Martha Brossier
Martha Brossier | |
---|---|
Born | 1556 |
Died | after 1600 |
Other names | Martha Broissier, Madam Brossier, Marthe Brossier |
Martha (or Marthe) Brossier (1556 – after 1600) was a French woman, known for claiming
Demonic torment
The maladies from which she was said to suffer included extreme shortness of breath, an ability to stick out her tongue unreasonably far, and the gnashing of her teeth. She would writhe and move her mouth as if she had convulsions, while contorting her face, rolling her eyes, and appearing to show deep vexation and torment. She would also contort her body parts. A rumbling noise was heard from the area of her spleen under her short ribs on her left side, causing her left thigh to spasm.
She often spoke in a violent and roaring voice. She was recorded to have lain flat on her back and skipped from the altar to the door of a great chapel in four or five lifts, which onlookers described as giving an impression of her being dragged or lifted, presumably by demons. During her demonic fits, she was able to endure pinpricks to her hands and neck with limited bleeding. She was also able to speak with her mouth shut, often speaking English and Greek with apparent fluency.
Discovery
Charles Miron thought that Marthe Brossier's claim that she was possessed was fraudulent. He made her drink holy water under the guise of normal water. He also had the exorcists present her with a key wrapped up in red silk, stating that the silk contained a
See also
- Abraham Hartwell
- Augustin Calmet
- A Guide to Grand-Jury Men
- Margareta i Kumla
- Richard Bernard
- Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants
- Loudun possessions
Notes
- Calmet, Augustin (1751). ISBN 1-5331-4568-7.
- Bernard, Richard (1627). ISBN 1542697077.
Further reading
- ISBN 1987654439.