A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summers

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A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summers

Postby Stephen Morgan » Fri Apr 15, 2011 4:00 pm

Admirably, and quite rightly, denounces Hopkins the Witchfinder General as a predator on the folly of the ignorant. Points out that the Arabs believed certain witches to ride on brooms and presents evidence of the widespread belief in this phenomenon. Quite rightly points out that, stripped of the references to flight, the hopping around on broomsticks, similar to the actions of children playing with the pagan hobby horses, is a widespread practice amongst the witches of history.

Mentions the practice of magicians anointing themselves with unguents, as is a common theme in, for example, were-wolf cases as well as witchcraft. These two themes remind me of a rationalist theory that witchcraft allegations were based on women smearing soothing creams on their broom handles and using them to treat vaginal irritation. Seems unlikely. The unguents and brooms are often both mentioned, but rarely in conjunction, and men are seen riding the brooms too.

Points out that the "devil" or man in black commonly seen to preside over the sabbat was often a local man, and often identifiable by name. A Roger Birtles and a Lord Soulis are named as "devil"s. Mentioned in conjunction with an ancient law against donning the skin of a wild animal, not werewolfism because it mentions "herd animals" specifically, stags and bulls. I've rarely come across an account of a "devil" who looks like anything other than a man, though. Only one of the "devil"s listed is a woman, seemingly the only one Summers could find, as he specifically says this was a rare occurence. Indeed noble titles seem to have been very common amongst the devils, which is no surprise to me. Lord Soulis, the Earl of Bothwell, etc.. In the case of the latter, the usual sex magic and poisoning are mentioned.

Albert Pike implicated.

The dress, of black gown and hat or an animalistic attire, is likened to theatrical costumery. Theatre was, of course, forbidden in early Christianity, at that time being associated with the Greek theatre which consisted of pagan religious plays and interval entertainment of naked dancing girls and so forth. Hence the long lasting ban on the theatre in Christian lands, and the longer lasting ban on actresses. Of course we're more enlightened now, and don't think that, say, Hollywood is trying to psychoprogramme us or that movies have any sort of sexual component or that the sexuality of actresses is available to, say, their agents or casting executives or rich businessmen.

The continuity of witchcraft from pre-Christian Rome is noted, and the Roman laws against it. A surprisingly large number of such laws, in fact. Rome seems to represent a starting point for laws against witchcraft, although plenty of tales of ritual magic exist from earlier times, amongst the Levantines and Egyptians and further east, also I believe amongst the Ethiopians. Of course amongst the Levantines the cults of Molock and so on were open and widely followed, happy to go around slaughtering infants and so on. If that's your established religion, what sort of thing must witches do to outrage the gods and public morality? Egypt was very centralised. In Greece the more egregious cults either covered themselves over with epiphanies, short spells of madness like those of the Dionysiacs, or covered themselves up like the Eleusinians in their secret caves. A sort of secret conspiracy which rendered any legal action against them unlikely. The Romans perhaps offered the first opportunity to the common man to attempt to eliminate this pernicious cult. The first time it had been a cult, rather than something more, mayhap.

History of the lenient repressions of heterodoxy from Roman period to about 1000 AD.

In the 1030s a community of Manichaeans was found running a cult compound in a Piedmontese castle. Doesn't say how they got themselves a castle. Some were arrested and taken to Milan where they were defended by the elitist party before being burned at the insistence of the Populares.

"Terrorism and secret murder were their most frequent weapons."

Several cases cites, Mani-derived heretics such as Cathars and Patarini running reigns of terror. Saints cut down with axes, bishops assassinated, districts kept in a state of terror. Reign by violent gangs. Testimony of a former cultist, Ivan de Narbonne, claiming common secret signals for identification were used, painting a picture of an international conspiracy. Codewords, too. Called each other by "brother" and "sister". Only slight inroads in Britain, just like in Occult Causes of the Present War.

Enmity for the Manichaeans, who saw sin as a duty, common to both Christian and Muslim lands. History of the Manichaeans until chased from the Roman empire in the twelfth century. Specifically claims cultists would breed children for sacrifice, as is claimed in modern SRA cases. Records exactly the same practice, consumption of the flesh of infants to ensure members won't confess, in both 1022 and 1661. Continuity.

to be continued
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible. -- Lawrence of Arabia
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Re: A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summe

Postby sunny » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:16 pm

Hey SM, thanks for this. Any chance you could continue? It's quite fascinating.
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Re: A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summe

Postby Stephen Morgan » Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:00 am

sunny wrote:Hey SM, thanks for this. Any chance you could continue? It's quite fascinating.


I think I've made clear my position on regimented reading.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible. -- Lawrence of Arabia
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Re: A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summe

Postby Stephen Morgan » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:12 am

Actually I finished re-reading it ages ago, but didn't bother writing anything about it. A couple of things I noted:

Two hundred children found in the castles of du Retz.

Tales of how the devil seduces witches in the form of incubi and succubi, as to whether it is possible to indulge one's sexual lusts with a spirit being, or whether the devil merely causes delusions in the minds of humans, or reanimates corpses of the dead, or uses some sort of dildo.

An astonishingly long history of the dildo, largely in Latin without the usual translation, then follows. History of it throughout the ages, in pagan religious practice, in illicit medieval acts, in papal bulls, in the usual form of usage.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible. -- Lawrence of Arabia
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Re: A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summe

Postby Stephen Morgan » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:22 am

The book can be downloaded too: http://darkbooks.org/pp.php?v=501612699
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible. -- Lawrence of Arabia
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Re: A History of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, Montague Summe

Postby sunny » Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:18 am

Thanks for the link!
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