Chapter 7

[Footnote 100: Fountainhall, i, p. 14.]

[Footnote 101: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 316.]

[Footnote 102: Taylor, pp. 81, 118.]

[Footnote 103: Green, pp. 9, 14.]

[Footnote 104: Howell, vi, 660, 664; J. Hutchinson, ii, pp. 31, 37.]

[Footnote 105: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 51.]

[Footnote 106: Melville, p. 395.]

[Footnote 107: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 246. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 108: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 127.]

[Footnote 109: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 68.]

[Footnote 110: _Scottish Antiquary_, ix, pp. 50, 51.]

[Footnote 111: Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.]

[Footnote 112: Burns Begg, pp. 221, 223, 234, 235, 239.]

[Footnote 113: Taylor, p. 81.]

[Footnote 114: Cannaert, p. 60.]

[Footnote 115: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 164.]

[Footnote 116: Chambers, iii, p. 298.]

[Footnote 117: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 316.]

[Footnote 118: Sinclair, p. lxxxix.]

[Footnote 119: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 56.]

[Footnote 120: Id., i, pt. ii, p. 163.]

[Footnote 121: _Spalding Club Misc._, pp. 119-21.]

[Footnote 122: Id., i, p. 171.]

[Footnote 123: Pitcairn, ii, p. 478.]

[Footnote 124: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 36.]

[Footnote 125: Id., _Tableau_, p. 401.]

[Footnote 126: Potts, B 4.]

[Footnote 127: _Wonderful Discovery of Margaret and Phillip Flower_, p. 117.]

[Footnote 128: Sinclair, p. 160.]

[Footnote 129: Kinloch, p. 144.]

[Footnote 130: Law, p. 27 note.]

[Footnote 131: Cotton Mather, p. 159.]

[Footnote 132: _Rehearsall both straung and true_, par. 24.]

[Footnote 133: _Calendar of State Papers._ Domestic, 1584, p. 220.]

[Footnote 134: Stearne, p. 45.]

[Footnote 135: Gerish, _The Divel's Delusions_, p. 11.]

[Footnote 136: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, pp. 161-4.]

[Footnote 137: Id., ii, pp. 26-7.]

[Footnote 138: Hibbert, p. 578.]

[Footnote 139: Sinclair, p. 48.]

[Footnote 140: From the record in the Justiciary Office, Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 141: Chambers, iii, p. 299.]

[Footnote 142: Ravaisson, 1679, pp. 334-6.]

[Footnote 143: Mather, pp. 120, 125; J. Hutchinson, _History_, ii, pp. 37 seq.]

[Footnote 144: Boguet, p. 125.]

[Footnote 145: _Lawes against Witches and Conivration_, p. 7.]

[Footnote 146: Wilson, ii, p. 158.]

[Footnote 147: The trials are published by Pitcairn, i, pt. ii.]

[Footnote 148: There were present on this occasion thirty-nine persons, or three Covens. See chap. vii on the Organization.]

[Footnote 149: _Bannatyne Club_, Melville, _Memoirs_, p. 395. The sycophantic Melville adds; 'And certanly he is a man of God, and dois na wrang wittingly, bot is inclynit to all godlynes, justice and virtu; therfore God hes preserued him in the midis of many dangers.']

[Footnote 150: _Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot._, No. 565, Feb. 7, 1550/1.]

[Footnote 151: _Newes from Scotland._ Quoted in Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, pp. 213-23.]

[Footnote 152: It is perhaps significant that the confession of John Fian, and the trials of both Barbara Napier and of Bothwell himself for witchcraft, have disappeared from the Justiciary Records.]

[Footnote 153: Burton, v, p. 283.]

[Footnote 154: Sandys, p. 250.]

[Footnote 155: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 176, 177.]

[Footnote 156: Quibell, pl. xxviii. The palette itself is now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.]

[Footnote 157: Remigius, pt. i, p. 38.]

[Footnote 158: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 246. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 159: Melville, p. 395.]

[Footnote 160: Boguet, p. 56.]

[Footnote 161: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 68, 73, 126.]

[Footnote 162: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 225, 398.]

[Footnote 163: Id., _L'Incredulite_, pp. 799-801.]

[Footnote 164: Stearne, p. 13.]

[Footnote 165: Id., p. 22.]

[Footnote 166: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 164.]

[Footnote 167: Petto, p. 18.]

[Footnote 168: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 294-5.]

[Footnote 169: Cannaert, p. 54.]

[Footnote 170: Melville, _Memoirs_, p. 395.]

