February 1st was Imbolc, a Celtic quarter day until the arrival of a Christian calendar and the quarter day was re-aligned with Candlemas on February 2nd. This was a festival day for Romans who celebrated their goddess, Februa – with candle and torchlit processions. Christianity kept the candles and celebrated the purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of Jesus and the presentation of the infant in the temple. As the pagan world gave way to the Christian influence such changes became commonplace, thus quietly preserving the link with the past that remains to this day.

By the time of the Synod of Whitby in 664 that which had been considered pagan wisdom was considered to be witchcraft; practiced predominantly by women.

Take a look at Folklore and sooner rather than later witches and witchcraft appear and history place both close to home for Devon dwellers.

1302; Exeter, Borough Sessions, John de Wermhille, Agnes de Wermhille his wife, and Joan la Cornwalyse were accused of being witches and enchanters' who consorted with Dionysia Baldewyne, in unnatural acts.

This, possibly the first court record of a witchcraft trial led to almost four centuries of such trials until the hanging of three Devon ‘witches’ at Heavitree, Exeter in 1682; probably the last hanging of witches.

The three hanged for witchcraft, were guilty of other crimes but, if accused today, the three witches of Bideford would go free on all charges, without doubt.

The trail that led to their hanging includes centuries of victimisation

1311; an investigation into the practice of witchcraft undertaken on the instruction of the Bishop of London. The top twenty examples of witchcraft were;
1. Causing violent sickness and illness in adults
2. Causing some physical deformity affliction, such as lameness.
3. Murder, the death of an adult.
4. Causing sickness and illness among children
5. Using fire to cause damage to person and property.
6. Laying down evil curses upon the individual
7. Driving a person beyond the edge of sanity, causing fits and mental illness.
8. Murdering children and young people.
9. Cursing cattle and causing illness among animals.
10. Causing ale, beer, and milk, to turn sour, or to be lost.
11. Levitation, flying, shape-shifting, and other supernatural acts.
12. Causing the death and destruction of cattle and other animals.
13. Issuing malevolent threats.
14. Using animals and other creatures as familiars.
15. Causing grievous accidents and misfortune to others.
16. Causing ships to sink and misfortunes at sea.
17. Causing financial misfortune and economic damage.
18. Using evil charms to cure illness.
19. Reading the future and composing predictions.
20. Making potions to induce love or secure seduction.

Did witches escape their hunters by shifting their shape to animal form ? Shakespeare must have been indicating a knowledge of human shape-shifting abilities when writing in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Puck;

"Sometimes a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound,
a hog, a headless boar, sometimes a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn."

The biblical teaching, 'thou shall not suffer a witch to live,' justified accusations against innocent victims by corrupt clergymen or lying locals and women became main their target; particularly the old and infirm, the lonely, and the wise.

The 1st Witchcraft Act of England was established in 1542 under the realm of King Henry VIII. The Craft was deemed illegal and organized covens went underground. The secrecy begins.

In Devon, during 16th & 17th centuries 83% of all witchcraft charges made, were made against women. In Cornwall and Somerset, 75%, and in Dorset, 69%.

After 1640 the seemingly, more fair minded folk of Dorset changed course and 100% of witchcraft charges brought in the County were made against women.

Devon increased its onslaught against the female sex to 91%, Somerset followed that pattern, to 78% and only in Cornwall was there a recorded drop, to 73%, in the number of witchcraft charges brought against women. The 'cunning men' of Cornwall it seems were not cunning enough to escape punishment for crimes they probably didn't commit.

They had no counsel to defend them, they faced false evidence, accusers bore them malice, witnesses were not known to them, judges took no notes and rarely summed up any evidence. Quickly they were condemned by a jury that was baying for blood and was prepared to wait only a few hours after delivering their verdict to witness the execution of those they sentenced to death.

For any that think that witchcraft trials were something our superstitious ancestors conducted long ago, think again. In 1944, Helen Duncan a Scottish medium was convicted under the 1735 Witchcraft Act. She was accused of claiming that she had conjured up the spirit of a sailor killed on HMS Barham during World War II. The sinking of HMS Barham was a military secret and the British authorities decided to prosecute. It was said they feared Helen Duncan might reveal plans for the D- Day landings. The lady was convicted of "pretending to raise spirits from the dead" and sentenced to 9 months in prison.

The 1735 Witchcraft Act was finally repealed in 1951.

On 9th Feb 1855 the Devil walked across Devon – cloven footprints across 100 miles of Devon appeared after a snowstorm.
A Dawlish hunt with pack of hounds turned out but in dense fog.
Later, the hounds were heard to howl, give up and refuse to follow the devil’s tracks any further.

It is lambing time and for those that have yet to see their first lamb, be aware.
If the lamb is looking your way – you have a fine year ahead
Should the lamb be looking away from you – get you back to bed.

© Roy & Ursula Radford 2007