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 1566 John Walsh, of Netherberry in Dorset, who 'knoweth when anye man is
bewytched, sayth vpon his oth, that his Familiar would sometyme come vnto
hym lyke a gray blackish Culuer, and somtime like a brended Dog, and
somtimes lyke a man.'[832] In 1590 Agnes Sampson, the 'wise wife' of Keith,
was—
'fylit and convict, that the Dewill apperit to hir in liknes of ane
dog, att quhom she socht her haill responsis that quhene sche wes send
for to haill the auld Lady Edmestoune, quhene sche lay seik, befoir
the said Agnes departit, sche tauld to the gentilwemene, that sche
sould tell thame that nycht quhidder the Lady wald haill or nocht; and
appointit thame to be in the gardin efter supper, betuix fyve and sax
att ewin. Sche passit to the gairdene, to devyise vpoun hir prayer,
one quhat tyme sche chargeit the Dewill, calling him "Elva", to cum
and speik to hir, quha come in owir the dyke, in liknes of ane dog,
and come sa neir to hir, that sche wes effrayit, and chargeit him "on
the law that he lewit on", to cum na neirar, bot to ansuer hir; and
sche demandit, Quhidder the lady wald leif or nocht. He said, "Hir
dayes war gane." Than he demandit, "Gif the gentilwemen hir dochteres,
quhair thay wer?" And sche said, that "the gentilwemen said, that thay
war to be thair". He ansuerit, "Ane of thame sould be in perrell, and
that he sould haif ane of thame." Sche ansuerit, "It sould nocht be
sa", and swa departit fra hir zowling. Fra this tyme quhill eftir
supper, he remanit in the wall [well]. Quhen the gentilwemen come in,
the dog come out of the wall, and apperit to thame; quhairatt thay wer
effrayit. In the mene tyme, ane of the said gentilwemen, the Lady
Torsenze, ran to the wall, being forceit and drawin by the Devill,
quha wald haif drownit hir, war nocht the said Agnes and the rest of
the gentilwemen gatt ane gryp of hir, and with all hir [their?]
forceis drew hir abak agane, quhilk maid thame all effrayd. The dog
passit away thaireftir with ane zowle.'[833]
Margerat Clarke, like Agnes Sampson a midwife of great reputation, was
tried at Aberdeen in 1597 for witchcraft, in that, being sent for to a case
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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