[Footnote 171: Boguet, pp. 53-4.]

[Footnote 172: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 173: Howell, iv, 842.]

[Footnote 174: More, pp. 196-7.]

[Footnote 175: Kinloch, pp. 115, 129, 132.]

[Footnote 176: Burns Begg, pp. 219, 221, 228, 230.]

[Footnote 177: Pitcairn, iii, p. 603.]

[Footnote 178: Chambers, iii, 298.]

[Footnote 179: Fountainhall, i, p. 14.]

[Footnote 180: _Narrative of the Sufferings of a Young Girle_, p. xli; _Sadd. Debell._, p. 40.]

[Footnote 181: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 769.]

[Footnote 182: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 129.]

[Footnote 183: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 794.]

[Footnote 184: Id., _Tableau_, p. 68.]

[Footnote 185: Bourignon, _Parole_, p. 87; Hale, p. 26.]

[Footnote 186: Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.]

[Footnote 187: From a trial in the Guernsey Greffe.]

[Footnote 188: Boguet, pp. 8, 70, 411.]

[Footnote 189: _La Tradition_, v (1891), p. 215.]

[Footnote 190: Howell, viii, 1034, 1036.]

[Footnote 191: Pinkerton, i, p. 473.]

[Footnote 192: _Witches of Chelmsford_, p. 34; Philobiblon Soc., viii.]

[Footnote 193: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 805.]

[Footnote 194: Goldsmid, p. 12.]

[Footnote 195: Sinclair, p. 163.]

[Footnote 196: _Scottish Antiquary_, ix, 51.]

[Footnote 197: Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.]

[Footnote 198: Sharpe, p. 132.]

[Footnote 199: _Scots Magazine_, 1814, p. 201. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 200: Stewart, p. 175. The whole account is marred by the would-be comic style adopted by the author.]

[Footnote 201: Pinkerton, i, p. 473.]

[Footnote 202: Bodin, p. 187.]

[Footnote 203: Michaelis, _Discourse_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 204: Remigius, pt. i, p. 90.]

[Footnote 205: F. Hutchinson, _Historical Essay_, p. 42.]

[Footnote 206: Boguet, p. 141.]

[Footnote 207: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 67, 68, 69, 126.]

[Footnote 208: Id., _L'Incredulite_, p. 800.]

[Footnote 209: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 125. Cp. Elworthy on the Hobby-horse as the Devil, _Horns of Honour_, p. 140.]

[Footnote 210: _Rehearsall both Straung and True_, par. 24.]

[Footnote 211: Kinloch, pp. 122-3.]

[Footnote 212: Howell, vi, 663-4; J. Hutchinson, ii, pp. 36-7.]

[Footnote 213: Chartier, iii, 44-5.]

[Footnote 214: Boguet, p. 70.]

[Footnote 215: De Lancre, _L'Incredulite_, p. 800.]

[Footnote 216: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, p. 121.]

[Footnote 217: Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.]

[Footnote 218: Taylor, p. 98.]

[Footnote 219: Remigius, p. 98.]

[Footnote 220: Potts, E 3.]

III. ADMISSION CEREMONIES

1. _General_

In the ceremonies for admission, as in all the other ceremonies of the cult, the essentials are the same in every community and country, though the details differ. The two points which are the essence of the ceremony are invariable: the first, that the candidates must join of their own free will and without compulsion; the second, that they devote themselves, body and soul, to the Master and his service.

The ceremonies of admission differed also according to whether the candidate were a child or an adult. The most complete record of the admission of children comes from the Basses-Pyrenees in 1609:

'Les Sorcieres luy offr[~e]t des petits enfans le genoueil en terre, lui disant auec vne soubmission, _Grand seigneur, lequel i'adore, ie vous ameine ce nouueau seruiteur, lequel veut estre perpetuellement vostre esclaue_: Et le Diable en signe de remerciement & gratification leur respond, _Approchez vous de moy_: a quoy obeissant, elles en se trainant a genouil, le luy presentent, & luy receuant l'enfant entre ses bras, le rend a la Sorciere, la remercie, & puis luy recommande d'en auoir soing, leur disant par ce moyen sa troupe s'augmentera. Que si les enfans ayans attainct l'aage de neuf ans, par malheur se voueent au Diable sans estre forcez ny violentez d'aucun Sorcier, ils se prosternent par terre deuant Satan: lequel iettant du feu par les yeux, leur dit, Que demandez vous, voulez vous estre a moy? ils respondent qu'ouy, il leur dict, Venez vous de vostre bonne volonte? ils respondent qu'ouy, Faictes donc ce que ie veux, & ce que ie fay. Et alors la grande maistresse & Royne du Sabbat qui leur sert de pedagogue, dict a ce nouueau qui se presente, qu'il die a haute voix, _Ie renie Dieu premierement, puis Iesus Christ son Fils, le S. Esprit, la vierge, les Saincts, la Saincte Croix, le Chresme, le Baptesme, & la Foy que ie tiens, mes Parrain & Marraine, & me remets de tout poinct en ton pouuoir & entre tes mains, ne recognois autre Dieu: si bien que tu es mon Dieu & ie suis ton esclaue_. Apres on luy baille vn crapaud habille auec son capot ou manteau, puis il commande qu'on l'adore; si bien qu'obeyssans & estants mis a genouil, ils baisent le Diable aupres de l'[oe]il gauche, a la poitrine, a la fesse, a la cuisse, & aux parties honteuses, puis leuant la queue ils luy baisent le derriere.'[221]

