Chapter 12

'wes at a meitting in the church yeard of Forfar in the Holfe therof.... Betwixt the oatseid and the bearseid [barleysowing], she wes at ane other meitting at the Pavilione hollis.... This same year, betwixt the oatseid and bearseid, she was at a thrid meiting in the church yeard of Forfar in the holfe thereof, about the same tyme of the night as at the [former] meitings, viz. at midnight.--About the beginning of the last oat seid tyme, Isabell Syrie did cary hir [Jonet Howat] to the Insch within the loch of Forfar, shoe saw at this tyme, about threteen witches with the divill, and they daunced togither.... About four wiekes after the forsaid meiting in the Insch, the said Isabell Syrie caried hir to ane other meiting at Muryknowes.--About three and a halfe yeares since, she [Elspet Alexander] was at a meiting with the divill at Peterden, midway betwixt Forfar and Dondie.... About four wiekes after this mieting at Petterden, shoe was at ane second mieting at the Muryknowes ... shoe was present at ane thrid mieting near Kerymure.'[442]

Isobel Gowdie's evidence is detailed as usual: 'The last tyme that owr Coven met, we, and an vther Coven, wer dauncing at the Hill of Earlseat; and befor that, betwixt Moynes and Bowgholl; and befor that we ves beyond the Meikleburne; and the vther Coven being at the Downie-hillis we went from beyond the Meikle-burne, and went besyd them, to the howssis at the Wood-end of Inshoch.... Befor Candlemas, we went be-east Kinlosse.'[443] The same facts were elicited from the Kinross-shire witches; Robert Wilson 'confessed ye had ane meeting with the Devill at the Stanriegate, bewest the Cruick of Devon ... the Devil appointed them to meet at the Bents of Balruddrie'.--Margaret Huggon confessed 'that ye was at another meeting with Sathan at the Stanriegate, bewest the Cruik of Devon ... lykeways ye confessed ye was at another meeting with Satan at the Heathrie Knowe be-east the Cruik of Devon, where the Gallows stands ... a meeting at the back of Knocktinnie at the Gaitside ... and another at the bents of Newbiggin'.--Janet Brugh 'confessed that ye was at ane meeting at Stanriegate ... ye confessed that about Yule last bypast ye was at ane meeting with Sathan at Turfhills ... lykeways ye confessed that ye was at the Bents of Balruddrie and Gibson's Craig, where Sathan was present at them both'.--Christian Grieve 'freely confessed that ye was at ane meeting with Sathan at the back of Andrew Dowie his house'.[444] The Somerset witches (1664) varied in this respect. Those of Wincanton met in different places: Elizabeth Style 'hath been at several general meetings in the night at High Common, and a Common near _Motcombe_, at a place near _Marnhull_, and at other places'.--Alice Duke 'hath been at several meetings in Lie Common, and other places in the night'. But the Brewham Coven appear to have met commonly at Hussey's Knap in Brewham Forest.[445]

Occasionally a reason is given for the change of site. 'Parfois vn Sabbat finy a vn coin de paroisse, on s'en va le tenir a vne autre, ou le Diable mene les mesmes personnes: mais la, on y en rencontre d'autres'.[446] Sometimes also a sidelight is thrown upon these gatherings, which explains the fact that in many cases the witches said that they did not know all the people present at a given meeting:

'Antoine Tornier, Et Iaquema Paget ont confesse, que comme elles retournoient a certain iour par ensemble de glanner, passans au long du [=p]re de Longchamois, elles apperceurent que l'on y tenoit le Sabbat; Surquoy elles poserent bas leurs fardeaux, & allerent au lieu predict, ou elles firent comme les autres, & puis se retirerent chacune en leurs maisons, apres auoir reprins leurs fardeaux.'[447]

The Salem Witches (1692) met 'upon a plain grassy place, by which was a Cart path and sandy ground in the path, in which were the tracks of Horses feet'.[448]

_Date and Hour._--There was no fixed day or hour for the Esbat, and in this it differed from the Sabbath, which was always at night. The Devil let his followers know the time, either by going to them himself or by sending a message by the officer. The message might be by word of mouth, or by some signal understood by the initiated.

