Witchcraft and superstitious record in the south-western district of ScotlandWood, J. Maxwell (John Maxwell)
History
Witchcraft and superstitious record in the south-western district of Scotland
Wood, J. Maxwell (John Maxwell)
Folklore -- Scotland; Witchcraft -- Scotland
The 14th being the Sabbath, it set some straw on fire that was in the barn
yard, and threw stones till ten o'clock at night; it threw an dike spade
at the said Andrew Mackie, with the mouth toward him, but he received no
hurt; while an meal-sive was tossed up and down the house, the said
Andrew Mackie takes hold of it, and as it were with difficulty gets the
grip keeped, at last all within the rim is torn out. Thereafter it threw a
handful of the sive rolled together at Thomas Robertson in Airds, who was
witness to this, yet in all its actings there was never any thing seen,
but what I mentioned before.
Upon the 15th of April, William Anderson, a drover, and James Paterson,
his son-in-law, came to the house with Colline in the evening. Colline
going home a while within night, the said Andrew Mackie sent his sons to
convey him; as they returned they were cruelly stoned, and the stones
rolled amongst their legs, like to break them. Shortly after they came in,
it wounded William Anderson on the head, to the great effusion of his
blood. In time of prayer it whistled, groaned, and cryed "Whist,
whist."--This is attested by John Cairns.
The 16th it continued whisting, groaning, whistling, and throwing stones
in time of prayer; it cryed "Bo, bo," and kick, cuck, and shook men back
and forward, and hoised them up as if to lift them off their knees.--This
is attested by Andrew Tait.
The whole family went from the house, and left five honest neighbours to
wait on the same all night; but there was no hurt done to them, nor the
family where they were, nor to those neighbours who stayed in the said
Andrew Mackie's house, only the cattle were cast over other to the hazard
of killing them, as they were bound to the stakes, and some of them were
loosed.--This is attested by John Cairns.
Upon the 18th they returned to their house again, and there was no hurt to
them or their cattle that night, except in a little house, where there
were some sheep, it coupled them together in pairs by the neck with straw
ropes, made of an bottle of straw, which it took off an loft in the stable
and carried to the sheep house, which is three or four pair of butts
(arrow shots) distant, and it made more ropes than it needed for binding
the sheep, which it left beside the straw in the sheep-house.--This is
attested by Andrew Tait.
Upon the 19th it fired the straw in the barn, but Andrew Mackie put it
out, (being there threshing) without doing any harm. It shot staves
through the wall at him, but did no hurt.
The 20th, it continued throwing stones, whistling, and whisting, with all
its former words. When it hit any person, and said, "Take you that till
you get more," that person was sure immediately of another; but when it
said, "Take you that," the person got no more for a while.--This is
attested by John Tait.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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