The novice was then marked by a scratch from a sharp instrument, but was not admitted to the 'high mysteries' till about the age of twenty.[222] As no further ceremonies are mentioned, it may be concluded that the initiation into these mysteries was performed by degrees and without any special rites.

At Lille, about the middle of the seventeenth century, Madame Bourignon founded a home for girls of the lowest classes, 'pauvres et mal-originees, la plus part si ignorantes au fait de leur salut qu'elles vivoient comme des betes'.[223] After a few years, in 1661, she discovered that thirty-two of these girls were worshippers of the Devil, and in the habit of going to the Witches' Sabbaths. They 'had all contracted this Mischief before they came into the House'.[224] One of these girls named Bellot, aged fifteen, said 'that her Mother had taken her with her when she was very Young, and had even carried her in her Arms to the Witches Sabbaths'.[225] Another girl of twelve had been in the habit of going to the Sabbath since she also was 'very Young'. As the girls seem to have been genuinely fond of Madame Bourignon, she obtained a considerable amount of information from them. They told her that all worshippers of the Devil 'are constrained to offer him their Children. When a child thus offered to the Devil by its Parents, comes to the use of Reason, the Devil then demands its Soul, and makes it deny God and renounce Baptism, and all relating to the Faith, promising Homage and Fealty to the Devil in manner of a Marriage, and instead of a Ring, the Devil gives them a Mark with an iron awl [aleine de fer] in some part of the Body.'[226]

It is also clear that Marguerite Montvoisin[227] in Paris had been instructed in witchcraft from an early age; but as the trial in which she figures was for the attempted poisoning of the king and not for witchcraft, no ceremonies of initiation or admission are recorded.

In Great Britain the ceremonies for the reception of children are not given in any detail, though it was generally acknowledged that the witches dedicated their children to the Devil as soon as born; and from the evidence it appears that in many cases the witches had belonged to that religion all their lives. It was sometimes sufficient evidence against a woman that her mother had been a witch,[228] as it presupposed that she had been brought up as a worshipper of the Devil.

The Anderson children in Renfrewshire were all admitted to the society at an early age.[229] Elizabeth Anderson was only seven when she was first asked to swear fealty to the 'black grim Man.' James Lindsay was under fourteen, and his little brother Thomas was still 'below pupillarity' at the time of the trial, where he declared that he had been bribed, by the promise of a red coat, to serve 'the Gentleman, whom he knew thereafter to be the Devil'.[230] At Forfar in 1661, Jonet Howat was so young that when Isabel Syrie 'presented hir to the divell, the divell said, What shall I do with such a little bairn as she?' He accepted her, however, and she was evidently the pet of the community, the Devil calling her 'his bonny bird'.[231] At Paisley, Annabil Stuart was fourteen when, at her mother's persuasion, she took the vows of fidelity to the Devil.[232]

Elizabeth Frances at Chelmsford (tried in 1556) was about twelve years old when her grandmother first taught her the art of witchcraft.[233] Elizabeth Demdike, the famous Lancashire witch, 'brought vp her owne Children, instructed her Graund-children, and tooke great care and paines to bring them to be Witches'.[234] One of her granddaughters, Jennet Device, was aged nine at the time of the trial.

In Sweden the children were taken regularly to the assemblies,[235] and in America[236] also a child-witch is recorded in the person of Sarah Carrier, aged eight, who had made her vows two years before at her mother's instigation.

The ceremony for the admission of adults who were converts to the witch religion from Christianity follow certain main lines. These are (1) the free consent of the candidate, (2) the explicit denial and rejection of a previous religion, (3) the absolute and entire dedication of body and soul to the service and commands of the new Master and God.

