Greek Magic

Ancient Greece is considered to have been from around 1200 B.C. to about 600 A.D. Theories and thoughts developed in Ancient Greece have been a cornerstone of Western culture and thought. It was also a cornerstone for a lot of Western magic. Magic was definitely an important part of society then even though the practice of it was a more private affair. It wasn’t exactly an encouraged practice, but neither was it illegal, at least the lighter parts of magic. Being caught casting a malefic spell or making a curse was illegal.

Some of the earliest magic, at least that we have physical evidence for, was in the 6th century B.C. and were curse tablets. These were most often small lead sheets inscribed with the curse and buried in a grave, body of water, or well. As those were seen to be passages to the Underworld. Most often the God/esses were involved (though that goes for any magic of this period). Specifically Hecate, Hermes, and Persephone as these were all associated with the Underworld. The point of the spells was to speed the cursed person to the other side hence the associations with death.

The other popular kinds of spells were talismans, for good luck, and phylacteries, for protection. Phylacteries and talismans are also known as amulets today.

One such amulet, in specific, is very special. On it is a beseeching of Apollo to help protect from something. We don’t know what that something is unfortunately, only so much of the text could be translated due to dialect and, I imagine, a penchant for getting creative with words. What is special about it in the archaeological world is that it was made out of gold and it was also stamped with a stamp, not carved into the metal with a stylus. This might suggest that there were many of them made at the time.

Talismans were also popular, I mean since when is good luck not popular? One of the good luck charms made its way from Egypt to Ancient Greece. The scarab or as we know it, the dung beetle, was a symbol of good luck for the Egyptians, but also of life, death, rebirth and the gods. For the Greeks it was a much simpler good luck talisman. The fashioned images or small carvings could be worn as pendants, rings, and bracelets.

Necromancy was also performed in ancient Greece. This was considered an illegal practice though it was performed in the Necromanteion, a temple to the God and Goddess of the underworld Hades and Persephone. Necromancy was the art of talking to the dead, the reason for doing so is that it was thought that after death the spirit was able to see the future.

Love spells were also a sought after item. What we know now as poppets were used. They would make the doll out of wax, mud, or lead and then be pierced with needles in the eyes, mouth, and sex organs. This was thought to arouse the person targeted. There were also potions made from things such as a lizard’s dick or a lizard's tail, this was thought to confer virility.

Last but not least I should mention the Delphic Oracles. These were women over 50 that lived away from their husbands, and dressed in maidens clothing. They were given the name Pythia. The priestess would go to the cave and sit on a stool that sat near vents from which gasses would escape. There were other priests and priestesses that would attend to and interpret the incomprehensible words that the priestess would say. Making the oracular statement understandable to the one who asked the question that the Oracle was answering.

I’m sure there was more magic that intertwined the lives of the Ancient Greeks, but I’ve covered what I could. The Greeks were no more or less magical than present or other cultures of other times. They did what many of us do, reached for the power of that which was within and without to affect change in their world.

Pendle Witches of 1612 Part I

In this story 12 Witches were accused and were from Pendle Hill in Lancashire. They were accused of murdering a total of ten people by using means of witchcraft. Ten of the twelve were tried at the Lancaster Assizes/Inquests on August 18-19, 1612. They were tried alongside others who were known as the Samlesbury witches (we will touch on them in another episode most likely). One of the “witches” died in prison before the trials and another was tried in the York Assizes/Inquests on July 27,1612. There were nine women and two men who were tried, ten of which were found guilty and hung. There was one survivor who was found incredibly not guilty. This was one of the largest group hangings in England between the 15th and 18th centuries. This accounted for a grand 2% of the 500 witches which were tried in this period in England.

