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
It was in the semblance of a hare, and in broad daylight, that the
Devil appeared to her for the first time, and incited her to avenge
herself on her sister-in-law, La Girarde, with whom she had quarrelled.
At first she resisted the tempter, but he appeared to her a second
time, again in the road next her house, and on this occasion left with
her a packet of black powder, which she kept. A third time the demon
appeared, in the same form, urging her, if she would not give herself
to him, to make him a present of some living animal, whereupon she gave
him a chicken, and he appointed her to meet him the next day before
sunrise at the Sabbath, promising to send someone to guide her there.
Accordingly old Collette Dumont came that night to her house, and gave
her some black ointment, with which she rubbed herself. She was then
carried over hedges and ditches to the place of meeting near Rocquaine
Castle. She was received and welcomed by the Devil in the form of a
dog, with long erect horns (avec de grandes cornes dressées en hautt),
and hands like those of a man. He caused her to go down on her knees
and renounce the Almighty in these words: “I deny God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.” (“Je renie Dieu le Père, Dieu
le Fils, et Dieu le Saint Esprit”). After this, she was made to adore
the Devil and invoke him in these terms: “Our great Master, help us!”
(“Nostre grand Maistre, aide nous!”) and also to enter into an express
covenant to adhere to his service. At the conclusion of this ceremony,
the same acts of license, dancing and drinking (again bread and wine in
mockery of the Holy Sacrament), took place as are described by Collette
Dumont, widow Becquet, in her confession. On this occasion Isebell
Le Moigne entered into a pact with Satan for one month only; but
subsequently the agreement was extended to three years. She stated that
Satan treated Collette Dumont with marked respect, always evoking her
name first, styling her “Madame, la vieille Becquette,” and giving her
a place by his side. She also said that one night, when she was at the
Sabbath, the Devil marked her on the thigh. The mark thus made having
been examined by women appointed for that purpose, they certified
that they had thrust pins deep into it, and that Isebell felt no pain
therefrom, nor did any blood follow when the pins were withdrawn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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