The Witch-cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology — John Shaqi
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
'One day, says he, going from my own house in Kirkliston, to the
Queens Ferry, I overtook in Dalmeny Muire, a young Gentlewoman, as to
appearance beautiful and comely. I drew near to her, but she shunned
my company, and when I insisted, she became angry and very nyce. Said
I, we are both going one way, be pleased to accept of a convoy. At
last after much entreaty she grew better natured, and at length came
to that Familiarity, that she suffered me to embrace her, and to do
that which Christian ears ought not to hear of. At this time I parted
with her very joyful. The next night, she appeared to him in that same
very place, and after that which should not be named, he became
sensible, that it was the Devil. Here he renounced his Baptism, and
gave up himself to her service, and she called him her beloved, and
gave him this new name of Iohn Baptist, and received the Mark.'[128]
At Forfar in 1662 Marjorie Ritchie 'willingly and friely declared that the
divill appeired to her thrie severall tymes in the similitud of a womane,
the first tyme in on Jonet Barrie's house, the second tyme whyle she was
putting vp lint in the companie of the said Jonet, and that the divill did
take her by the hand at that tyme, and promised that she should never want
money; and therafter that the divill appeired to her in the moiss of
Neutoune of Airly, wher and when she did renunce her baptism'.[129] In 1670
Jean Weir, sister of the notorious Major Weir, gave an account of how she
entered the service of the Devil; the ceremony began as follows: 'When she
keeped a school at Dalkeith, and teached childering, ane tall woman came to
the declarants hous when the childering were there; and that she had, as
appeared to her, ane chyld upon her back, and on or two at her foot; and
that the said woman desyred that the declarant should imploy her to spick
for her to the Queen of Farie, and strik and battle in her behalf with the
said Queen (which was her own words).'[130] Among the Salem witches in
1692, 'this Rampant Hag, Martha Carrier, was the person, of whom the
Confessions of the Witches, and of her own Children among the rest, agreed,
That the Devil had promised her, she should be Queen of Hell.[131]
3. _Identification_
As it is certain that the so-called 'Devil' was a human being, sometimes
disguised and sometimes not, the instances in which these persons can be
identified are worth investigating. In most cases these are usually men,
and the names are often given, but it is only in the case of the Devil of
North Berwick that the man in question is of any historic importance; the
others are simply private individuals of little or no note.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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