The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in AnthropologyMurray, Margaret Alice
Religion
The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology
Murray, Margaret Alice
Ethnology; Witchcraft -- Great Britain
In the dittay against John Fian, 1590, he was 'fylit, for the chaissing of
ane catt in Tranent; in the quhilk chaise, he was careit heich aboue the
ground, with gryt swyftnes, and as lychtlie as the catt hir selff, ower ane
heicher dyke, nor he was able to lay his hand to the heid off:—And being
inquyrit, to quhat effect he chaissit the samin? Ansuerit, that in ane
conversatioune haldin at Brumhoillis, Sathan commandit all that were
present, to tak cattis; lyke as he, for obedience to Sathan, chaissit the
said catt, purpoiselie to be cassin in the sea, to raise windis for
distructioune of schippis and boitis.'[660] Agnes Sampson of the same Coven
as Fian confessed 'that at the time when his Majestie was in Denmark, shee
being accompanied by the parties before speciallie named, tooke a cat and
christened it, and afterwards bounde to each part of that cat, the cheefest
parte of a dead man, and severall joyntis of his bodie: And that in the
night following, the saide cat was convayed into the middest of the sea by
all the witches, sayling in their riddles or cives, as is aforesaid, and so
left the said cat right before the towne of Leith in Scotland. This doone,
there did arise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not bene
seene.'[661] The legal record of this event is more detailed and less
dramatic; the sieves are never mentioned, the witches merely walking to the
Pier-head in an ordinary and commonplace manner. The Coven at Prestonpans
sent a letter to the Leith Coven that—
'they sould mak the storm vniuersall thro the sea. And within aucht
dayes eftir the said Bill [letter] wes delyuerit, the said Agnes
Sampsoune, Jonett Campbell, Johnne Fean, Gelie Duncan, and Meg Dyn
baptesit ane catt in the wobstaris hous, in maner following: Fyrst,
twa of thame held ane fingar, in the ane syd of the chimnay cruik, and
ane vther held ane vther fingar in the vther syd, the twa nebbis of
the fingars meting togidder; than thay patt the catt thryis throw the
linkis of the cruik, and passit itt thryis vnder the chimnay.
Thaireftir, att Begie Toddis hous, thay knitt to the foure feit of the
catt, foure jountis of men; quhilk being done, the sayd Jonet fechit
it to Leith; and about mydnycht, sche and the twa Linkhop, and twa
wyfeis callit Stobbeis, came to the Pier-heid, and saying thir words,
'See that thair be na desait amangis ws'; and thay caist the catt in
the see, sa far as thay mycht, quhilk swam owre and cam agane; and
thay that wer in the Panis, caist in ane vthir catt in the see att xj
houris. Eftir quhilk, be thair sorcerie and inchantment, the boit
perischit betuix Leith and Kinghorne; quhilk thing the Deuill did, and
went befoir, with ane stalf in his hand.'[662]
Beigis Todd was concerned in another 'conjuring of cats', this time at
Seaton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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