The record-union., 1892-02-13
BELIEF IN WIToHcRAFr
1t Retains Its Hold On a Majority of
the Peonle.

l.
1t Retains Its Hold On a Majority of
the People.
Wltchcraft is at the present time be-
ueVed IN by a majority of the citizens of
the United States. The larger number of
Immigrants from thecontinent of Europe
are more or less in fear of such powers
To these must be added no inconsiderable
proportion Of persons of English and
scotch descent; for a strong vein of super
stltion is discernible in many Irish,
Scotch, and some English, whose ''folk-
lore" dlffused in nursery tales and neigh
borhood gossip, has entwined itself
strongly about the fibers of spontaneous,
Subconsclous mental imagery Where
colonies OF immigrants have remained
Isolated retaining the use of their own
language, the influence of witchcraft is
more easily traced. The interior of Penn
SylVan1a affords better illustrations of
tins, and on a larger scale, than any other
State. 1t has been but two or three years
since suit was brought by man against
MS mother. in one of the counties of
pennsylvania, to recover damages for a
dog which he charged her with having
Killed by witchcraft: and he not only
brought suit, but obtained judgment from
Justice of the Peace. In the interior
parts of the Southern States, where a
large proportion Of the white population
cannot read, and there is little admixture
OF society, there are "witch-doctors," :"
who, assuming that all disease is caused
by witches, secure thriving practice in
counteracting their influence. The A fri
can population brought this belief from
the Dark Continent and it persists among
them to this day, though the progress Of
religion and education is doing something
to check it.
L have recently noted in various parts
OF the United States more than fifty suits
instituted by persons against those who
they claimed had bewitched them; but
under existing laws the accused could not
be prosecuted except where money had
been obtained under false pretenses, or
overt acts OF crime had been suggested or
committed. During pedestrian tours in
New England, in various parts of the
West, and in every Southern State, have
frequently stayed for the night at the
houses of poor farmers, laborers, fisher
men and trappers. In such journeys /
have invariably listened to the tales of
the neighborhood, stimulating them by
suggestion, and have found the belief in
Wltchcraft cropping out IN the oldest
towns in New England, sometimes
within the very shadow of the buildings
where a learned ministry has existed
from the settlement of the country, and
public schools have furnished means of
education to all classes.
In Canada the belief is more prevalent
than in any part of the United States, ex-
cept the interior of Pennsylvania and the
South. In French sections, exclusive of
the educated a relatively small number
the belief, If not universal, is widely diff
fused. But 1t is by no means confined to
Canadians of French extraction. Until
within a few years the descendants of the
English and Scotch in many parts of
British America were more widely sep
arated from each other and from the
progress of modern civilization than the
inhabitants of the United States, or the
settlers of the more recently populated
continent of Australia, making due al
lowance for certain sections of New
Zealand and Tasmania. In all of these
regions the educated generally dismiss it
as mystery, or repudiate it as an ancient
superstition. In the West Indies this be-
lief prevails among the negroes, and is
not unknown among the more ignorant
whites.
OF South America and Mexico travel
ers, missionaries and foreign residents
bring similar accounts. In Italy those of
the people who are not Protestants or
freethinkers generally believe in the pos
sibility of witchcraft, and to the peasant
1t is living reality. Nor are all who re-
ject the Catholic Church or avow relig-
ion free from credulity as regards occult
influences. Modern Greece, Bulgaria,
Servia and the neighboring States abound
in similar Superstitions. The common
people of Hungary and Bohemia fear
witchcraft, and it still dominates consid-
cradle part of the rural population and the
allied classes OF Germany, and particu-
larly of Austria. French peasants are
afraid of evil eyes, warlocks, ghosts,
spells, omens, entertainments and witches;
not IN every part Of the country, but in
the more primitive sections. In France
their persistence is promoted by dialects,
kinship and other influences peculiar to
the country. In Norway, Sweden and
Denmark witchcraft still throws a spell
over many of the sailors, fishermen and
solitary farmers. In Lapland sorcerers
and witches abound, the witches claim
ing the power of stilling the wind and
causing the rain to cease. It has been a
comparatively short time since English
seamen trading in Archangel were in the
habit of landing and buying fair wind
fron5the witches.
But it is in Russia that the popular be-
lief more generally resembles that of the
whole world many centuries ago. When
| was travelling in the interior of that
country, accompanied by master of the
Russian language, l found that the peas
ants still believe that witches and wizards
can steal the dew and the rain, send
whirlwinds, hide the moon and the stars
and fly through the air on broomS and
tongs. They chalk crosses on their huts
and windows, hang up stove rakes for
protection, tie knots and wear amulets
Plaques in men and cattle are popularity
attributed to witches. Epileptics, and
those afflicted with st. Vitus' dance, are
supposed to be bewitched. According to
popular belief in Russia witches assume
the form of dogs and cats and owls: but
the shape they like best is that of mag
pie. The Metropolitan Alexis solelnnly
cursed that bird, son account of the bad
behavior of the witches who have as
sumed its plumage." In Scotland, Ire
land and England the belief in witchcraft
fingers, and only those who are at the
pains to inquire how far it extends and
how strong the impression is can form an
adequate idea of either.-Rev. DIR. J. NJ.