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
2. The gift from a fellow-witch was always a domestic familiar, as to the
Devil alone belonged the power of appointing a divining familiar; therefore
this method of obtaining a familiar is found only in the eastern counties
and other places where the domestic or sucking familiar is recorded. In
1556 Elizabeth Francis, whose evidence was corroborated by Mother
Waterhouse, said that 'she came to one mother Waterhouse her neighbour, she
brought her this cat in her apron and taught her as she was instructed by
her grandmother Eue, telling her that she must cal him Sathan and geue him
of her bloude and bread and milke as before.—Mother Waterhouse said, she
receyued this cat of this Frances wife in the order as is before
sayde.'[865] In 1566 John Walsh, the Dorset witch, 'being demaunded whether
he had euer any Familiar or no: he sayth that he had one of his sayde
mayster. He being demaunded howe long he had the vse of the Familiar: He
sayd one yeare by his sayd maister's life, and iiii yeres after his
death.'[866] An Essex witch in 1588 had three familiars, 'one like a cat,
which she called Lightfoot. This Lightfoote, she said, one mother Barlie,
of W., solde her aboue sixteene yeares ago, for an ouen cake, and told her
the Cat would do her good seruice, if she woulde, she might send her of her
errand.'[867] At Orleans in 1614 Gentil le Clerc said that he had seen
Nevillon's familiar, and that Nevillon 'luy a dit vne douzaine de fois, que
s'il vouloit il luy en feroit auoir vne'.[868] Elizabeth Clarke in Essex in
1645 said she 'had three impes from her mother, which were of a broune
colour, and two from old beldam Weste. The said Anne Weste seemed much to
pitie this examinant for her lamenesse (having but one leg) and her
poverty; And said to this examinant, That there was wayes and meanes for
her to live much better then now shee did: And said, that shee would send
to this examinant a thing like a little kitlyn, which would fetch home some
victualls for this examinant; and that it should doe her no hurt.'[869] The
Huntingdonshire witch, Francis Moore, in 1646, 'saith that about eight
yeares since she received a little blacke puppy from one Margaret Simson of
great Catworth. The Examinate further saith, that the said Margaret told
her, that she must keep that dogge all her life time; and if she cursed any
Cattell, and set the same dog upon them, they should presently dye. And the
said Examinate further saith, that about the same time one goodwife Weed
gave her a white Cat, telling her, that if she would deny God, and affirme
the same by her bloud, then whomsoever she cursed and sent that Cat unto,
they should dye shortly after.'[870]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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