The ceremonies being more startling and dramatic for adults than for children, they are recorded in Great Britain with the same careful detail as in France, and it is possible to trace the local variations; although in England, as is usual, the ceremonies had lost their significance to a far greater extent than in Scotland, and are described more shortly, probably because they were more curtailed.

The legal aspect of the admission ceremonies is well expressed by Sir George Mackenzie, writing in 1699 on the Scotch laws relating to witchcraft in the seventeenth century:

'As to the relevancy of this Crime, the first Article useth to be _paction_ to serve the Devil, which is certainly relevant, _per se_, without any addition.... Paction with the Devil is divided by Lawyers, in _expressum_, _& tacitum_, an express and tacit Paction. Express Paction is performed either by a formal Promise given to the Devil then present, or by presenting a Supplication to him, or by giving the promise to a Proxie or Commissioner impowered by the Devil for that effect, which is used by some who dare not see himself. The _Formula_ set down by _Delrio_, is, _I deny God Creator of Heaven and Earth, and I adhere to thee, and believe in thee_. But by the Journal Books it appears, that the ordinary Form of express Paction confest by our Witness, is a simple Promise to serve him. Tacit Paction is either when a person who hath made no express Paction, useth the Words or Signs which Sorcerers use, knowing them to be such.... Renouncing of Baptism is by _Delrio_ made an effect of Paction, yet with us it is relevant, _per se_ ... and the Solemnity confest by our Witches, is the putting one hand to the crown of the Head, and another to the sole of the Foot, renouncing their Baptism in that posture. _Delrio_ tells us, that the Devil useth to Baptize them of new, and to wipe off their Brow the old Baptism: And our Witches confess always the giving them new Names.... The Devil's Mark useth to be a great Article with us, but it is not _per se_ found relevant, except it be confest by them, that they got that Mark with their own consent; _quo casu_, it is equivalent to a Paction. This Mark is given them, as is alledg'd, by a Nip in any part of the body, and it is blew.'[237]

Reginald Scot,[238] writing considerably earlier, gives a somewhat similar account of the English witches, though couched in less legal phraseology:

'The order of their bargaine or profession is double; the one solemne and publike; the other secret and priuate. That which is called solemne or publike, is where witches come togither at certeine assemblies, at the times prefixed, and doo not onelie see the diuell in visible forme; but confer and talke familiarlie with him. In which conference the diuell exhorteth them to obserue their fidelitie vnto him, promising them long life and prosperitie. Then the witches assembled, commend a new disciple (whom they call a nouice) vnto him: and if the diuell find that yoong witch apt and forward in renunciation of christian faith, in despising anie of the seuen sacraments, in treading upon crosses, in spetting at the time of eleuation, in breaking their fast on fasting daies, and fasting on sundaies; then the diuell giueth foorth his hand, and the nouice joining hand in hand with him, promiseth to obserue and keepe all the diuell's commandements. This done, the diuell beginneth to be more bold with hir, telling hir plainlie that all this will not serue his turne; and therefore requireth homage at hir hands: yea, he also telleth hir, that she must grant him both hir bodie and soule to be tormented in euerlasting fire: which she yeeldeth vnto. Then he chargeth hir, to procure as manie men, women, and children also, as she can, to enter into this societie.... Sometimes their homage with their oth and bargaine is receiued for a certeine terme of yeares; sometimes for euer. Sometimes it consisteth in the deniall of the whole faith, sometimes in part. The first is, when the soule is absolutelie yeelded to the diuell and hell-fier: the other is, when they haue but bargained not to obserue certeine ceremonies and statutes of the church; as to conceale faults at shrift, to fast on sundaies, etc. And this is doone either by oth, protestation of words, or by obligation in writing, sometimes sealed with wax, sometimes signed with bloud.'

Forbes says that

'an express Covenant is entred into betwixt a Witch, and the Devil appearing in some visible Shape. Whereby the former renounceth God and his Baptism, engages to serve the Devil, and do all the Mischief he can as Occasion offers, and leaves Soul and Body to his Disposal after Death. The Devil on his part articles with such Proselytes, concerning the Shape he is to appear to them in, the Services they are to expect from him, upon the Performance of certain Charms or ceremonious Rites. This League is made verbally, if the Party cannot write. And such as can write, sign a written Covenant with their Blood.'[239]

The general order of the ceremony of admission can be gathered from the evidence given at the trials, though no one trial gives the order in its entirety. The ceremony might take place privately, at a local meeting, or in full Sabbath; it was the same for either sex, except that the men were not usually introduced, the women were sometimes introduced, sometimes not. If there were any sort of introduction, it was by some one who was acquainted with the candidate; usually the person who had induced her to join. She was brought before the Devil, who asked her if she would be his faithful servant, and if she would renounce her previous religion, and dedicate herself to his service, taking him as her God. After the renunciation and vows, the Devil baptized her in his own great name, and among the Scotch witches gave her a new name by which she was known afterwards at the Sabbaths and other meetings. The ceremony concluded by giving the witch a mark or 'flesh-brand' on some part of the body.

