|
By W. Grant Stewart
The most formidable of all
the powers conferred on a witch consists in the torture and destruction of
human beings by infernal machination. There are various processes by which
those hellish practices are accomplished, but the most common process is
that invented and used by that eminent and distinguished witch, "Crea Mhoir
cun Drochdair,” who was burnt and worried at a stake at Inverness, about two
centuries ago, for bewitching and keeping in torment the body of the
Provost’s son. Crea made an effigy of clay and other hellish ingredients,
into which she stuck pins and other sharp instruments. This effigy of the
Provost’s son she placed on a spit at a large fire, and by these cantrips
the hag communicated such agonizing torments to the young gentleman, that he
must have had speedily fallen a victim to his sufferings, had it not been
for the happy discovery made by means of a little grandchild of Crea Mhoir’s,
who divulged the whole secret to a little companion, for the small
gratification of a piece of bread and cheese. But although Crea, honest
woman, was long ago disposed of, to the great comfort and satisfaction of
her countrymen, who naturally enough ascribed to her all the calamities
which happened in the country during her lifetime, she left behind her the
immortal fruits of her genius, for the benefit of her black * 233 posterity,
in those mischievous inventions practised by the witches of latter times,
who understand the knack of torturing their unhappy contemporaries in all
its branches, as exemplified in the cases of several worthies noticed in the
sequel.
The next important power of a witch and a warlock consists in their control
over air and water, whereby they raise most dreadful storms and hurricanes
by sea and by land, and thus accomplish the destruction of many a valuable
life, which otherwise might have been long spared. The following account of
the loss of a most excellent gentleman exhibits too melancholy an instance
of the success of their experiments in this way :—
“John Garve Macgillichallum of Razay was an ancient hero of great celebrity.
Distinguished in the age in which he lived for the gallantry of his
exploits, he has often been selected by the bard as the theme of his poems
and songs. Alongst with a constitution of body naturally vigorous and
powerful, Razay was gifted with all those noble qualities of the mind which
a true hero is supposed to possess. And what reflected additional lustre on
his character, was that he never failed to apply his talents and powers to
the best uses. He was the active and inexorable enemy of the weird
sisterhood, many of whom he was the auspicious instrument of sending to
their ‘ black inheritance ’ much sooner than they either expected or
desired. It was not therefore to be supposed, that, while those amiable
actions endeared Razay to all good people, they were at all calculated to
win him the regard of those infernal hags to whom he was so deadly a foe. As
might be naturally expected, they cherished towards him the most implacable
thirst of revenge, and sought, with unremitting vigilance, for an
opportunity of quenching it. That such an opportunity did unhappily occur,
and that the meditated revenge of these hags was too well accomplished, will
speedily appear from this melancholy story.
“It happened upon a time that Razay and a number of friends planned an
expedition to the island of Lewis, for the purpose of hunting the deer of
that place. They accordingly embarked on board the chieftain’s yacht, manned
by the flower of the young men of Razay, and in a few hours they chased the
fleet-bounding hart on the mountains of Lewis. Their sport proved excellent.
Hart after hart, and hind after hind, were soon levelled to the ground by
the unerring hand of Razay; and when night terminated the chase, they
retired to their shooting quarters, where they spent the night with
joviality and mirth, little dreaming of their melancholy fate in the
morning.
“In the morning of next day, the chief of Razay and his followers rose with
the sun, with the view of returning to Razay. The day was squally and
occasionally boisterous, and the billows raged with great violence. But
Razay was determined to cross the channel to his residence, and ordered his
yacht to prepare for the voyage. The more cautious and less courageous of
his suite, however, urged on him to defer the expedition till the weather
should somewhat settle,—an advice which Razay, with a courage which knew no
fear, rejected, and expressed his firm determination to proceed without
delay. Probably with a view to inspire his company with the necessary degree
of courage to induce them all to concur in the undertaking, he adjourned
with them to the ferry-house, where they had recourse to that supporter of
spirits under every trial, the usquebaugh, a few bottles of which added
vastly to the resolution of the company. Just as the party were disputing
the practicability of the proposed adventure, an old woman, with wrinkled
front, bending on a crutch, entered the ferry-house; and Razay, in the heat
of argument, appealed to the old woman, whether the passage of the channel
on such a day was not perfectly practicable and free from danger. The woman,
without hesitation, replied in the affirmative, adding such observations,
reflecting on their courage, as immediately silenced every opposition to the
voyage; and, accordingly the whole party embarked in the yacht for Razay.
