If You Don't Believe In Magic, Your Belief's Are About To Change!

#1

Witches have been popular subjects throughout history in tales, myths and legends. In more recent times, we have more reliable documentary evidence of real or supposed witches.

#2

Mother Shipton(1488 - 1561)

She was named as Ursula Southeil the daughter of the 16-year old suspected witch Agatha Southeil in 1488 . She was reputedly born deformed and hideously ugly, but was nevertheless taken in by a kindly townswoman. Her head was too large, her "goggling" eyes glowed like embers, her cheeks were sunken, her limbs were twisted and ill-formed, and she was born with a full set of teeth which protruded like the tusks of a boar. According to local accounts was referred to as "Devils Bastard" as she grew up, and it was believed by many that the father of such an ugly child must be the Devil himself. Some of the accounts of "strange and terrible noises" or a great crack of thunder and a pungent smell of brimstone at the moment of Ursula's birth are probably later fabrications to fit in with the fanciful notion that the Devil had been the child's father.

Fanciful tales grew up around her of strange events which were said to have plagued the cottage as she grew up. The furniture would mysteriously rearrange itself, plates be flung about, and food vanish before the eyes of astonished mealtime guests. It is said that when pushed beyond the limits of her notoriously limited patience, she would send goblins or even dragons to put some of her tormentors to flight. On one occasion, warned that her activities might lead to her being burnt as a witch, she supposedly put her wooden staff in the fire and, when the flames had no effect on it, said: "If this had been burned, I might have too'.

However, neither her growing reputation as a witch nor her appearance which apparently worsened as she grew up deterred a York carpenter and builder Toby Shipton from marrying her, in 1512 the inevitable tale developed that she had used a love-potion to bewitch her hapless suitor. Although they remained childless.

Mother Shipton was credited with the power to predict. Her early forecasts were to do with local people and events, and people travelled to Knaresborough from some distance around to consult her. She was particularly successful in solving the sort of commonplace interpersonal disputes, and it was recorded that thieves would publicly return stolen goods (apologizing to the astonished owners for their sin), wandering husbands would beg forgiveness and mend their ways, and corrupt officials would make spontaneous acts of restitution.

#3

Dame Alice le Kyteler(1280 - 1325)

She was born in Kilkenny in the year 1263. In her time she gained much notoriety not least because she acquired four husbands and a considerable fortune. Her enemies eventually conspired to accuse her of witchcraft and have her burned at the stake.

He first husband was William Outlawe, a local banker and they had a son, also called William, who was to feature strongly in the saga of her life. Her husband took ill and died suddenly within a few years of marriage and shortly afterwards Alice married her second wealthy husband, Adam de Blund of Cullen who soon also died suddenly and mysteriously. Having inherited two substantial fortunes, the now very wealthy Alice married Richard de Valle and the pattern continued with his early, sudden and mysterious death.She bore a son that they named William junior. Dame Alice lived in a beautiful house in the middle of town, and her increasing prosperity made her the subject of envy by the citizens of Kilkenny. Soon after her son's birth, she decided to build an addition to the house which she opened as an inn. The inn was a huge success, and soon became a meeting place for wealthy men who vied for the attentions of the alluring Dame Alice. She was by all accounts an attractive woman who could manipulate men to lavish gifts of money and jewels on her. She soon gathered around her a group of comely young women to help her run the inn which was the busiest in Kilkenny.

Alice was accused of murdering her first husband, with the complicity of the man who became her second husband, Adam le Blund of Callan. Eight years after her first marriage, He also died after a ‘drinking spree', and Alice was once again a widow. Both husbands conveniently left wills that provided her with everything. Husband number 3 was a landowner named Richard de Valle who soon met his maker one night after eating a sumptuous supper. Like husbands 1 and 2, he left his entire estate to Alice making her one of the wealthiest people in Kilkenny, and if the gossip was to be believed, the most wicked. Only the church was wealthier. Still only in her forties, Alice soon married her fourth husband, a frequent customer at the inn, named Sir John le Poer.

Alice's 4th husband, Sir John, began to feel poorly, losing his hair and his nails. Alice's step-children were alarmed by not only by their father's illness but also by the news that Sir John was about to sign a will leaving everything to Alice, effectively cutting them out.

When Sir John was taken ill, he suspected he was being poisoned, and on his death, Alice's step-children accused her of using poison and sorcery against their fathers, and of favouring her first-born son, William Outlawe Jr. In addition, she and her followers (ten of her servants and her son, William) were accused of denying the Christian faith, sacrificing animals to demons and blasphemy. There were some rather bizarre specific claims, included the mixing in a robber's skull of magical ointments made from worms, hairs from buttocks and clothing from unbaptized baby boys, and alleged intercourse with a demon named Robin or Son of Art, which reportedly appeared as a black shaggy dog or as three Ethiopians carrying iron rods. Various powders, charms and incantations were also found at her home.

In Ireland, however, there were still people who followed the old ways, blending the ancient Celtic religion with Christianity. There were very few witch hunts so the trial of Dame Alice Kyteler sent shockwaves throughout the country.

#4

Walpurga Hausmännin (died 1587)

France was scarcely the main European nation in the early current time to encounter serial executioners censured for their part in killings as well as on swelled charges of witchcraft. Widowed Austrian maternity specialist Walpurga Hausmännin likely was a kid murder, yet in the wake of being tormented for her admission, she was authoritatively executed for witchcraft and even vampirism. As indicated by her admission she had sexual relations with a devil and conceded to a composed contract to serve Satan in return for being spared from neediness and extreme poverty.

The evil presence provided for her an exceptional salve that she could use to incur enduring upon her victimized people. She kept on having a sexual relation with the devil guest and killed forty youngsters by means of the evil spirit's balm or actually sucking out their blood.

After all the brutal murders she was caught. Assertions against her included demonstrations of savagery done with different witches. To begin with, they seized her property. oth the local authorities (the church under the Archbishop of Augsburg, and the imperial court) sentenced her to death. She was taken through the city, stopping six times to torture and mutilate her before reaching the place of execution. There, her right hand (with which she had made her oath as a midwife) was cut off, and she was burned alive at the stake. Her ashes were thrown into the nearest flowing stream.