact that every seven years they made a human sacrifice to their G.o.d-'And aye at every seven years they pay the teind to h.e.l.l'-and that like the Khonds they stole children from the neighbouring races and brought them up to be the victims.

That there was a strong connexion between witches and fairies has been known to all students of fairy lore. I suggest that the cult of the fairy or primitive race survived until less than three hundred years ago, and that the people who practised it were known as witches. I have already pointed out that many of the witch-beliefs and practices coincide with those of an existing dwarf race, viz. the Lapps. The Devil and the witches entered freely into the fairy mounds, the Devil is often spoken of as a fairy man, and he consorts with the Queen of Elfhame; fairy gold which turns to rubbish is commonly given by the Devil to the witches; and the name Robin is almost a generic name for the Devil, either as a man or as his subst.i.tute the familiar. The other name for the fairy Robin Goodfellow is Puck, which derives through the Gaelic Bouca from the Slavic Bog, which means G.o.d.

The evidence given below shows the close connexion between the fairies and the witches, and shows also the witches' belief in the superiority of the fairies to themselves in the matter of magic and healing powers.

1431. Joan of Arc. Not far from Domremy there is a certain tree that is called the Ladies' Tree [Arbor Dominarum], others call it the Fairies' Tree [Arbor Fatalium, gallice _des Faees_], beside which is a spring [which cured fevers]. It is a great tree, a beech [f.a.gus], from which comes the may [unde venit mayum, gallice _le beau may_]. It belongs to Seigneur Pierre de Bourlemont. Old people, not of her lineage, said that fairy-ladies haunted there [conversabantur]. Had heard her G.o.dmother Jeanne, wife of the Mayor, say she had seen fairy-women there. She herself had never seen fairies at the tree that she knew of. She made garlands at the tree, with other girls, for the image of the Blessed Mary of Domremy.

Sometimes with the other children she hung garlands on the tree, sometimes they left them, sometimes they took them away. She had danced there with the other children, but not since she was grown up. She had sung there more than she had danced. She had heard that it was said 'Jeanne received her mission at the tree of the fairy-ladies'.[915] The saints [Katharine and Margaret] came and spoke to her at the spring beside the Fairies' tree, but she would not say if they came to the tree itself.[916]

Denied having a mandrake, but knew there was one near the Fairies'

tree.[917]

My G.o.dmother, who saw the fairy-ladies, was held as a good woman, not a diviner or a witch.[918]

Refused to say if she believed fairies to be evil spirits.[919]

She did not put chaplets on the Fairies' tree in honour of SS. Katharine and Margaret.[920]

Had never done anything with, or knew anything of, those who came in the air with the fairies [gallice _en l'erre avec les faees_]. Had heard they came on Thursdays, but considered it witchcraft.[921]

4th Article of Accusation. Jeanne was not instructed in her youth in the belief and primitive faith, but was imbued by certain old women in the use of witchcraft, divination, and other superst.i.tious works or magic arts; many inhabitants of those villages have been noted from antiquity for the aforesaid misdeeds. Jeanne herself has said that she had heard from her G.o.dmother, and from many people, of visions and apparitions of Fairies, or Fairy spirits [gallice _faees_]; by others also she has been taught and imbued with wicked and pernicious errors of such spirits, insomuch that in the trial before you she confessed that up to this time she did not know that Fairies were evil spirits. Answer: As to the Fairy-ladies, she did not know what it was. As to instruction she learnt to believe and was well and duly taught to do what a good child should. As to her G.o.dmother she referred to what she had said before.[922]

5th Article. Near the village of Domremy is a certain great, big, and ancient tree called vulgarly The Charmed Fairy-tree of Bourlemont[923]

[l'arbre charmine faee de Bourlemont]; beside the tree is a spring; round these gather, it is said, evil spirits called fairies, with whom those who use witchcraft are accustomed to dance at night, going round the tree and spring. Answer: as to the tree and spring, referred to her previous answers; denied the rest.[924]

6th Article. Jeanne frequented the said tree and spring alone, chiefly at night, sometimes in the day most often at the hour that divine service was celebrated in church, in order to be alone; and dancing went round the spring and tree; afterwards hung many garlands of various herbs and flowers on the branches of the tree, made with her own hands, saying and singing before and after, certain incantations and songs with certain invocations, witchcrafts and other misdeeds; which [garlands] the following morning, were not found. Answer: Referred for part to previous answers, denied the rest.[925]

23rd Article. Her letters showed that she had consulted evil spirits.