But, alas! what were the consequences? No sooner were they abandoned to the
mercy of the waves than the elements seemed to conspire to their
destruction. All attempts to put back the vessel proved unavailing, and she
was speedily driven out before the wind in the direction of Razay. The
heroic chieftain laboured hard to animate his company, and to dispel the
despair which began to seize them, by the most exemplary courage and
resolution. He took charge of the helm, and in spite of the combined efforts
of the sea, wind, and lightning, he kept the vessel steadily on her course
towards the lofty point of Aird, in Skye. The drooping spirits of his crew
began to revive, and hope began to smile upon them,—when lo ! to their great
astonishment, a large cat was seen to climb the rigging. This cat was soon
followed by another of equal size, and the last by a successor, until at
length the shrouds, masts, and whole tackle were actually covered with them.
Nor did the sight of all those cats, although he knew well enough their real
character, intimidate the resolute Razay, *until a large black cat, larger
than any of the rest, appeared on the mast-head, as commander-in-chief of
the whole legion. Razay, on observing him, instantly foresaw the result; he,
however, determined to sell his life as dearly as possible, and immediately
commanded an attack upon the cats; but, alas ! it soon proved abortive. With
a simultaneous effort the cats overturned the vessel on her leeward wale,
and every soul on board was precipitated into a watery grave. Thus ended the
glorious life of Jan Garbh Macgillichallum of Razay, to the lasting regret
of the brave clan Leod and all good people, and to the great satisfaction of
the abominable witches who thus accomplished his lamentable doom.
“The same day, another hero, celebrated for his hatred of witchcraft, was
warming himself in his hunting hut, in the forest of Gaick, in Badenoch. His
faithful hounds, fatigued with the morning chase, lay stretched on the turf
by his side,—his gun, that would not miss, reclined in the neuk of the bothy,—the
skian dhu of the sharp edge hung by his side, and these alone constituted
his company. As the hunter sat listening to the howling storm as it whistled
by, there entered at the door an apparently poor weather-beaten cat,
shivering with cold, and drenched to the skin. On observing her, the hairs
of the dogs became erected bristles, and they immediately rose to attack the
pitiable cat, which stood trembling at the door. ‘ Great hunter of the
hills,’ exclaims the poor-looking trembling cat,’ I claim your protection. I
know your hatred to my craft, and perhaps it is just. Still spare, O spare a
poor jaded wretch, who thus flies to you for protection from the cruelty and
oppression of her sisterhood.’ Moved to compassion by her eloquent address,
and disdaining to take advantage of his greatest enemy in such a seemingly
forlorn situation, he pacified his infuriated dogs, and desired her to come
forward to the fire and warm herself. ‘ Nay,’ says she, ‘ in the first
place, you will please bind with this long hair those two furious hounds of
yours, for I am afraid they will tear my poor hams to pieces. I pray you,
therefore, my dear sir, that you would have the goodness to bind them
together by the necks with this long hair.’ But the curious nature of the
hair induced the hunter to dissemble a little. Instead of having bound his
dogs with it, as he pretended, he threw it across a beam of wood which
connected the couple of the bothy. The witch then, supposing the dogs
securely bound, approached the fire, and squatted herself down as if to dry
herself. She had not sitten many minutes, when the hunter could easily
discover a striking increase in her size, which he could not forbear
remarking in a jocular manner to herself. ‘A bad death to you, you nasty
beast,’ says the hunter; ‘you are getting very large.’ ‘Ay, ay,’ replied the
cat equally jocosely, ‘as my hairs imbibe the heat, they naturally expand.’
These jokes, however, were but a prelude to a more serious conversation. The
cat still continuing her growth, had at length attained a most extraordinary
size,— when, in the twinkling of an eye, she transformed herself into her
proper likeness of the Goodwife of Laggan, and thus addressed him : * Hunter
of the Hills, your hour of reckoning is arrived. Behold me before you, the
avowed champion of my devoted sisterhood, of whom Macgillichallum of Razay
and you were always the most relentless enemies. But Razay is no more. His
last breath is fled. He lies a lifeless corpse on the bottom of the main ;
and now, Hunter of the Hills, it is your turn.’ With these words, assuming a
most hideous and terrific appearance, she made a spring at the hunter. The
two dogs, which she supposed securely bound by the infernal hair, sprung at
her in her turn, and a most furious conflict ensued. The witch, thus
unexpectedly attacked by the dogs, now began to repent of her temerity. ‘
Fasten, hair, fasten,’ she perpetually exclaimed, supposing the dogs to have
been bound by the hair; and so effectually did the hair fasten, according to
her order, that it at last snapt the beam in twain. At length, finding
herself completely overpowered, she attempted a retreat, but so closely were
the hounds fastened in her breasts, that it was with no small difficulty she
could get herself disengaged from them. Screaming and shrieking, the Wife of
Laggan dragged herself out of the house, trailing after the dogs, which were
fastened in her so closely, that they never loosed
their hold until she demolished every tooth in their heads. Then
metamorphosing herself into the likeness of a raven, she fled over the
mountains in the direction of her home. The two faithful dogs, bleeding and
exhausted, returned to their master, and, in the act of carressing his hand,
both fell down and expired at his feet. Regretting their loss with a sorrow
only known to the parent who weeps over the remains of departed children, he
buried his devoted dogs, and returned home to his family. His wife was not
in the house when he arrived, but she soon made her appearance. ‘Where have
you been, my love? inquired the husband. ‘Indeed,’ replies she, 'I have been
seeing the Good wife of Laggan, who has been just seized with so severe an
illnessj that she is not expected to live for any time. ’ ‘Ay!
