Chapter 24

In many cases it is very certain that the transformation was ritual and not actual; that is to say the witches did not attempt to change their actual forms but called themselves cats, hares, or other animals. In the Aberdeen trials of 1596-7 the accused are stated to have 'come to the Fish Cross of this burgh, under the conduct of Sathan, ye all danced about the Fish Cross and about the Meal market a long space'. Here there is no suggestion of any change of form, yet in the accusation against Bessie Thom, who was tried for the same offence, the dittay states that 'there, accompanied with thy devilish companions and faction, transformed in other likeness, some in hares, some in cats, and some in other similitudes, ye all danced about the Fish Cross'.[904] In 1617 in Guernsey Marie Becquet said that 'every time that she went to the Sabbath, the Devil came to her, and it seemed as though he transformed her into a female dog'.[905] Again at Alloa in 1658, Margret Duchall, describing the murder of Cowdan's bairns, said 'after they war turned all in the liknes of cattis, they went in ouer Jean Lindsayis zaird Dyk and went to Coudans hous, whair scho declared, that the Dewill being with tham went up the stair first with margret tailzeor Besse Paton and elspit blak'. On the other hand, Jonet Blak and Kathren Renny, who were also present and described the same scene, said nothing about the cat-form, though they particularize the clothes of the other witches. Jonet Blak said, 'the diwell, margret tailzeor with ane long rok, and kathren renny with the short rok and the bony las with the blak pok all went up the stair togidder'; while Kathren Renny said that 'ther was ane bony las with ane blak pok, who went befor ower Jean Lindsayis zaird dyk and Margret tailzeor with hir'.[906] The evidence of Marie Lamont (1662) suggests the same idea of a ritual, though not an actual, change; 'shee confessed, that shee, Kettie Scot, and Margrat Holm, cam to Allan Orr's house in the likenesse of kats, and followed his wif into the chalmer'; and on another occasion 'the devil turned them in likeness of kats, by shaking his hands above their heads'.[907] In Northumberland (1673) the same fact appears to underlie the evidence. Ann Armstrong declared that at a witch meeting Ann Baites 'hath been severall times in the shape of a catt and a hare, and in the shape of a greyhound and a bee, letting the divell see how many shapes she could turn herself into.--They [the witches] stood all upon a bare spott of ground, and bid this informer sing whilst they danced in severall shapes, first of a haire, then in their owne, and then in a catt, sometimes in a mouse, and in severall other shapes.--She see all the said persons beforemencioned danceing, some in the likenesse of haires, some in the likenesse of catts, others in the likenesse of bees, and some in their owne likenesse.'[908]

The method of making the ritual change by means of magical words is recorded in the Auldearne trials, where Isobel Gowdie, whose evidence was purely voluntary, gives the actual words both for the change into an animal and for the reversion into human form. To become a hare:

'I sall goe intill ane haire, With sorrow, and sych, and meikle caire, And I sall goe in the Divellis nam, Ay whill I com hom againe.'

To become a cat or a crow the same verse was used with an alteration of the second line so as to force a rhyme; instead of 'meikle caire', the words were 'a blak shot' for a cat, and 'a blak thraw' for a crow or craw. To revert again to the human form the words were:

'Hare, hare, God send thee care. I am in an hare's likeness just now, But I shall be in a woman's likeness even now',

with the same variation of 'a black shot' or 'a black thraw' for a cat or a crow. The Auldearne witches were also able to turn one another into animals:

'If we, in the shape of an cat, an crow, an hare, or any other likeness, &c., go to any of our neighbours houses, being Witches, we will say, I (or we) conjure thee Go with us (or me). And presently they become as we are, either cats, hares, crows, &c., and go with us whither we would. When one of us or more are in the shape of cats, and meet with any others our neighbours, we will say, Devil speed thee, Go thou with me. And immediately they will turn in the shape of a cat, and go with us.'[909]

The very simplicity of the method shows that the transformation was ritual; the witch announced to her fellow that she herself was an animal, a fact which the second witch would not have known otherwise; the second witch at once became a similar animal and went with the first to perform the ritual acts which were to follow. The witches were in their own estimation and in the belief of all their comrades, to whom they communicated the fact, actually animals, though to the uninitiated eye their natural forms remained unchanged. This is probably the explanation of Marie d'Aspilcouette's evidence, which de Lancre records in 1609:

'Elle a veu aussi les sorcieres insignes se changer en plusieurs sortes de bestes, pour faire peur a ceux qu'elles rencontroient: Mais celles qui se transformoyent ainsi, disoyent qu'elles n'estoyent veritablement transformees, mais seulement qu'elles sembloyent l'estre & neantmoins pendant qu'elles sont ainsi en apparences bestes, elles ne parlent du tout point'.[910]

The best example of transformation by means of a magical object placed on the person is from Northumberland (1673), where Ann Armstrong stated that 'Anne Forster come with a bridle, and bridled her and ridd upon her crosse-leggd, till they come to [the] rest of her companions. And when she light of her back, pulld the bridle of this informer's head, now in the likenesse of a horse; but, when the bridle was taken of, she stood up in her owne shape.... This informant was ridden upon by an inchanted bridle by Michael Aynsly and Margaret his wife, Which inchanted bridle, when they tooke it of from her head, she stood upp in her owne proper person.... Jane Baites of Corbridge come in the forme of a gray catt with a bridle hanging on her foote, and bridled her, and rid upon her in the name of the devill.'[911] This is again a clear account of the witch herself and her companions believing in the change of form caused by the magical object in exactly the same way that the shamans believe in their own transformation by similar means.

The Devil had naturally the same power as the witches, but in a greater degree. The evidence of Marie Lamont quoted above shows that he transformed them into animals by a gesture only. It seems possible that this was also the case with Isobel Shyrie at Forfar (1661), who was called 'Horse' and 'the Devil's horse'. The name seems to have given rise to the idea that 'she was shod like a mare or a horse'; she was in fact the officer or messenger who brought her companions to the meetings. She was never seen in the form of a horse, her transformation being probably effected by the Devil, in order that she might 'carry' the witches to and from the meetings; Agnes Spark said that Isobel 'carried her away to Littlemiln, [and] carried her back again to her own house'.[912]

There is also another method of transformation, which is the simplest. The witches themselves, like their contemporaries, often believed that the actual animals, which they saw, were human beings in animal form. Jeannette de Belloc, aged twenty-four, in the Basses-Pyrenees (1609), described the Sabbath as 'vne foire celebre de toutes sortes de choses, en laquelle aucuns se promen[~e]t en leur propre forme, & d'autres sont transformez ne scayt pourquoy, en animaux. Elle n'a iamais veu aucune d'elles se trasformer en beste en sa presence, mais seulement certaines bestes courir par le sabbat.'[913] Helen Guthrie of Forfar (1661) states the case with even greater simplicity: 'The last summer except one, shee did sie John Tailzeour somtymes in the shape of a todde, and somtymes in the shape of a swyn, and that the said Johne Tailzeour in these shapes went wp and doune among William Millne, miller at Hetherstakes, his cornes for the destructioune of the same, because the said William hade taken the mylne ouer his head; and that the diuell cam to her and pointed out Johne Tailzeour in the forsaid shapes unto her, and told her that that wes Johne Tailzeour.'[914]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 831: Forbes, ii, p. 33.]

[Footnote 832: _Examination of John Walsh._]

[Footnote 833: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 236.]

[Footnote 834: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 157-60.]

[Footnote 835: _Alse Gooderidge_, p. 27.]

[Footnote 836: From an unpublished trial in the Justiciary Court at Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 837: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 136, 137, 152.]

[Footnote 838: Sharpe, p. 191.]

[Footnote 839: Forbes, ii, pp. 33.]

[Footnote 840: F. Hutchinson, _Hist. Essay_, p. 77.]

[Footnote 841: Giffard, p. 18.]

[Footnote 842: _Witches at Chelmsford_, pp. 24-32; Philobiblon Soc., viii.]

[Footnote 843: _Rehearsall_, par. 2-5.]

[Footnote 844: Also called Tissey. Compare the name of the magic cat given to Frances More by Goodwife Weed, p. 219.]

[Footnote 845: In Ales Hunt's own confession (q. v.) the animals in question are called _colts_. I would suggest that this is _cotes_, the well-known provincialism for _cats_; but the recorder understood the word as _colts_ and further improved it into _horses_.]