Though there was no fixed day for the Esbat, it seems probable that one day in the week was observed in each locality.

Danaeus, in his general survey of the cult in 1575, says: 'He apointeth where they shall meete, and at what houre of the day, or of the night: wherein they haue no surenes, nor certentie. For these meetinges are not weekely, nor monthly, nor yeerely, but when and how often it shall seeme good to this their maister. And many times himself warneth them to meete, sometimes hee apoynteth others to warne them in his staede. But when he doth it himself, he appeareth vnto them in likenesse of a man.'[449] De Lancre says that in the Basses-Pyrenees 'le lieu ou on le trouue ordinairement s'appelle Lanne de bouc, & en Basque _Aquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron_, & la les Sorciers le vont adorer trois nuicts durant, celle du Lundy, du Mercredy, & du Vendredy.--Les iours ordinaires de la conuocation du Sabbat, ou pour mieux dire les nuicts, sont celles du Mercredy venant au Ieudy, & du Vendredy venant au Samedy.--Catherine de Naguille de la paroisse d'Vstarits, aagee de onze ans, & sa compagne, nous out asseure qu'elles auoi[~e]t este au Sabbat en plein midy.'[450] Jane Bosdeau (1594) 'every Wednesday and Friday met a Rendezvous of aboue Sixty Witches at Puy de dome'.[451] Boguet says that the day of the Sabbath was variable, usually Thursday night;[452] while, according to Bodin, the most frequent was 'entre la nuict du Lundi & Mardi'.[453] Boguet also goes on to say, 'Le Sabbat ne se tient pas tousiours de nuict, ains que les Sorciers y vont aussi quelquefois de iour, selon que firent Antoine Tornier, & Iaquema Paget, & plusieurs autres de leur secte le confessent.'[454] The Lorraine witches also had the same custom:

'Alle zugleich, so viel ihrer bisher in Lotharingen peinlich sind verhoeret worden, bekandten, dass solche Versammlung in keiner andern Nacht, als welche zu nechst vor dem Donnerstag oder Sambstag hergehet, gehalten werden.--Johannes a Villa und Agathina des Schneiders Francisci weib, sagt, eine oder zwey Stunde vor Mitternacht, were die bequemste Zeit darzu, und zwar nicht allein zu diesen Gespensten, sondern auch sonsten zu allerhand Gespensten, Bollergeisten, Irrgeisten, &c. Aber die Stunde nach Mitternacht diene nicht darzu.'[455]

The English and Scotch evidence is to the same effect. The witches 'are likewise reported to have each of them a Spirit or Imp attending on, or assigned to them.... These give the Witches notice to be ready on all Solemn appointments, and meetings, which are ordinarily on Tuesday or Wednesday night'.[456] Janet Breadheid of the Auldearne Coven emphasizes the irregularity of the dates: 'Efter that, we vold still meit euerie ten, twelve, or twantie dayes continwally.'[457] Marie Lamont merely notes that the meetings were at night: 'The devil came to Kattrein Scott's house in the midst of the night.... When she had been at a mietting sine Zowle last, with other witches, in the night, the devill convoyed her home in the dawing.'[458] The Somerset witches had no special night: 'At every meeting before the Spirit vanisheth away, he appoints the next meeting place and time,'[459] and Mary Green went to a meeting 'on Thursday Night before Whitsunday last.'[460] At Paisley the meeting was on Thursday, the 4th of January, 1678, in the night, in John Stuart's house.[461] The Swedish witches were much harder worked: 'whereas formerly one journey a week would serve his turn, from their own Town to the place aforesaid, now they were forced to run to other Towns and places for Children, and that some of them did bring with them some fifteen, some sixteen Children every night.'[462]

The more modern examples suggest that the date became more fixed: 'On croit que c'est toujours un vendredi soir que les sorciers et sorcieres se reunissent.'[463] 'Sorciers et sorcieres vont au _sabbat_ le vendredi, a travers les airs.'[464]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 328: Boguet, pp. 106-7.]

