The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-08-05

ttul11s
The belief in witchcraft 30 prevalent
during the middle ages Illustrates with
terrible force tic inf fence that fanatical
delusion can exercise over the minds of
little reliance csm be placed on the testi-
mony of ary number of witnesses in times
of great popular excitement when multi
tudes will be found to honestly believe IN
alleged facts which have no other found;-
ton than their own excited imaginations
The absurd superstition concerning witch
craft prevailed as late as the beginning Of
the seventeenth century. The power it
exercised over the popular mind is al
most Incredible. If anyone felt an unac-
cOuntable illness in any part of his body,
or suffered any misfortune in his family
affairs; or if storm arose and caused any
damage byssea or land; if cattle died sud-
denly, Ior, in short, if any event or circum-
stance occurred out Of tie routine of daily
experience, the cause assigned was witch
craft. Not only the common people were
victims OF this delusiOn the educated por-
hons of the community were also believers
in it. The clergythemselvcs trembled be-
fore the supposed power of witches.
Church and State were alarmed for their
safety Three Of the Popes issued bulls
to put down the practice of witchcraft, and
James the vi" of Scotland, afterward
King of England, in the first year of his
reign issued the following edict: "Any-
one that shall use, practice or exercise any
invocation of any evil or wicked spirit, or
consult or covenant with, entertain or en-
ploy, feed or reward any evil or wicked spir-
1T TO or for any purpose, etc. such offenders,
duly and lawfully attainted and convicted,
shall suffer DEATH" The persecution that
sensued was frightful. Inquisitors were
appointed, regular form of trial laid
down, and course of examination ar
ranged by which those guilty of the prac-
tice of witchcraft mi ght be discovered and
convicted. The victims of this terrible in
QUESTION were chiefly women, usually
some helpless old crOne whose age and in
trinity should have protected from all sus-
picionfof ability to work either good or
evil to her neighbors. A squirting eye
or squeaking voice, crooked tooth Or a
hairy lip, were sufficient to lay a poor old
woman open to the suspicion of witch
craft; and such poor creatures were select
ed and subjected to the most horrible tests
that could be devised by the inquisitors,
who were armed with the full power of the
law.
The witches were supposed to be women
who had fallen under the power of the
devil, who had appeared to them in the
form of lover, and won them to his
service by the exercise of his arts. A bar.
gain was supposed to have been made.
usually in writing, and signed in the
| witch's own blood She was then rebap.
tized, receiving new name, required to
trample on the cross, renouncing Christian
ity and belief in God in formula par
odied from the remuneration of the devil
in the ceremony of Christian baptism. A
mark was then impressed on some part OF
her body, which remained forever after
insensible, and was one of the means CT
discovery employed by the witch finders.
ant of her master the devil, and his assist
Of winning back souls that had been re-
deemed fromshis dominion by Christ In
this way the persecution of witches gained
additional vehemcnce from the heat of re-
ligious fervor. To the witch was given
power to workzall manner of mischief, to
raise storms, blast crops, intlict racking
pains on an enemy, and cause men and
women to pine away in sickness. If a
witch attempted to do good the devil was
enraged, and chastised her. They were
! powerless also to serve their own interests
in any way, and always remained wrctchcd
and miserable.
A prominent feature in witchcraft wa
the belief in meetings held at nj ght b,
witches and devils, called the Witches
Sabbaths. First amounting her feet ant
shoulders with salvc made from the ia
of murdered and unbaptized children, tn
witch mounted broomstick, distatf, rake
or something Of the same nature, and
making her exit by the chimney, rod
through the air to the place of rendezvous
I # her own particular demon lover cam
to fetch her, he sat on the staff before an
she behind him, or he came in the shap
of a goat, and carried her off ON his back
At the place of assembly the archdevi
in the shape of large goat with black
human countenance, sat on high chail
and the witches and demons paid homag
to him by kneelifg before him and kiss
ing his feet. The feast was lighted IL
with torches, all kindlcd at light burn
ing between the horns of the great goat
Among the viands there was no bread O
salt, and they drank out of OK hoofs an
horses skulls. After eating and drinkin
they danced to music played on bagpip
with a hefse's head for a bag and cat
tail for chantcr. In dancing they turne
i their backs toward one another. Betwcc
the dances they related to one anothe
what mischief they had done, and plannc
more. At the close of the revel. the gre;
goat burned himself into ashes, wlic
were given to the witches to raise storm
with.
During the reign of James the Firs
numerous official Investigations into a
legged cases of witcheraft were made by til
King himself, who was very much intereste
in the subject, and is said to have derive
great pleasure from questioning oil
women in regard to their dealings wit
Satan. In the year 1890 James made
voyage to Denmark. to bring home his az
ID pointed bride, the Princess Anne. 500
; after his arrival a tremendous witch COZ
spiracy against the happy conclusion {
his homeward voyage was discovered,
which the principal agents appear to hay
been people of considerable social impol
lance. The King had all the accuse
brought before himself for examination
and even superintended the tortures al
piled to them to induce confession. On
of them, Mrs. Agnes Sampson, declare
that the great object with Satan and hi
} emissaries was to destroy the King; til,
: they had held great convention at Mort
Berwick for no other end, and that the
: had endeavorcd to effect their aim o
many occasions, and particularly by raj
, ing storm when James came across frol
, Denmark. The witches demanded of til
devil why he bore such hatred to til
King, who answered that the King wa
the greatest enemy he had in the worl(
On this occasion thirty persons wer
executed, and these proceedings gave o(
casion, no doubt, to the famous work o
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