Witch Blood Scratching and Keeping? December 12, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Beach has over the years collected, particularly with the help of readers, a number of stories of blood spilling and witches. The idea is that by spilling blood, typically taken with a bramble, you can cure the witch’s overlooking. There are though some variations on this theme, including to judge by this report from 15 Aug 1850 the idea that you actually have to carry a witch’s blood away with you and put it on your own forehead. Can anyone parallel this belief: it is completely new to Beachcombing, drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com
Superstition in Somersetshire.—An extraordinary affair took place at Cheddar last week, which will, no doubt, be a subject of investigation by the magistrates at Axbridge. In Cheddar lives an old woman, who, in the opinion of some ignorant villagers, has the power of overlooking others either with an evil or good eye, as she may choose to determine. In the same village another of the female sex, had ridiculously taken it into her head that the evil eye of the old woman had, for length of time, rested on her. To get rid of this visitation she appears to have consulted some friends, learned in the art of mysterious witchcraft, and, last, a sovereign and infallible remedy was prescribed. She was, by some means or the other, to obtain portion of the old woman’s blood and sprinkle her own forehead with it, and immediately the evil eye would cease from its blighting operations.
Of course, this act entailed violence and the next step was cruel and galling, ‘the large stocking needle’ is particularly horrifying. Be warned.
To carry this idea into practice, the female went, on Friday week, to the old woman’s house, alone, knocked her down, and, with a very large stocking-needle, wounded her hand and arm so severely, for the purpose of obtaining the requisite blood, that when the poor creature was found the neighbours, she appeared in so precarious a plight to render it necessary to send for a surgeon to dress the wounds inflicted. Whether this extraordinary remedy has proved successful or not, has not been stated.
This report seems otherwise to have gone unnoticed in the press at the time. There is not even a reference as to whether or not this ended up in the local police court as happened with other nineteenth century cases: the suspicion is not.
30 May 2016, Bob S writes in with two stories involving witch blood and being hag ridden, ‘Superstition in the Nineteenth Century. A case came on for hearing last week before the Magistratesat the Town Hall, Axbridge, which disclosed the existence of a superstition which, in these days, is really marvellous.—A woman, named Hester Cooper, summoned Ann Jefferies, the wife of a smail farmer, for assaulting her; and it appeared from the evidence that the complainant having in the neighbourhcod the reputation of being old witch, the defendant, who was under the delusion that she had been bewitched by her, forced her way into her house, threw her down, severely maltreated her, and with a sharp instrument punctured her hand till the blood flowed with sufficient copiousness to enable her sprinkle her body if, as means dispelling the charm.—The defendant insisted that the complainant had “overpowered” and “hag-ridden” her. and that she was justified in toe course she took relieve herself of the “hag-spell.”—The magistrates told her if she did not compromise the matter, they would send her to gaol; and arrangement was come to. Bell’s New Weekly Messenger 1 September 1850 p. 2
A “HAG-RIDDEN” FARMER. At the Dorchester Assizes, on Thursday, John Bird, described in the calendar as 23 years of age, a farmer, and of imperfect education, was indicted for assaulting Charlotte Griffin with stick, and inflicting on her grievous bodily harm. The prosecutrix is an old woman of nearly Bt> years, and the prisoner a stalwart young farmer. A witness was called who gave evidence that a short time before the assault, the prisoner, talking to a friend of the old woman, made use of the following remark“ D—-her old eyes, if I can catch her up along, I’ll kill her, for she hag-rode me three times last night, for I saw her come into the window.” To another witness the prisoner said he would serve out Charlotte Griffin because she had hag-rode him. Shortly after this he met her in house and ordered her out, and told her if she did not take herself off be would put a stick about her back; he then took stick and struck her and knocked her down, and beat her so severely that she had to be assisted home, and was greatly bruised, and in fact sustained serious injury. One witness for the prosecution, the man in whose house the assault occurred, swore that the old woman spat in the prisoner’s face after he had ordered her out of the house and before he struck her. He further said that he saw the prisoner strike the woman twice, and then, remarking to the prisoner that he did not want any fighting there, left the house and went to have some cider, leaving the prisoner and the old woman in the house. Another witness deposed that the prisoner, after the assault, asked how the old woman was, and, hearing she was not expected to live till the morning, said, It she doesn’t die I will kill her.” To the constable who arrested him Liverpool he said, This will be a lesson to me. I’ll never beat her more, whether she hag-rides’me or not. I used to see her come into ray window as plain I see you now. I should not have beat her as much then, but after I struck her twice she spat in face and scratched my nose.” The prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. THE BIRMINGHAM DAILY MAIL, 22 JULY 1871. p. 3
