British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and TraditionsSikes, Wirt
History
British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions
Sikes, Wirt
Folklore -- Wales; Goblins -- Wales; Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Mythology, Welsh; Wales -- Social life and customs
The mode of summoning and of exorcising familiar spirits--in other
words, of laying and raising the devil--varies little the world over.
Even in China, the magic circle is entered and incantations are
muttered when the fiend is summoned; and for the exorcism of devils
there are laws like our own--though since modern Christianity has been
introduced in China the most popular exorcist is the Christian
missionary.[85] In Wales, the popular belief is compounded of about
equal parts of foul magic and fair Biblical text; magic chiefly for
summoning, the Book for exorcising.
John Jenkin, a schoolmaster in Pembrokeshire, was a conjuror of renown
in that part of Wales. One of his scholars who had a curiosity to see
the devil made bold to ask the master to assist him to that
entertainment. 'May see him,' said the master, 'if thou hast the
courage for it. Still,' he added, 'I do not choose to call him till I
have employment for him.' So the boy waited; and not long after a man
came to the master saying he had lost some money, and wished to be
told who had stolen it. 'Now,' the master said to the scholar, 'I have
some business for him.' At night they went into the wood together and
drew a circle, which they entered, and the schoolmaster called one of
the spirits of evil by its name. Presently they saw a light in the
sky, which shot like lightning down to the circle, and turned round
about it. The conjuror asked it who had stolen the man's money; the
spirit did not know, and it disappeared. Then the schoolmaster called
another evil spirit by its name; and presently they saw the
resemblance of a bull flying through the air towards them, so swiftly
and fiercely as if it would go through them; and it also turned about
the circle. But the conjuror asked it in vain who had the stolen
money. 'I must call still another,' said he. The schoolboy was now
almost dead with fear, and the conjuror considerately waited till he
was somewhat revived before calling the third spirit. But when he did
call, there came out of the wood a spirit dressed in white, and went
about the circle. 'Ah,' said the schoolmaster, 'we shall now hear
something from this.' And sure enough 'this' told the conjuror (in a
language the boy could not understand) where the money was, and all
about it. Then it vanished in red fire; and that boy 'has never been
well since, the effect of the great fright still cleaving to him.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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