[Footnote 329: Pitcairn, ii, pp. 542-3.]

[Footnote 330: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 331: Id., _L'Incredulite_, p. 808.]

[Footnote 332: Kinloch, pp. 122-3.]

[Footnote 333: Burns Begg, p. 239.]

[Footnote 334: Bourignon, _Vie_, p. 211; Hale, p. 29.]

[Footnote 335: Stewart, p. 174.]

[Footnote 336: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 337: Boguet, p. 104.]

[Footnote 338: Potts, G 4.]

[Footnote 339: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 340: Pitcairn, iii, p. 604.]

[Footnote 341: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 320.]

[Footnote 342: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 178.]

[Footnote 343: Scot, pp. 41, 184. Scot is as usual, extraordinarily inaccurate in his statements. The correct formulae, as given by Wierus, will be found in Appendix V, with notes on the ingredients by Prof. A. J. Clark.]

[Footnote 344: Boguet, p. 96.]

[Footnote 345: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 346: H. G. van Elven, _La Tradition_, 1891, p. 215. Unfortunately neither name nor place are given in the transcription.]

[Footnote 347: Burns Begg, p. 223.]

[Footnote 348: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 139, 141, 148-9, 151.]

[Footnote 349: Scot, Bk. iii, p. 66; Lea, iii, p. 493. I give Scot's translation as being more racily expressed.]

[Footnote 350: J. Bournon, p. 19.]

[Footnote 351: Boguet, p. 96.]

[Footnote 352: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 353: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 354: Bourignon, _Vie_, p. 214; Hale, p. 31.]

[Footnote 355: Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 316, 317, 318, 319, 321.]

[Footnote 356: Kinloch, p. 129.]

[Footnote 357: Surtees Society, xl, pp. 191-2, 194, 197; Denham Tracts, ii, pp. 299-301, 304, 307.]

[Footnote 358: Holinshed, _Ireland_, p. 58.]

[Footnote 359: Chartier, iii, p. 45; Lea, iii, p. 536.]

[Footnote 360: From a trial in the Greffe, Guernsey.]

[Footnote 361: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 362: Boguet, p. 104.]

[Footnote 363: Id., pp. 9, 104.]

[Footnote 364: A marginal note against the word _ramasse_ gives 'autrement balait, & en Lyonnois coiue'.]

[Footnote 365: Boguet, pp. 9, 97, 104.]

[Footnote 366: Cannaert, p. 49.]

[Footnote 367: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 604, 608, 613.]

[Footnote 368: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 194.]

[Footnote 369: Howell, vi, 660; J. Hutchinson, _Hist. of Massachusetts Bay_, p. 31.]

[Footnote 370: Cotton Mather, p. 158; Burr, p. 244. _See also_ J. Hutchinson, ii, pp. 35-6.]

[Footnote 371: Burr, p. 418.]

[Footnote 372: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 65.]

[Footnote 373: Id. ib., p. 72.]

[Footnote 374: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 181.]

[Footnote 375: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 376: Bodin, p. 187.]

[Footnote 377: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97-8, 114, 149, 153, 165, 167.]

[Footnote 378: Whitaker, p. 216; Baines, i, p. 607 note, where the name is given as _Hartford_. The importance of the stone in the Sabbath ceremonies is very marked in the account of a meeting in Northumberland (1673). Ann Armstrong declared that 'she and the rest had drawne their compasse nigh to a bridg end, and the devil placed a stone in the middle of the compasse, they sett themselves downe, and bending towards the stone, repeated the Lord's prayer backwards'. Denham Tracts, ii, p. 307; Surtees Soc., xl, p. 197.]