Denied ever having done anything by inspiration of evil spirits.[926]

1566. John Walsh, of Netherberry, Dorset. He being demaunded how he knoweth when anye man is bewytched: He sayth that he knew it partlye by the Feries, and saith that ther be .iii. kindes of Feries, white, greene, and black.

Which when he is disposed to vse, hee speaketh with them vpon hyls, where as there is great heapes of earth, as namely in Dorsetshire. And betwene the houres of .xii. and one at noone, or at midnight he vseth them. Whereof (he sayth) the blacke Feries be the woorst.[927]

1576. Bessie Dunlop of Lyne, Ayrshire. Thom Reid apperit in hir awin hous to hir, about the xij hour of the day, quhair thair was sittand thre tailzeouris, and hir awin gudeman; and he tuke hir apperoun and led hir to the dure with him, and sche followit, and zeid [went] vp with him to the kill end, quhair he forbaid hir to speik or feir for onye thing sche hard or saw; and quhene thai had gane ane lytle pece fordwerd, sche saw twelf persounes, aucht wemene and four men: The men wer cled in gentilmennis clething, and the wemene had all plaiddis round about thame, and wer verrie semelie lyke to se; and Thome was with thame: And demandit, Gif sche knew ony of thame? Ansuerit, Nane, except Thom. Demandit, What thai said to hir?

Ansuerit, Thai baid hir sit down, and said, 'Welc.u.m, Bessie, will thow go with ws?' Bot sche ansuerit nocht; becaus Thom had forbidden hir. And forder declarit, That sche knew nocht quhat purpois thai had amangis thaime, onlie sche saw thair lippis move; and within a schort s.p.a.ce thai pairt.i.t all away; and ane hiddeous vglie sowche of wind followit thame: and sche lay seik quhill Thom came agane bak fra thame. [In the margin, 'Confessit and fylit.'] Item, Sche being demandit, Gif sche sperit at Thom quhat persounes thai war? Ansuerit, That thai war the gude wychtis that wynnit in the Court of Elfame; quha come thair to desyre hir to go with thame: And forder, Thom desyrit hir to do the sam; quha ansuerit, 'Sche saw na proffeit to gang thai kynd of gaittis, vnles sche kend quhairfor'. Thom said, 'Seis thow nocht me, baith meit-worth, claith-worth, and gude aneuch lyke in persoun, and [he] suld make hir far better nor euer sche was?' Sche ansuerit, 'That sche duelt with hir awin husband and bairnis, and culd nocht leif thame.' And swa Thom began to be verrie crabit [angry] with hir, and said, 'Gif swa sche thocht, sche wald get lytill gude of him.' ...

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 chyld-bed-lair, with ane of hir laiddis, that ane stout woman com in to hir, and sat doun on the forme besyde hir, and askit ane drink at hir, 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.[928]

1588. Alesoun Peirsoun of Byrehill, Fifeshire. Was conuict for hanting and repairing with the gude nichtbouris and Quene of Elfame, thir diuers ?eiris bypast, as scho had confesst be hir depositiounis, declaring that scho could nocht say reddelie how lang scho wes with thame; and that scho had friendis in that court quhilk wes of hir awin blude, quha had gude acquentance of the Quene of Elphane.... And that scho saw nocht the Quene thir sewin ?eir: And that scho had mony guid friendis in that court, bot wer all away now: And that scho wes sewin ?eir ewill handlit in the Court of Elfane and had kynd freindis thair, bot had na will to visseit thame eftir the end.... In Grange-mure thair come ane man to hir, cled in grene clothis, quha said to hir, Gif scho wald be faithfull, he wald do hir guid.

He gaid away thane, and apperit to hir att ane vthir tyme, ane l.u.s.tie mane, with mony mene and wemen with him: And that scho sanit hir and prayit, and past with thame forder nor scho could tell; and saw with thame pypeing and mirrynes and good scheir.[929]

1589. Beatrix Baonensis, in Lorraine. Etliche geben Spaher, etliche Vogel oder sonst nicht viel besonders, als da sein mochte gemuntzt Geld aus Rindern Ledder, und wenn sie dergleichen nichts haben, so verschafft es ihnen ihr Geist, auf da.s.s sie staffirt seyn.[930]

1593. Another of my neighbours had his wife much troubled, and he went to her [the white witch], and she told him his wife was haunted with a fairie.[931]