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
1597. Andro Man of Aberdeen. Thriescoir yeris sensyne or thairby, the
Devill, thy maister, com to thy motheris hous, in the liknes and scheap of
a woman, quhom thow callis the Quene of Elphen, and was delyverit of a
barne, as apperit to the their.... Thow confessis that be the space of
threttie twa yeris sensyn or thairby, thow begud to have carnall deall with
that devilische spreit, the Quene of Elphen, on quhom thow begat dyveris
bairnis, quhom thow hes sene sensyn.... Vpon the Ruidday in harvest, in
this present yeir, quhilk fell on ane Wedinsday, thow confessis and
affermis, thow saw Christsonday cum owt of the snaw in liknes of a staig,
and that the Quene of Elphen was their, and vtheris with hir, rydand vpon
quhyt haiknayes, and that thay com to the Binhill, and Binlocht, quhair
thay vse commonlie to convene, and that thay quha convenis with thame
kissis Christsonday and the Quene of Elphenis airss, as thow did thy selff.
Item, thow affermis that the elphis hes schapes and claythis lyk men, and
that thay will have fair coverit taiblis, and that thay ar bot schaddowis,
bot ar starker nor men, and that thay have playing and dansing quhen thay
pleas; and als that the quene is verray plesand, and wilbe auld and young
quhen scho pleissis; scho mackis any kyng quhom scho pleisis, and lyis with
any scho lykis.... The said Andro confessis that Chrystsonday rydis all the
tyme that he is in thair cumpanie, and hes carnall deall with thame; also,
that the men that cumis with thame, hes do with the Quene of Elfane.[935]
... Thou confesses that the devil thy master, whom thou terms Christsunday,
and supposes to be an angel and God's godson—albeit he has a thraw by God,
and sways to the Quene of Elphin—is raised by the speaking of the word
_Benedicite_. Suchlike thou affirms that the Queen of Elphin has a grip of
all the craft, but Christsunday is the goodman, and has all power under
God.[936]
1608. Lyons district. Ils dansent deux à deux, & par fois l'vn çà & l'autre
là; estans telles danses semblables à celles des Fées, vrais Diables
incorporez, qui regnoient il n'y a pas long temps.[937]
1615. Jonet Drever of Orkney. To be convict and giltie of the fostering of
ane bairne in the hill of Westray to the fary folk callit of hir our guid
nichtbouris. And in haveing carnall deall with hir. And haveing
conversation with the fary xxvj ʒeiris bygane. In respect of her awne
confessioun.[938]
1616. Katherine Caray of Orkney. At the doun going of the sun are great
number of fairie men mett her together with a maister man.[939]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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