[Footnote 379: Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 321, 324.]

[Footnote 380: Mather, p. 131.]

[Footnote 381: Harou, _La Tradition_, vi (1892), p. 367.]

[Footnote 382: Monseur, pp. 2, 88.]

[Footnote 383: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 64.]

[Footnote 384: Id. ib., p. 123.]

[Footnote 385: Kinloch, p. 133.]

[Footnote 386: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 245. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 387: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97-8.]

[Footnote 388: Ib., i, Christen Michell, p. 165; Bessie Thom, p. 167.]

[Footnote 389: Ib., i, Issobell Richie, p. 142; Margrat Og, p. 144; Helene Rogie, p. 147; Jonet Lucas, p. 149; Jonet Dauidsone, p. 150; Issobell Oige, p. 152; Beatrice Robbie, p. 153.]

[Footnote 390: Pitcairn, ii, p. 478.]

[Footnote 391: Baines, i, p. 607 note.]

[Footnote 392: Pitcairn, iii, p. 606.]

[Footnote 393: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 398.]

[Footnote 394: F. Hutchinson, _Historical Essay_, p. 42.]

[Footnote 395: Boguet, p. 125.]

[Footnote 396: Chetham Society, vi, p. lxxiii; Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 397: Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.]

[Footnote 398: Burns Begg, pp. 219, 226, 237.]

[Footnote 399: J. Hutchinson, _History of Massachusetts Bay_, ii, p. 17; Taylor, p. 98.]

[Footnote 400: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 154.]

[Footnote 401: Bournon, p. 23.]

[Footnote 402: Remigius, pt. i, p. 72.]

[Footnote 403: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239.]

[Footnote 404: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97, 114, 165, 167.]

[Footnote 405: Boguet, pp. 119, 125.]

[Footnote 406: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 165, 167.]

[Footnote 407: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 408: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 163.]

[Footnote 409: From the record in the Justiciary Court of Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 410: Arnot, p. 358.]

[Footnote 411: Id., p. 358.]

[Footnote 412: Kinloch, pp. 120, 121.]

[Footnote 413: Id., p. 122.]

[Footnote 414: Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.]

[Footnote 415: Sharpe, pp. 131, 134.]

[Footnote 416: _Scots Magazine_, 1814, p. 200.]

[Footnote 417: Remigius, pt. i, p. 91.]

[Footnote 418: Pitcairn, iii, p. 603; see below, p. 171.]

[Footnote 419: Id., i, pt. ii, pp. 210-11, 217, 239.]

[Footnote 420: Id., ii, pp. 542-3.]

[Footnote 421: Potts, C 3, G 3, I 2, I 3.]

[Footnote 422: From the trial of 'Alexr Hamiltoun, warlok', in the Justiciary Court, Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 423: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 424: Kinloch, p. 122.]

[Footnote 425: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 609, 613.]

[Footnote 426: Sharpe, pp. 132-4.]

[Footnote 427: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 137-8, 164.]

[Footnote 428: Id., pt. ii, p. 294.]

[Footnote 429: _Scots Magazine_, 1814, p. 201.]

[Footnote 430: Mather, p. 125.]

[Footnote 431: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 135.]

[Footnote 432: Kinloch, pp. 122, 133.]

[Footnote 433: Burns Begg, p. 224.]

[Footnote 434: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 323.]

[Footnote 435: The full name is Aquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron.]

[Footnote 436: De Lancre, Tableau, pp. 64-5.]

[Footnote 437: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 438: _Rehearsall_, p. 7.]

[Footnote 439: _Boguet_, pp. 126-7.]

[Footnote 440: F. Hutchinson, _Historical Essay_, p. 43.]

[Footnote 441: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 321.]

[Footnote 442: Kinloch, pp. 120 seq.]

[Footnote 443: Pitcairn, iii, p. 603.]

[Footnote 444: Burns Begg, pp. 226 seq.]

