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
The Chief or supreme Head of each district was known to the recorders as
the 'Devil'. Below him in each district, one or more officers—according to
the size of the district—were appointed by the chief. The officers might
be either men or women; their duties were to arrange for meetings, to send
out notices, to keep the record of work done, to transact the business of
the community, and to present new members. Evidently these persons also
noted any likely convert, and either themselves entered into negotiations
or reported to the Chief, who then took action as opportunity served. At
the Esbats the officer appears to have taken command in the absence of the
Grand Master; at the Sabbaths the officers were merely heads of their own
Covens, and were known as Devils or Spirits, though recognized as greatly
inferior to the Chief. The principal officer acted as clerk at the Sabbath
and entered the witches' reports in his book; if he were a priest or
ordained minister, he often performed part of the religious service; but
the Devil himself always celebrated the mass or sacrament. In the absence
of all direct information on the subject, it seems likely that the man who
acted as principal officer became Grand Master on the death of the previous
Chief. Occasionally the Devil appointed a personal attendant for himself,
who waited upon him on all solemn occasions, but does not appear to have
held any official position in the community.
Estebene de Cambrue (1567) said that 'elle a veu au Sabbat vn Notaire
qu'elle nomme, lequel a accoustumé de leuer les defauts de celles qui ont
manqué de se trouuer au Sabbat.'[736] At the North Berwick meetings (1590),
there were several officers, of whom Fian was the chief.
'Robert Griersoun being namit, they all ran hirdie-girdie and wer
angrie: for it wes promisit he sould be callit "Ro^t the Comptroller,
alias Rob the Rowar," for expreming of his name.—Johnne Fiene wes
ewer nerrest to the Devill, att his left elbok; Gray Meill kepit the
dur.—The accusation of the saide Geillis Duncane aforesaide, who
confessed he [Fian] was their Regester, and that there was not one man
suffered to come to the Divels readinges but onelie hee.—[Fian's
confession] That at the generall meetinges of those witches, he was
always present; that he was clarke to all those that were in
subiection to the Divels service, bearing the name of witches; that
alway hee did take their oathes for their true service to the Divell;
and that he wrote for them such matters as the Divell still pleased to
commaund him.'[737]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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