Ancient Witchcraft and Witches

Witches of Sumeria and Babylonia invented an elaborate demonology. They had a belief that the world was full of spirits and that most of these spirits were hostile. Each person is supposed to have their own spirit, which would protect them from demons and enemies. These demons can only be fought with the use of magic including amulets, incantations, and exorcisms.

Witches in ancient Egypt would use their wisdom and knowledge of amulets, spells, formulas, and figures to bend the cosmic powers to his purpose or that of his clients.

The Greeks have their own form of magic known as Theurgy, which was close to religion. Another lower form of magic was mageia, which was close to sorcery. They were individuals who claim to have knowledge and powers to help their clients and harm their clients’ enemies by performing rites or supplying certain formulas.

The Romans were not suppose to practice sorcery as it was opposed to the public rites connected with religion, and was viewed as a threat to society. Any one seen or heard saying spells were arrested, tortured and executed.

Imbolc or Imbolg is held on the 2nd February and is one of the "Greater Sabbats" of the Wiccan year; it celebrates the coming of spring and the recovery of the Earth Goddess after giving birth to the Sun God at Yule.

The Sabbats or Sabbaths take place 4 times a year, February 2, April 30, July 31, and October 31. In ancient days, they were huge get-togethers that involved dancing, singing, and feasting which went on all night. It revolves around the change of seasons and the breeding of animals; they served as thanks for the bounties of earth. Other names given for Imbolc including the Feast of Pan, Feast of Torches, Feast of Waxing Lights, and Oimeic.

Austrian Witchcraft and Witches

In Austria witchcraft peaked during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612) who was influenced by witch haters of his closest advisors.

Emperor Rudolf II convinced everyone who was once considered mad must be a witch and would have them burned at the stake. Little evidence was needed for most people who might be found to hold a pot of ointment or bones or if a child accused you of being a witch or because you may be the child of a so called witch.

There were witchcraft scares in the provinces of Styria, Tyrol and Salzburg. A scare in Salzburg cost a hundred lives, the condemned were tortured into confessing and then beheaded, strangled or burned. In Tyrol those accused of witchcraft that may have confessed and then retracted that confession would then be sent back to be tortured again. Any legal safeguards to protect the innocent were left out due to the nature of the crime. Only those under seven years were safe.

The town of Bury St Edmonds was the scene of two witchcraft trials. The first of these trials took place in 1645; General Matthew Hopkins instigated it. The second trial in 1662 was instigated by the future Lord Chief Justice Sir Matthew Hale.

The first trial culminated in the arrest of nearly 200 suspects, of whom the most notable was an elderly clergyman named John Lowes. Lowes was disliked, as it was believed he was a Royalist sympathizer. Lowes was subjected to torture of swimming, the ordeal known as walking a witch until he confessed everything. Other victims included a woman who was burned for the treasonable murder of her husband by witchcraft.

The second trial involved two widows Rose Cullender and Amyu Duny who were both charged with numerous acts of witchcraft including the bewitching of several children. AT the end of the trial they both were found guilty and they were hanged.

Another case, which was bought before Chief Justice Sir John Holt determinedly, acquitted an accused witch by the name of Mother Munnings.

The village of Canewdon was referred to as the Witch Country. The witches of this county were renowned for their power to halt machinery and wagons by a single penetrating look or by turning themselves into wheels, and at various times were accused of sending plagues of lice and other unpleasant creatures against their enemies.

The town of Chelmsford was the scene of many outbreaks of witchcraft. The first witch in the records to be executed as a witch was Agnes Waterhouse. She was not the only one that went to trial in July 1566 for witchcraft along side her was her daughter Joan and Elizabeth Francis. Francis was the first to be charged with causing illness in a man named William Auger and a woman named Mary Cocke and then she was also charged with that of Alice Poole but was unable to escape this charge and was found guilty then hanged.

Elizabeth confessed to being taught everything she knew by her grandmother. Joan was acquitted of the charge.

Another trial involved Elizabeth Francis and three others by the names of Ellen Smith, Alice Nokes and Margery Stanton. Stanton was acquitted of the charges against her but the other three were found guilty and were all condemned to death.

In 1589 there was another trial involving 9 women and 1 man culminated in the execution of three women who were hung within two hours of the guilty verdict. Another trial was in 1610 involving Katherine Lawrett was charged with causing the death of a valuable horse.

In Clophill an alleged coven of witches occurred in 1963 when the graveyard had been dug up and the remains of a 200-year-old corpse had been laid out in ritual fashion inside the church. This it is suggested was not the act of witches but that of a group of Satanists attempting to raise the dead.

In Coggeshall in 1699 a widow Coman was reputed as being a witch and was hounded into confessing acts of witchcraft and subjected to swimming in the village pond. This ill treatment a few months later may have caused the woman’s death as a result of a chill she ay has contracted. She was not allowed the Christian burial of those who were dutiful.

In England there were many witchcraft trials but it was fortunate in that the inquisition never enjoyed much success. The hysteria did not reach here until fairly late. Those in the Middle Ages found guilty of witchcraft went virtually unpunished, as there was no evidence provided.

In Exeter the case of three destitute accused of witchcraft was one of the last cases of witchcraft involved Susanna Edwards, Temperance Lloyd and Mary Trembles. The three of them confessed which left little room for doubt in the eyes of the public. Some of the evidence brought against them was tenuous but the judge was forced by public opinion to sentence the three accused women to death by hanging. Susanna and Mary wept on the way to the gallows while Temperance chewed not caring.