[Footnote 445: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 140, 148, 156, 161.]

[Footnote 446: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 64.]

[Footnote 447: Boguet, p. 102.]

[Footnote 448: Burr, p. 418.]

[Footnote 449: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 450: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 62, 398.]

[Footnote 451: F. Hutchinson, p. 43.]

[Footnote 452: Boguet, p. 124.]

[Footnote 453: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 182.]

[Footnote 454: Boguet, p. 123.]

[Footnote 455: Remigius, pp. 71, 72.]

[Footnote 456: _Pleasant Treatise_, p. 4.]

[Footnote 457: Pitcairn, iii, p. 617.]

[Footnote 458: Sharpe, pp. 131, 133.]

[Footnote 459: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 139.]

[Footnote 460: Id., pt. ii, p. 164.]

[Footnote 461: Id., pt. ii, pp. 293, 297.]

[Footnote 462: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 318.]

[Footnote 463: Monseur, p. 87.]

[Footnote 464: Lemoine, _La Tradition_, 1892, vi, p. 106.]

V. THE RITES

1. _General_

The exact order of the ceremonies is never given and probably varied in different localities, but the general rule of the ritual at the Sabbath seems to have been that proceedings began by the worshippers paying homage to the Devil, who sat or stood in a convenient place. The homage consisted in renewing the vows of fidelity and obedience, in kissing the Devil on any part of his person that he chose to indicate, and sometimes in turning a certain number of times widdershins. Then followed the reports of all magic worked since the previous Sabbath, either by individuals or at the Esbats, and at the same time the witches consulted the Master as to their cases and received instructions from him how to proceed; after which came admissions to the society or marriages of the members. This ended the business part of the meeting. Immediately after all the business was transacted, the religious service was celebrated, the ceremonial of which varied according to the season of the year; and it was followed by the 'obscene' fertility rites. The whole ceremony ended with feasting and dancing, and the assembly broke up at dawn.

This was apparently the usual course of the ritual of the Sabbath; the Esbat had less ceremonial, and the religious service was not performed. The Devil himself often went round and collected the congregation; and, not being in his 'grand arroy', he appeared as a man in ordinary dress. Instead of the religious service with the adoration of the god, the witches worked the spells and charms with which they bewitched or unbewitched their enemies and friends, or they exercised new methods which they learnt from their Master, or received instructions how to practise the arts of healing and secret poisoning, of causing and blasting fertility.

There are a few general accounts of the usual course of the Sabbath ritual. Danaeus (1575) does not distinguish clearly between the two classes of meetings, but at the same time he seems to have realized that a certain order was followed:

'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: wherefore they meete togither in certen apointed places.... Wh[~e] they meete together he appeareth visibly vnto them in sundrie fourmes, as the head and chiefe of that congregation.... Then doe they all repeate the othe which they haue geuen vnto him, in acknowledging him to be their God, th[~e] fal they to dauncing.... Whiche beeing all finished, then he demaundeth agayne of them what they woulde require of him.... Vnto some he geueth poysons ready made, and others he teacheth howe to make and mingle new.... Finally, if in any thing they neede his presence and helpe, by couenant he promiseth to be present with them.'[465]

Boguet (1589) is more exact, as he obtained his knowledge at first hand:

'Les Sorciers estans assemblez en leur Synagogue adorent premierement Satan ... ils luy offrent des chandelles, & le baisent aux parties honteuses de derriere. Quelquefois encor il tient vne image noire, qu'il faut baiser aux Sorciers.... Les Sorciers en second lieu dansent.... Les danses finies, les Sorciers viennent a s'accoupler.... Les Sorciers, apres s'estre veautrez parmy les plaisirs immondes de la chair, banquettent & se festoient.... Les Sorciers rendent conte a Satan de ce qu'ils ont fait des la derniere assemblee.... Il fait renoncer de nouueau a ces miserables, Dieu, Chresme, & Baptesme. Il leur fait rafraischir le serment solennel qu'ils ont fait.'[466]

