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There is also another method of transformation, which is the simplest. The witches themselves, like their
contemporaries, often believed that the actual animals, which they saw, were human beings in animal form.
Jeannette de Belloc, aged twenty-four, in the Basses-Pyrénées (1609), described the
[1. Surtees Soc., x1, pp. 192, 194, 197
2. Kinloch, p. 129. Spelling modernized.]
Sabbath as 'vne foire celebre de toutes sortes de choses, en laquelle aucuns se promene{n}t en leur propre
forme, & d'autres sont transformez ne scayt pourquoy, en animaux. Elle n'a iamais veu aucune d'elles se
trãsformer en beste en sa presence, mais seulement certaines bestes courir par le sabbat.'[1] Helen Guthrie of
Forfar (1661) states the case with even greater simplicity: 'The last summer except one, shee did sie John
Tailzeour somtymes in the shape of a todde, and somtymes in the shape of a swyn, and that the said Johne
Tailzeour in these shapes went wp and doune among William Millne, miller at Hetherstakes, his cornes for
the destructioune of the same, because the said William hade taken the mylne ouer his head; and that the
diuell cam to her and pointed out Johne Tailzeour in the forsaid shapes unto her, and told her that that wes
Johne Tailzeour.'[1]
[1. De Lancre, Tableau, pp. 129, 130.
2. Kinloch, p. 123.]
ADDENDUM
1324 Kilkenny, Ireland.
[This is the earliest record to give the names of all those who took part in the ceremonies. Two of the poorer
women were burned; Dame Alice Kyteler returned to England; William Outlaw, her son, was imprisoned for
a time. Nothing is known of the fate of the rest.]
1. Alice Kyteler
2. Alice, wife of Henry the Smith
3. Annota Lange
4. Eva de Brounstoun
5. Helena Galrussyn
6. John Galrussyn
7. Petronilla de Meath
8. Robert de Bristol
9. Robin, son of Artis (the Devil)
10. Sarah, daughter of Petronilla
11. Sysok Galrussyn
12. William Payn of Boly
13. William Outlaw.
ADDENDUM 150
 The Witch Cult in Western Europe
APPENDIX I
FAIRIES AND WITCHES
THE dwarf race which at one time inhabited Europe has left few concrete remains, but it has survived in
innumerable stories of fairies and elves. Nothing, however, is known of the religious beliefs and cults of these
early peoples, except the fact that every seven years they made a human sacrifice to their god .'And aye at
every seven years they pay the teind to hell' and that like the Khonds they stole children from the
neighbouring races and brought them up to be the victims.
That there was a strong connexion between witches and fairies has been known to all students of fairy lore. I
suggest that the cult of the fairy or primitive race survived until less than three hundred years ago, and that
the people who practised it were known as witches. I have already pointed out that many of the witch-beliefs
and practices coincide with those of an existing dwarf race, viz. the Lapps. The Devil and the witches entered
freely into the fairy mounds, the Devil is often spoken of as a fairy man, and he consorts with the Queen of
Elfhame; fairy gold which turns to rubbish is commonly given by the Devil to the witches; and the name
Robin is almost a generic name for the Devil, either as a man or as his substitute the familiar. The other name
for the fairy Robin Goodfellow is Puck, which derives through the Gaelic Bouca from the Slavic Bog, which
means God.
The evidence given below shows the close connexion between the fairies and the witches, and shows also the
witches' belief in the superiority of the fairies to themselves in the matter of magic and healing powers.
1431. Joan of Arc. Not far from Domremy there is a certain tree that is called the Ladies' Tree [Arbor
Dominarum], others call it the Fairies' Tree, Arbor Fatalium, gallice des Faées], beside which is a spring
[which cured fevers]. It is a great tree, a beech [fagus], from which comes the may [unde venit mayum,
gallice le beau may ]. It belongs to Seigneur Pierre de Bourlemont. Old people, not of her lineage, said that
fairy-ladies haunted there [conversabantur]. Had heard her godmother Jeanne, wife of the Mayor, say she
had seen fairy-women there. She herself had never seen fairies at the tree that she knew of. She made
garlands at the tree, with other girls, for the image of the Blessed Mary of Domremy. Sometimes with the
other children she hung garlands on the tree, sometimes they left them, sometimes they took them away. 'She
had danced there with the other children, but not since she was grown up. She had sung there more than she
had danced. She had heard that it was said 'Jeanne received her mission at the tree of the fairy-ladies'.' The
saints [Katharine and Margaret] came and spoke to her at the spring beside the Fairies' tree, but she would not
say if they came to the tree itself.[2]
Denied having a mandrake, but knew there was one near the Fairies' tree.[3]
My godmother, who saw the fairy-ladies, was held as a good woman, not a diviner or a witch.[4]
Refused to say if she believed fairies to be evil spirits.[5]
She did not put chaplets on the Fairies' tree in honour of SS. Katharine and Margaret.[6]
Had never done anything with, or knew anything of, those who came in the air with the fairies [gallice en
l'erre avec les faées]. Had heard they came on Thursdays, but considered it witchcraft.[7]
4th Article of Accusation. Jeanne was not instructed in her youth in the belief and primitive faith, but was
imbued by certain old women in the use of witchcraft, divination, and other superstitious works or magic arts;
many inhabitants of those villages have been noted from antiquity for the aforesaid misdeeds. Jeanne herself
APPENDIX I 151
 The Witch Cult in Western Europe
has said that she had heard from her godmother, and from many people, of visions and apparitions of Fairies,
or Fairy spirits [gallice faées]; by others also she has been taught and imbued with wicked and pernicious
errors of such spirits, insomuch that in the trial before you she confessed that up to this time she did not know
that Fairies were evil spirits. Answer: As to the Fairy-ladies, she did not know what it was. As to instruction
she learnt to believe and was well and duly taught to do what a good child should. As to her godmother she
referred to what she had said before.[8]
5th Article. Near the village of Domremy is a certain great, big, and ancient tree called vulgarly The Charmed
Fairy-tree of Bourlemont[9] [l'arbre charmine faée de Bourlemont]; beside the tree is a spring; round these
gather, it is said, evil spirits called fairies, with whom those who use witchcraft are accustomed to dance at
night, going round the tree and spring. Answer: as to the tree and spring, referred to her previous answers;
denied the rest.[10]
6th Article. Jeanne frequented the said tree and spring alone, chiefly at night, sometimes in the day most often
at the hour that
[1. Quicherat, i, p. 67; Murray, pp. 25-6.
2. Id., i, p. 87; M., p. 42.
3. Id., i, pp. 88-9; M., p. 43.
4. Id., i, p. 177; M., p. 80.
5. Id., i, p. 178; M., 80.
6. Id., i, p. 186; M., p. 84.
7. Id., i, p. 187; M., p. 84.
8. Id., i, p. 209; M., p. 91. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]