2. _The Introduction_

It is not clear whether the introduction of a candidate by a member of the society was an early or a late detail. It is quite possible that it was early, the introducer standing in the same relation to the candidate as the Christian sponsors stand to a candidate for baptism. On the other hand, it is quite comprehensible that, when the witch religion became an object of persecution, no new member could be admitted unless vouched for by some trustworthy person. In the cases where the first meetings with the Devil are recorded, both systems are apparently in vogue. Occasionally, however, the accounts show a confusion on the part of the recorder. Thus Anne Chattox said that Mother Demdike introduced her to the Devil in Mother Demdike's own house, and that she there yielded her soul to him; and in another place she is reported as saying that 'a thing like a Christian man, for foure yeares togeather, did sundry times come to this Examinate, and requested this Examinate to giue him her Soule: And in the end, this Examinate was contented to giue him her sayd Soule, shee being then in her owne house, in the Forrest of Pendle.'[240] The two statements are not inconsistent if we conclude that in her own house she consented to join the society, and in Mother Demdike's presence she took the vows. As a rule the men seem to have joined at the direct invitation of the Devil himself, especially when they came of witch families.

3. _The Renunciation and Vows_

The renunciation of previous errors of faith and the vows of fidelity to the new belief are part of the ceremony of admission of any convert to a new religion. The renunciation by the witches was explicit, but the records are apt to pass it over in a few words, e.g. 'I denied my baptism,' 'I forsook God and Christ,' 'Ils renient Dieu, la Vierge, et le reste,' 'Vne renonciation expresse a Iesu-Christ & a la foy'; but occasionally the words are given in full. Mackenzie, quoting from Del Rio, gives the formula thus: 'I deny God Creator of Heaven and Earth, and I adhere to thee, and believe in thee.'[241] The actual formula is still extant in the case of the priest Louis Gaufredy, tried before the Parliament of Aix in 1611:

'Ie Louys Gaufredy renonce a tous les biens tant spirituels que corporels qui me pourroyent estre conferez de la part de Dieu, de la vierge Marie & de tous les Saincts de Paradis, pareillement de mon patron S. Iean Baptiste, S. Pierre, S. Paul, & S. Francois, & de me donner de corps & d'ame a Lucifer icy present auec tous les biens que ie feray a iamais: excepte la valeur du Sacrement pour le regard de ceux qui le recevront: Et ainsi le signe et atteste.'[242]

Jeannette d'Abadie, aged sixteen, said that she was made to 'renoncer & renier son Createur, la saincte Vierge, les Saincts, le Baptesme, pere, mere, parens, le ciel, la terre & tout ce qui est au monde'.[243] The irrevocability of this renunciation was impressed upon the Swedish witches in a very dramatic manner: 'The Devil gave them a Purse, wherein there were shavings of Clocks with a Stone tied to it, which they threw into the water, and then were forced to speak these words: _As these Shavings of the Clock do never return to the Clock from which they are taken, so may my Soul never return to Heaven._'[244]

The vows to the new God were as explicit as the renunciation of the old. Danaeus says, 'He commaundeth them to forswere God theyr creator and all his power, promising perpetually to obey and worship him, who there standeth in their presence.'[245] The English witches merely took the vow of fealty and obedience, devoting themselves body and soul to him; sometimes only the soul, however, is mentioned: but the Scotch witches of both sexes laid one hand on the crown of the head, the other on the sole of the foot, and dedicated all that was between the two hands to the service of the Master.[246] There is a slight variation of this ceremony at Dalkeith in 1661, where the Devil laid his hand upon Jonet Watson's head, 'and bad her "give all ower to him that was vnder his hand", and shoe did so'.[247]

In Southern France the candidates, after renouncing their old faith, 'prennent Satan pour leur pere et protecteur, & la Diablesse pour leur mere'.[248] At Lille the children called the ceremony the Dedication,[249] showing that the same rite obtained there.

4. _The Covenant_