The English account is put together from foreign sources to a great extent:

'They are carryed out of the house, either by the Window, Door, or Chimney, mounted on their Imps.... Thus brought to the designed place, they find a great number of others arrived there by the same means: who, before Lucifer takes his place in his throne as King, do make their accustomed homage, Adoring, and Proclaiming him their Lord, and rendring him all Honour. This Solemnity being finished, they sit to Table where no delicate meats are wanting.... At the sound of many pleasant Instruments the table is taken away, and the pleasant consort invites them to a Ball.... At the last, the lights are put out. The Incubus's in the shapes of proper men satisfy the desires of the Witches, and the Succubus's serve for whores to the Wizards. At last before Aurora brings back the day, each one mounts on his spirit, and so returns to his respective dwelling place.... Sometimes at their solemn assemblies, the Devil commands, that each tell what wickedness he hath committed.... When the assembly is ready to break up, and the Devil to dispatch them, he publisheth this law with a loud voice, _Revenge your selves or else you shall dye_, then each one kissing the Posteriors of the Devil returns upon their aiery Vehicles to their habitations.'[467]

2. _Homage_

In some places the witches saluted their Chief by falling on their knees, and also by certain manual gestures; in other places by curtsies and obeisances. In Scotland, France, and Belgium, another rite was also in vogue, that of kissing the Devil on any part of his person that he might direct. At Como and Brescia the witches, 'when they paid reverence to the presiding demon, bent themselves backwards, lifting a foot in the air forwards.'[468]

Remigius, writing of the Lorraine witches in 1589, says:

'Es erzehlte die Beatrix Bayona dass einer unter ihnen allen der Oberster wer, welcher in einer Zell auff einem hohen Stuhl saesse, sehr ernsthafftig und praechtig heraus, zu demselbigen trete je einer nach dem andern, mit Furcht und Zittern, falle ihm zum Zeichen seiner Ehrerbietung fuer die Fuesse, und umbfange ihn mit aller Demuth und Reverentz.--Erstlich fallen sie nieder auff ihre Knie; darnach legen sie die Haende ausswendig zusammen, als diejenigen pflegen zu thun, welche obtestiren, jedoch auff dem Ruecken und verkehrter Weise, sie haben den Ruecken zu ihm gewandt, bleiben so lang kniend, biss er selbsten zu ihnen sagt, dass es genugsam sey.'[469]

In Somerset (1664) the witches always mention the salutation:

'At their first meeting the Man in black bids them welcome, and they all make low obeysance to him.--[Elizabeth Style, Alice Duke, Anne Bishop, Mary Penny] met about nine of the Clock in the Night, in the Common near _Trister_ Gate, where they met a Man in black Clothes with a little Band, to whom they did Courtesie and due observance.--Mary Green [went with others to] Hussey's Knap in the Forrest in the Night time, where met them the Fiend in the shape of a little Man in black Clothes with a little band, to him all made obeysances.... On Thursday Night before Whitsunday last [she met several others] and being met they called out _Robin_. Upon which instantly appeared a little Man in black Clothes to whom all made obeysance, and the little Man put his hand to his Hat, saying, How do ye? speaking _low_ but _big_. Then all made low obeysances to him again.'[470]

As late as the eighteenth century there is a similar account.[471]

Danaeus (1575) and Cooper (1617) are the only writers who mention the kiss in their general accounts of the ceremonies. The former says: 'Then biddeth he th[~e] that they fall down & worship him, after what maner and gesture of body he pleaseth, and best liketh of. Thus some of them falle downe at his knees, some offre vnto him black burning cadles, other kisse him in some part of his body where he appeareth visibly.'[472] Cooper mentions it as part of the admission ceremony: 'Secondly, when this acknowledgement is made, in testimoniall of this subiection, Satan offers his back-parts to be kissed of his vassall.'[473]