[Footnote 846: _Witches taken at St. Oses_, A 3, A 5, C 3 and 4, B 2, B 5 and C 1, B 3.]

[Footnote 847: Giffard, pp. 19, 27, 39.]

[Footnote 848: Potts, B 3.]

[Footnote 849: Fairfax, pp. 32, 33, 34, 79, 82.]

[Footnote 850: _Wonderfull Discouerie of Elisabeth Sawyer._]

[Footnote 851: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 852: Howell, iv, 834 et seq.]

[Footnote 853: Davenport, pp. 1-12.]

[Footnote 854: Gibbons, p. 113.]

[Footnote 855: Gerish, _The Divel's Delusions_, p. 12.]

[Footnote 856: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 151, 157.]

[Footnote 857: Petto, p. 18.]

[Footnote 858: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, pp. 801, 803.]

[Footnote 859: La Martiniere, pp. 42-3 (ed. 1671).]

[Footnote 860: Imp = A slip, sapling, scion; hence applied to persons with the meaning child, lad, boy.]

[Footnote 861: _Lawes against Witches_, p 7.]

[Footnote 862: Howell, iv, 855.]

[Footnote 863: Davenport, p. 12.]

[Footnote 864: Id., p. 1.]

[Footnote 865: _Witches at Chelmsford_, pp. 20, 29.]

[Footnote 866: _Examination of John Walsh._ His master was Sir Robert Draiton.]

[Footnote 867: Giffard, p. C., see _Percy Soc._, viii.]

[Footnote 868: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 803.]

[Footnote 869: Howell, iv, 834, 836.]

[Footnote 870: Davenport, p. 5.]

[Footnote 871: _Witches at Chelmsford_, p. 24. Philobiblon Soc., viii.]

[Footnote 872: _Witches taken at St. Oses_, p. C 4.]

[Footnote 873: _Alse Gooderidge_, pp. 26, 27.]

[Footnote 874: Howell, iv, 845, 853, 856.]

[Footnote 875: _Moore Rental_, Chetham Society, xii, p. 59.]

[Footnote 876: Scheffer, quoting Tornaeus.]

[Footnote 877: Davies, p. 231. For a similar practice in modern England, see _Transactions of the Devonshire Association_, vi (1874), p. 201.]

[Footnote 878: _Witches at Chelmsford_, p. 34. Philobiblon Soc., viii.]

[Footnote 879: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 129.]

[Footnote 880: Potts, H 3.]

[Footnote 881: Goodcole, _Wonderfull Discoverie_, p. C.]

[Footnote 882: J. Hutchinson, ii, p. 31; Howell, vi, 659.]

[Footnote 883: 'Nos sorciers tiennent la plus-part de ces Demons pour leurs Dieux,' De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 23.]

[Footnote 884: Moret, pp. 247 seq.]

[Footnote 885: Camden Soc., _Dame Alice Kyteler_, p. 3]

[Footnote 886: Boguet, pp. 69, 132.]

[Footnote 887: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 67, 197.]

[Footnote 888: _Wonderfull Discoverie of Margaret and Phillip Flower_, E 3.]

[Footnote 889: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 890: Gerish, _The Divel's Delusions_, p. 12.]

[Footnote 891: Pitcairn notes: 'Issobell, as usual, appears to have been stopped short here by her interrogators, when she touched on such matters', i.e. the fairies.]

[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 god--'And aye at every seven years they pay the teind to hell'--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 substitute the familiar. The other name for the fairy Robin Goodfellow is Puck, which derives through the Gaelic Bouca from the Slavic Bog, which means God.

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 [fagus], 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 godmother 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 godmother, 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 superstitious 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 godmother, 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 godmother 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, 'Welcum, 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 space thai pairtit 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 [3]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 [3]eir: And that scho had mony guid friendis in that court, bot wer all away now: And that scho wes sewin [3]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 lustie 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 Spaeher, etliche Voegel oder sonst nicht viel besonders, als da sein moechte gemuentzt Geld aus Rindern Ledder, und wenn sie dergleichen nichts haben, so verschafft es ihnen ihr Geist, auf dass 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]

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]