ay!’ says he, 'what is the matter with the worthy woman?’ ‘She was all day
absent in the moss at her peats,' replies the wife, ‘and was seized with a
sudden colic, in consequence of getting wet feet; and now all her friends
and neighbours are expecting her demission.’ ‘Poor woman,’ says the
husband,* ‘I am sorry for her. Get me some dinner; it will be right that I
should go and see her also.’ Dinner being provided and despatched, the
hunter immediately proceeded to the house of Laggan, where he found a great
assemblage of neighbours mourning, with great sincerity, the approaching
decease of a woman whom they all had hitherto esteemed virtuous. The hunter,
walking up to the sick woman’s bed in a rage, proportioned to the greatness
of its cause, stripped the sick woman of all her coverings. A shriek from
the now exposed witch brought all the company around her. ‘ Behold/ says he,
‘ the object of your solicitude, who is nothing less than an infernal witch.
To-day, she informs me, she was present at the death of the Laird of Razay,
and only a few hours have elapsed since she attempted to make me share his
fate. This night, however, she shall expiate her crime, by the forfeiture of
her horrid life.’ Relating to the company the whole circumstances of her
attack upon him, which were too well corroborated by the conclusive marks
she bore on her person, the whole company were perfectly convinced of her
criminality ; and the customary punishment was about to be inflicted on her,
when the miserable wretch addressed them as follows: ‘My ill-requited
friends, spare an old acquaintance, already in the agonies of death, from
any further mortal degradation. My crimes and my folly now stare me in the
face, in their true colours; while my vile and perfidious seducer, the enemy
of your temporal and spiritual interests, only laughs at me in my distress;
and, as a reward for my fidelity to his interest, in seducing every thing
that was amiable, and in destroying every thing that was good, he is now
about to consign my soul to eternal misery. Let my example be a warning to
all the people of the earth to shun the fatal rock on which I have split;
and as a strong inducement for them to do so, I shall atone for my iniquity
to the utmost of my ability, by detailing to you the awful history of my
life.^ Here the Wife of Laggan detailed at full length the way she was
seduced into the service of the Evil One,—all the criminal adventures j Q in
which she had been engaged, and ended with a particular account of the death
of Macgillichallum of Razay, and her attack upon the hunter, and then
expired.
“Meanwhile, a neighbour of the Wife of Laggan was returning home late at
night from Strathdearn, where he had been upon some business, and had just
entered the dreary forest of Monalea, in Badenoch, when he met a woman
dressed in black, who ran with great speed, and inquired of the traveller,
with great agitation, how’ far she was distant from the churchyard of
Dalarossie, and if she could be there by twelve o’clock. The traveller told
her she might, if she continued to go at the same pace that she did then.
She then fled alongst the road, uttering the most desponding lamentations,
and the traveller continued his road to Badenoch. He had not, however,
walked many miles when he met a large black dog, which travelled past him
with much velocity, as if upon the scent of a track or footsteps ; and soon
after he met another large black dog sweeping along in the same manner. The
last dog, however, was scarcely past, when he met a stout black man on a
fine fleet black courser, prancing along in the same direction after the
dogs. ‘ Pray,’ says the rider to the traveller, ‘ did you meet a woman as
you came along the hill? 'The traveller replied in the affirmative. ‘And did
you meet a dog soon after?' rejoined the rider. The traveller replied he
did. ‘And,’ added the rider, ‘do you think the dog will overtake her ere she
can reach the church of Dalarossie?' ‘He will, at any rate, be very close
upon her heels,' answered the traveller. Each then took his own way. But
before the traveller had got the length of Glenbanchar, the rider overtook
him on his return, with the foresaid woman before him across the bow of his
saddle, and one of the dogs fixed in her breast, and another in her thigh.
‘Where did you overtake the woman?’ inquired the traveller. ‘Just as she was
entering the churchyard of Dalarossie,’ was his reply. On the traveller’s
return home, he heard of the fate of the unfortunate Wife of Laggan, which
soon explained the nature of the company he had met on the road. It was, no
doubt, the spirit of the Wife of Laggan flying for protection from the
infernal spirits (to whom she had sold herself), to the churchyard of
Dalarossie, which is so sacred a place, that a witch is immediately
dissolved from all her ties with Satan, on making a pilgrimage to it, either
dead or alive. But it seems the unhappy Wife of Laggan was a stage too
late.” |
