They may not always wear a witch's hat, but almost every culture has tales of magic-using hermits in its folklore. Whether wielding an extensive knowledge of herbs, a mastery of psychology or perhaps something stranger still, cast a scryer's eye on...
Christence Kruckow, Philanthropist and Curse-Monger
Gowdie confessed to various acts of magical sabotage, joining a coven, making eldritch pacts, taking flight and shapeshifting. She also claimed to have had carnal relations with the devil and to have feasted with elves beneath a local mound.
Malin Matsdotter and Anna Simonsdotter HackThese two separate women met their deaths in 1676. Both were accused of witchcraft during the "Great Witch Hunt" of Sweden.
While Anna confessed (and subsequently was cleanly decapitated) Malin held in to her claims of innocence, even in the face of her own daughters claiming that she'd taken their children (her grandchildren) to black masses. She was sentenced to burn at the stake, with a bag of gunpowder tied around the neck as a small mercy.
The story goes that de Soules had a habit of kidnapping women and children. In one instance, he killed the father of a woman he was attempting to drag off, only to find himself surrounded by villagers looking for some payback. He was spared by the arrival of a local Laird named Alexander Armstrong, who was able to calm the crowds enough for de Soules to leave (albeit without his victim.) The monstrous de Soules would later repay Armstrong by inviting him to a banquet... and then stabbing him in the back.
It's best not to speculate what de Soules did with his victims, but he was said to summon a familiar by the name of Robin Redcap. Redcaps are a sort of Scottish fairy that must keep their hats dyed with fresh blood, and de Soules is said to have used the creature to further terrorize his subjects.
Legend has it that the locals eventually took their revenge on de Soules by binding him in chains and boiling him alive in a cauldron of molten lead!
Marie Laveau, Vodou Queen of New OrleansLiving in New Orleans between 1801 and 1881, Marie Laveau used her intelligence and social acumen to parlay information garnered whilst hair-dressing into becoming the "Vodou Queen of New Orleans."
Vodou itself finds roots in the Dahomey tribe of Africa and (due to their links to the slave trade) the practice made its way across the Atlantic to America. Consisting of spirit worship & root work, the religion practiced by Laveau gained an aura of mystery that fascinated the un-initiated.
By taking the gossip of clients (many of whom worked in the households of the wealthy and powerful) Laveau was able to cultivate an almost supernatural picture of current events in New Orleans... which allowed her to offer seemingly clairvoyant levels of advice and information to those who'd pay for it. By playing on this precognitive reputation (and by adding in a fair bit of theatrics) she would dominate the Vodou scene until her death.
Ursula Southeil lived in this cave between 1488 and 1561, having been born there out of wedlock to a 15-year-old orphan named Agnes. The cave contained a pool in the shape of a skull, and Ursula filled her time by foraging for local plants and making herbal remedies. She did spend some time in town (where strange events seemed to occur to anyone who mocked her appearance) and even managed to get married to a local carpenter, Tobias Shipton.
The marriage only lasted a few years before the death of Tobias (which rumor suggested she'd had a hand in) and Ursula retreated back to her cave and eventually faded into legend. A petrifying well can be found near her dwelling to this day!
Thanks for reading - for more strange stories, try...
- Christence Kruckow, Philanthropist and Curse-Monger
- The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
- Malin Matsdotter and Anna Simonsdotter Hack
- Lord William de Soules and Robin Redcap
- Marie Laveau, Vodou Queen of New Orleans
- Ursula Southeil, "Mother Shipton"
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| Witches were said to brew magic potions - though they could have just known their herbs! (juliacasado1) |
Christence Kruckow, Philanthropist and Curse-Monger
Christence (or Christenze) Kruckow was a member of the Danish upper class in the household of Eiler Brockenhuus. She might have been planning to seduce Brockenhuus when his wife died, but was ultimately beaten to the punch by Anne Brille.
Brille became pregnant fifteen times over the next decade, with each ending in a miscarriage or death in infancy. Suspecting witchcraft, authorities tried and burnt a pair of the household servants - but not before they implicated Kruckow. Being nobility, Kruckow simply moved to her sister's house in Alborg to avoid any consequences - the upper class generally preferred to avoid scandal if possible.
Some of the rumors stuck with the Kruckow though, leaving her in perilous position when the fanatical King Christian IV ascended the throne. When a neighbor fell ill, Kruckow was named as a suspect again... which drew the attention of the king.
Kruckow found herself tired by the king's privy council, and actually confessed to having attempted to curse Anne Brille in the past. She was condemned to death, though her rank afforded her execution by the sword rather than burning.
In a bit of a twist, Kruckow was something of a philanthropist - and she even sponsored a scholarship at the University of Copenhagen known as the "Beheaded Virgin's Grant."