Such a large outbreak might suggest that there was an abundance, maybe an over abundance of healers who had skills in using talismans, herbal remedies and charms. This perchance led to an unhealthy sense of competitiveness in the community pitting one against another. One such case might have been between Elizabeth Southerns (a.k.a. Demdike’s) family and Anne Whittle’s (a.k.a. Chattox) family. Demdike’s family consisted of her daughter Elizabeth Device, and grandchildren James and Alison Device. With Chattox it was her and her daughter Anne Redferne. Each of these families' eldest women were the heads of the family and in their eighties making them at high risk to be predisposed to being accused as witches.  Among others that were accused were Jane and her son John Bulcock, Alice Nutter, Alice Grey, Jennet Preston and Katherine Hewitt.

Historically, as we know, the churches of England were in constant turmoil between Protestant and Catholic beliefs. These changes came upon the heels of each new ruler. James I being strongly influenced by Scotland’s separation from the Catholic Church became strongly interested/swayed by the Protestant Church. Protestant theology on witchcraft particularly spiked his interest. In the 1590’s he believed he was being plotted against by witches and in 1597 he wrote a book, Daemonology pronouncing followers had to denounce and prosecute anybody practicing or supporting witchcraft. Although he instituted the death penalty on any witches proven guilty of causing death or exhuming bodies in the name of the craft he also would personally expose discrepancies in given testimonies at witch trials that might prove incorrect.

In the unruly countryside of Lancashire in early 1612 all justices of the peace were directed to list anyone who refused to attend and/or take communion in the church. This was a criminal offense. A Roger Nowell, Justice of the Peace for Pendle was made to investigate an alleged offense of witchcraft committed against one John Law, a pedlar who claimed the act of witchcraft had injured him. This shows the climate of the times in and around the area.

Now coming back around. Demdike had been a known healer/witch in the area for over fifty years. What brought these trials about seems to have stemmed from an event occurring on March 21,1612.

Demdike’s granddaughter crossed paths with John Law, from Halifax, on her way to Trawden Forest. It’s unclear as to whether Alizon was begging or whether John strait refused but a quarrel came over some expensive straight pins that Alizon was trying to procure, most likely for the use of magic. Shortly after the interaction John Law may have suffered what we know as a stroke today witnessed by Alizon. He made it to safety and initially made no claim as to witchcraft as having been a part of it. Later, however, Abraham Law (John Law’s son) approached Alizon and, being convinced of her powers, Alison admitted to the crime and asked for forgiveness.

On March 30,1612 Alizon and James Device and her mother Elizabeth were to appear before Roger Nowell. Alizon confessed to lame John Law via the power of the Devil to whom she had sold her soul. Her brother added that she bewitched a local child. Elizabeth reservedly admitted that her mother, Demdike, had a mark on her body that may have been from the Devil.

When Alizon had been questioned about Anne Whittle (a.k.a. Chattox) she saw perhaps an opportunity to exact revenge on Anne Whittle and seized the moment. There had been bad blood between the families as early back as possibly 1601. It is claimed by Alizon that

Old Chattox was to blame for the death of four men by witchcraft and her father John Device who died in 1601. John Device was so afraid of Chattox in his life that he made payments of 8lbs of oatmeal to Chattox annually except the year before his death. It was his claim that Chattox caused his illness due to not having made the annual installment. Then there was the claim that a member of the Chattox family broke into the home of the Devices and stole items nearing the worth of £1 which today (2024) in the U.S. would be approximately $290.

By the time the two Matriarchs were summoned before Nowell on April 2,1612 they were both in their eighties and blind AND given “damning confessions” (en.m.wikipedia.org) to Nowell that they were affiliated with the Devil in one manner or another.

Based on a woman and witness by the name of Margaret Crooke, Anne Redferne (Chattox’s daughter) was accused of making clay figures as well as being the cause of Margaret’s brother’s death. Nowell sent them to Lancaster Goal to be tried for maleficium, ‘causing harm via witchcraft or sorcery’. Things could’ve ended here with these four women but it didn’t…

This is where we’ll pause and wait for part II of the story.

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendle_witches