In Faversham a trial involving Joan Williford who confessed to witchcraft practices and in her confession she also named Jane Holt, Joan Argoll and Elisabeth Harris as witches also and all of them as a result of the facts that people died was enough to seal their fates on September 29 1645 they were executed.

In Fressingfield a Mrs. Corbyn was the focus of allegations of witchcraft in 1890. This was made public as a result of the sudden death of a baby in the village. Examination of the baby's body showed that the baby had died of shock as the result of an applied irritant. The parent's named the step-grandmother who had died on the same day and was said to have said that the baby would not live much longer either. A few hours later the baby died. The husband of the accused was said to have said that he suspected his wife of witchcraft but that he tried to never anger her for fear of retribution.

In Lancaster or Lancashire as it is also known there were two big trials one in 1612 and one in 1633.

The first in 1612 was the coven active in Pendle Forest involved approximately 20 people with the two central figures being an 80 year old woman by the name of Elizabeth Sowthern and the other a 60 year old woman by the name of Anne whittle.

The local justice questioned the 80 year old woman on whether she was a witch which she confessed to and she also pointed her granddaughter Alison Device and Anne Whittle. Elizabeth Sowthern confessed how the devil had spoken to her and she had given him her soul in exchange for anything. She kept turning him away everytime he appeared then one night he came and sucked her blood, which made her mad for almost 2 months. She also testified that her daughter had done work for a Richard Baldwyn when Elizabeth and her granddaughter Allison went to seek payment he told them to get out or he would hang and burn one of them. The devil reappeared and asked her to take revenge at which she said yes. She never saw him again.

Anne Whittle confessed to entering into the witch’s realm. She was indicted for this act. Alison Device was also indicted for her confession of the daughter of Baldwyn having died and was also for laming an old peddler.

Elizabeth Device and the other families of those imprisoned tried to plan an escape for those imprisoned but were found out and several arrests were made, in all 20 were tried all testifying against each other and implicating others in their testimonials. 10 people were sentenced to hang. Elizabeth Sowthern died in prison. Margaret Pearson was sentenced to the pillory and 1 year in jail. The rest were found not guilty.

The second trial was in 1633 and involved a young boy by the name of Edmun Robinson who had claimed he was forced to attend a witch’s sabbat at which there were several people including Jennet Device. Of those that the young boy claimed were witches 17 were convicted. The local justice however thought their was something foul and the cases were referred to the king's council where it was discovered that the young boy had been forced by his father to lie to make a quick dollar. The prisoners who were still alive were released and the boy’s father was jailed.

In the St Osyth trial there were 14 people involved all being charged with several different charges of witchcraft including one of bewitching to death other people.

The head of the affair was a woman by the name of Ursula Kempe who was a midwife and nursemaid and was also reported to be a witch. Witnesses claimed that she cured a young boy by the name of Davy Thurlowe of illness with incantations but took offence when the boy's mother had refused her employment as nursemaid to her infant daughter. The baby later fell out of its crib and broke her neck; suspicion by neighbors fell upon Kempe. Ignoring this the mother then asked Kempe for a treatment for her arthritis, she was given a method but refused to pay Kempe 12 pence at which the woman’s condition worsened.

Mrs. Thurlowe at this point decided to go to the authorities with her complaint. When Kempe was placed on trial she pleaded her case and even named other witches. Others named were Elizabeth Bennet, Alice Newman, Alice Hunt, Margery Sammon all confessing and naming others such as Joan Pechey, Agnes Glascock, Cicely Celles, Joan turner, Elizabeth Ewstace, Annis Herd, Alice Manfield and Margaret Grevell. Two were not indicted, two were discharged but held for other non-witch illegal activities, four were acquitted, four were convicted but later reprieved and two were sentenced to hang those were Ursula Kempe and Elizabeth Bennet.

In Salmesbury a trial that involved three women. A Grace Sowerbutts against her grandmother, her aunt and another woman brought about the charges by the name of Jane Southworth. According to Grace they had turned themselves into black dogs using an ointment they made from the bones of the child of Thomas Walshman. She also claimed they had feasted on this child’s flesh and they had invited her to join in but instead she went to the authorities. The jury however was unconvinced and the charges were dismissed. Grace broke down and admitted to being forced to say these things by a Catholic priest. It was said that the accusations had risen out of a family feud that they had changed to the Protestant faith.

The Salt Lane witches were two white witches according to folklore they were called white witches as they would use their magic for good as opposed to bad. For sixpence they would help people free their carts from the mud one day a wagoner was trying to bargain with them, he noticed a piece of straw on his horse's back. Thinking it was part of their magic; he cut it in half causing one witch to fall dead. The cart was freed and he fled. The second witch according to legend turned a troop of soldiers into petrified figures when they appeared in town trying to collect taxes. These figures are according to legend at the main road that passes through Worcester.

The Somerset witches were two alleged covens that were exposed in the area in 1664. According to the accusations there were two full-scale covens active. Those involved in these covens were charged and pursued with zeal by the local justice Robert Hunt until his superiors intervened asking him to desist from further enquiries. There were those that complained saying that there were more covens but they were never allowed to find out.

The Warboys witch trial involved three alleged witches by the names of Alice, John and Agnes Samuel and was as a result of the fact they were suppose to have caused the fits of five daughters of Robert Throckmorton and for the murder Lady Cromwell.

The case was brought to justices of the peace and Mrs. Samuel was brought to them at which she confessed all. All three of them were found guilty and Agnes refused to decline pregnancy arguing that "it shall never be said that I was both a witch and a whore", they were all hung and their estate was given to Henry Cromwell who used it for an annual sermon against witchcraft.