The Confession of Isobel Gowdie
Living in Auldearn near Loch Loy in Scotland, Isobel and her husband probably eked out a simple existence as cotters - small-time farmers working a parcel of land on behalf of a laird.That all changed when Gowdie was accused of witchcraft and confined to the Tolbooth jail of Auldearn. She probably wasn't officially tortured, but in Scotland it was common for a "witch-pricker" to examine a suspected witch.
The accused would be stripped and pricked all over with a pin, thanks to the belief that all witches bore a "witch mark" that could not feel pain or bleed. Some of these prickers used sleight of hand to "find" such a spot, numbing the location by rubbing it or sometimes using a blunted or retractable pin. Why did they do this you ask? Well, a professional pricker would be paid a bounty for each witch uncovered!
Gowdie confessed to various acts of magical sabotage, joining a coven, making eldritch pacts, taking flight and shapeshifting. She also claimed to have had carnal relations with the devil and to have feasted with elves beneath a local mound.
Curiously, ergot (a sneaky little fungus that can infect wheat, rye and other cereal crops) poisoning can cause hallucinations and irrational behavior if accidentally consumed. Her confession actually mentions rye-meal, which implies she had familiarity with that crop - perhaps she had suffered ergotism and really did believe that she'd participated in the activities she described. Either way, she was likely strangled and burned after confessing.
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| Ergot can have psychotropic effects... and it's fairly easy to miss! (jhenning) |
Malin Matsdotter and Anna Simonsdotter HackThese two separate women met their deaths in 1676. Both were accused of witchcraft during the "Great Witch Hunt" of Sweden.
While Anna confessed (and subsequently was cleanly decapitated) Malin held in to her claims of innocence, even in the face of her own daughters claiming that she'd taken their children (her grandchildren) to black masses. She was sentenced to burn at the stake, with a bag of gunpowder tied around the neck as a small mercy.
Malin maintained her innocence to the last (even telling one of her daughters and accusers to go to hell) and the questions that arouse around her execution marked the end of the witch-hunting craze in Sweden. Supposedly her daughter was eventually executed for giving false testimony in the case!
Lord William de Soules and Robin Redcap
Sometime in the 14th century, Lord William de Soules ruled over a Scottish castle near the English border. Here's where history diverges into two stories - the mundane (that he got tied up in a treasonous plot) and the magical (that he was a dark magician, hated and feared by his subjects!)The story goes that de Soules had a habit of kidnapping women and children. In one instance, he killed the father of a woman he was attempting to drag off, only to find himself surrounded by villagers looking for some payback. He was spared by the arrival of a local Laird named Alexander Armstrong, who was able to calm the crowds enough for de Soules to leave (albeit without his victim.) The monstrous de Soules would later repay Armstrong by inviting him to a banquet... and then stabbing him in the back.
It's best not to speculate what de Soules did with his victims, but he was said to summon a familiar by the name of Robin Redcap. Redcaps are a sort of Scottish fairy that must keep their hats dyed with fresh blood, and de Soules is said to have used the creature to further terrorize his subjects.
Legend has it that the locals eventually took their revenge on de Soules by binding him in chains and boiling him alive in a cauldron of molten lead!
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| Not every familiar can be a cat, I guess... (Hannah Troupe) |
Marie Laveau, Vodou Queen of New OrleansLiving in New Orleans between 1801 and 1881, Marie Laveau used her intelligence and social acumen to parlay information garnered whilst hair-dressing into becoming the "Vodou Queen of New Orleans."
Vodou itself finds roots in the Dahomey tribe of Africa and (due to their links to the slave trade) the practice made its way across the Atlantic to America. Consisting of spirit worship & root work, the religion practiced by Laveau gained an aura of mystery that fascinated the un-initiated.
By taking the gossip of clients (many of whom worked in the households of the wealthy and powerful) Laveau was able to cultivate an almost supernatural picture of current events in New Orleans... which allowed her to offer seemingly clairvoyant levels of advice and information to those who'd pay for it. By playing on this precognitive reputation (and by adding in a fair bit of theatrics) she would dominate the Vodou scene until her death.
Ursula Southeil, "Mother Shipton"
The woman known as "Mother Shipton" was credited with predicting the Great Fire of London, the advent of ironclad ships and the events of the Spanish Armada. She lived in a cave outside Knaresborough in Yorkshire, and fit the traditional image of a witch - she was both solitary in nature and strange in looks.Ursula Southeil lived in this cave between 1488 and 1561, having been born there out of wedlock to a 15-year-old orphan named Agnes. The cave contained a pool in the shape of a skull, and Ursula filled her time by foraging for local plants and making herbal remedies. She did spend some time in town (where strange events seemed to occur to anyone who mocked her appearance) and even managed to get married to a local carpenter, Tobias Shipton.
The marriage only lasted a few years before the death of Tobias (which rumor suggested she'd had a hand in) and Ursula retreated back to her cave and eventually faded into legend. A petrifying well can be found near her dwelling to this day!
Thanks for reading - for more strange stories, try...