The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-17
Witchcraft.

II twas in Germany that the belief in
witchcrait seems to have first taken that
dark, systematical form which held so
fearful u sway over mems minds in the
sixteenth and seyenteeth centuries,
There the wilder superstitions of the
ancient TeutOnic creed have been pre-
served in greater force than in any 9th.
or part OF Europe. The pious legends
OF Onsarius Of Heisterbach, who flour
ishe1 in the earlier part OF the thir-
teenth century, are little better than Il
mass OF stories of magic and sorcery.
The imaginative feelings of thopeople,
and the wild character Of many parts OF
the country, were peculiarly calculated
to foster snperstitions Of this charac-
ter.
In fact, We may there trace back dis
tinctly most Of the circumstances OF the
earlier belief relating to witchcraft to
the mythology Of the ante Christian pc.
Rod. The grand night OF meeting Of
tho German witches was the Night Of
81. Walpurgia, which answered to one
Of the religious festivals OF the Tcu-
tonic tribes before their conversion. In
after times two other nights of annual
assembly were added-thoso OF the
feasts OF st. John md st. Bartholomew,
II Improbable that, MS Christianity gain.
cd ground, and been established MS tho
the religion of the state, the old rGli.
gious festivals, to which the lower aud
more ignorant part Of the people, and
particularly the weaker sex (mOro sus'
ceptible of supcrstitious feelings, were
still attached, were celebrated in solita
ry places aud in private, and those who
fre1uented them were branded as witch
cs aud sorcerers, who met together t.
hold communication with demons, fol
MS such the earlier Christians looked
upon all the heather gods. This gives
us MI easy explanation OF the manner II
which tile heather worship became
transformed into the witchcraft Of tht
middle ages.
AT nm early period it was commonl!
believed that the witches rode through
the mir to place Of rendezvous on reed
/ and sticks, or on brooms, which latte
were the articles readiest Mt hand /,
women of this classic society. TIL
, chief place of meeting Of the great an
! nual witch festivals in Germany appear
/ to lave been, from m early period, tn
Broken Mountain, the highest part o
| the wild Hartz chain: but there wGr
: several other places of resort.
r The persons believed to have bee
} initiated ut theirassemblics were locke,
, upon with dread; for they were sup
posed to be capable of injuring pcopl
in various ways, both in their person
aud their possessions, and their malic
was especially directed against littl
children.
One of the earliest trials for witch
craft, unconnected with other offence
on the Continent, is that Of woman ii
the bishopric Of Novara, on the north
ern borders Of Italy, about tho middle
Of the fourteenth century; and 1t illus
trateS tho general belief which also pre-
vailed in Germany ut that period.
ItRppears, from the slight accoun
which remains of the trial, that the be
lief then held by the Church was, tim
women Of this class could by tllci
touch or look fascinatc men, or chi
dren, or beasts, so as to produce SICK
ness or death; and they believed ful
Their, TINT they had devoted their ow
, souls to the demon, to whom also the
had done personal homage, aftcrhavin
tramplcd under foot tho figure OF I'll
cross. For these ofFenscs they wer
, judged by the most learned thcolc
gians to be worthy Of beingburnt at til
, stake