Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that islandMacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
History
Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island
MacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
Folklore -- Guernsey
Jean Le Feyvre, of the Mielles,[154] witnesseth that one morning he
found Cécile, wife of Omont, near the Chapelle de l’Epine, where she
was searching, he could not tell for what, and where she remained for a
long while without his being able to perceive that she found anything,
and she did not perceive that he was watching her; and he having asked
her shortly afterwards whether it was she that he had observed at such
an hour near the chapel, she denied it, and that afterwards he asked
her again whether it was she who was in that neighbourhood, and she
replied in the affirmative, and then he started fine rumours, (ung beau
bruit) saying that she was dancing on the thorn which grows in the
aforesaid neighbourhood.
[154] _Mielles_, in Normandy, Brittany, and the Channel Islands, means
the “waste lands on the sea-shore.” In the Vale parish alone there
were two estates called “Les Mielles.” See Métivier’s _Dictionary_,
_Mielles_.
29TH MAY, 1613.
Thomasse, wife of Collas Troussey, deposes that one night, her husband
being on guard at the Castle, she was awakened by a frightful noise,
like cats squalling, and she dared not cry out on account of Olivier
Omont, who was sleeping in the same corridor as herself, though the
miauling of the cats still continued. When her husband was returned
from his patrol, she dared ask Omont if he had not heard the cats, to
which he replied Yes, but there was nothing for her to be afraid of,
that they would do her no harm. That another night, her husband being
also there, she had heard Omont call “Cats! cats!” and on asking him if
he had cats in his wallet (en son bisac,) he replied “No,” and that the
noise seemed beneath where she lay, but that he was afraid that they
would eat the fish that was on the table.
Olivier Omont, his wife and daughter, were all banished from the island.
30TH JUNE, 1613.
An enquiry was held on Laurence L’Eustace, wife of Thomas Le Comte,
suspected of being a witch.
Jean Hallouvris witnesses that for four years he has driven his cart.
As the wheels passed close to Laurence she dropped several strings and
twists of rushes (quelques colliers et nattes de pavie)[155] that she
was carrying, at which she was very angry. Two days afterwards, one
of his bullocks set off running as if it were mad, and then fell down
stone dead, and the other bullock died the next day.
[Illustration: “High Street, 1850.”
Sketched from an Old Picture by the late Mr. A. C. Andros.]
Pierre Machon deposes that he has heard Laurence swear “By God’s ten
fingers” (“Par les dix doigts de Dieu”), and with oaths and blasphemies
call devils to her assistance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account