Witchcraft in Anglo-Saxon England
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Witchcraft in Anglo-Saxon England (
From surviving historical and archaeological evidence from the period, contemporary scholars believe that beliefs regarding magic in Anglo-Saxon England revolved largely around magico-medicinal healing, the use of various charms, amulets and herbal preparations to cure the sick. Literary accounts of many of these medicinal charms still survive. Archaeologists have also argued that certain burials, both in the pagan and Christian periods, represented female magical practitioners, of "cunning women", who may have practised witchcraft alongside benevolent magic.
Background
The period of Anglo-Saxon England lasted from circa 410 through to 1066 AD, during which individuals considered to be "Anglo-Saxon" in culture and language dominated the country's demographics and politics.[citation needed]
The early Anglo-Saxons had been adherents of religious beliefs now collectively known as
Literary accounts of Anglo-Saxon witches
In an
The Witch of Ailsworth
The Witch of Ailsworth appears in a charter discussing an Anglo-Saxon land transaction which took place in 948.[2]
Gesta Regum and the Witch of Berkeley
In the
According to this account, she stated that her corpse must be sewn up in the skin of a stag, lain on her back in a stone coffin, with the lid fastened down with lead and iron. Then, a heavy stone bound with three iron chains must be attached to the top. Furthermore, the witch stated that for fifty days, masses must be held for her, with psalms sung for fifty nights. She told her children that "If I lie secure for three nights, on the fourth day bury your mother in the ground, although I fear that the earth, which has so often been burdened by my wicked acts, will be loathe to accept me and caress me to its bosom." Following her death, they duly did so, but on the first two nights, as priests were chanting psalms around the body, devils broke into the church and snapped two of the chains on the coffin lid. On the third night, another devil, more powerful and terrifying that the others, burst into the church and snapped the chain, dragging the witch from her tomb. He placed her on a waiting black horse with hooks protruding from its back, and they all then vanished, with her cries being heard as far as four miles away.[4]
Gesta Herewardi and the Witch of Ely
In the
The author of the Gesta Herewardi claimed to have recounted this story from discussions with survivors of the guerrilla army as well as contemporary monks. However, Anthony Davies argued that the story was unlikely to be factually accurate, containing a number of problems. For instance, he believed it unlikely that King William, who by most accounts was a pious Christian, would have jeopardized the support that he had gained from the Christian Church by employing a witch. While accepting that a group of rebels did lead an uprising against Norman rule at Ely, Davies was of the opinion that this witch “belongs firmly to the realm of fiction.”[6]
The Witch of Ramsey
A further account of an Anglo-Saxon witch can be found in the Chronicle of the Abbey of Ramsay, a document written in the 12th century which had been based upon what the anonymous author discovered through reading Old English wills, writs and charters as well as tales that were passed down in local tradition.[7]
Liber Eliensis and Queen Aelfthryth
According to the
References
Footnotes
- ^ Davies 1989. p. 41.
- ^ Davies 1989. p. 49.
- ^ Davies 1989. pp. 43–44
- ^ Davies 1989. p. 44.
- ^ Davies 1989. pp. 41–42.
- ^ Davies 1989. pp. 42–43.
- ^ Davies 1989. pp. 45–.
- ^ Davies 1989. pp. 48–.
Bibliography
- Davies, Anthony (1989). Scragg, D. G. (ed.). "Witches in Anglo-Saxon England: Five Case Histories". Superstition and Popular Medicine in Anglo-Saxon England. Manchester: Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies: 41–56.
Further reading
- Elsakkers, M.J. (2010). "Article VIII: Anglo-Saxon laws on poisoning: an invitation to further investigation". Reading between the lines: Old Germanic and early Christian views on abortion. University of Amsterdam. Retrieved 31 July 2013. Includes a table of Old English laws on perjury, magic, lybblac, secret murder, prostitution and idol worship listing terms used in each law.