Hunting Witches in Print, Part Two – “Can They REALLY Fly?”
11 December 2006 by Eve
The Story Thus Far: In 1376 CE, Spanish Inquisitor Nicholas Eymerich published his Directorium Inquisitorum (“Inquisitors’ Manual”), the first comprehensive treatise on witch hunting in print (see Hunting Witches in Print, Part One – “Oh, No, Not SPAIN Again?!”)…
Not long after this historical publication, in 1384 to be exact, friar Ruggero da Carate interrogated Sibillia Zanni, a young society woman from Milan, Italy, who claimed to have attended occult ceremonies in several wealthy homes around town since the age of sixteen. A figure known as the Madonna Oriente (not the Christian Virgin Mary but a mysterious “Lady of the East,” derived from a Latin term often used to denote the moon as a goddess) or La Signora del Gioco (“Lady of the Games”) presided over these rituals, apparently performing magic acts. Soon another young woman, Pierina de Bugatis, was brought forward with a similar story.
Quite sensibly, the friar dismissed as fantasy their wildly fanciful tales of ghosts at the gatherings and animal bones miraculously brought back to flesh-and-blood life, and sent them home with a light penance that involved standing at a church door during mass with two large yellow crosses and three fingers sewn on their dresses for three Sundays.
The next time Sibillia appeared before a Church official, Inquisitor Beltramino di Cernuscullo listened to her very closely, asked further questions, took detailed notes, and promptly proceeded to “persuade” her, possibly by torture, to confess to worshipping the devil (Catholic definition). Today, her rather surreal descriptions of the elaborate rites sound suspiciously like the hallucinations brought on by certain natural agents and indeed, the secret knowledge her mystical mistress supposedly imparted to her devotees included the knowledge and use of herbs and such. Nevertheless, the Inquisitor took her seriously – all the way to her blazing demise.
On May 26, 1390 the town of Sant’ Eustorgio (site in Italian) burned Sibillia to death at the stake for witchcraft in the “game of Diana, named Herodias,” (site in Italian) and two months later on July 21, Pierina as well. Wikipedia’s “The Moon in Mythology” claims, “Those who worshipped her were the first Inquisition victims to be burned as witches, though not the first victims of persecution as witches nor the first victims of the Inquisition.”
(I wonder if the name “Sibillia” is derived from the Latin “sibylla,” the origin of our word “sibyl;” extra points to anyone who recognizes what an interesting coincidence this would be!)
Only ten years old at that time, German-born Johannes (a.k.a. John) Nider later entered the Dominican Order and studied philosophy in Vienna, Austria and Cologne, Germany. Unlike Eymerich, Nider concentrated on theology rather than the Inquisition, returning to teach at his Alma Mater, the University of Vienna in 1425. He became prior of the Dominican convent of Basel, Switzerland in 1431, thus perfectly positioning himself to participate as theologian and legate in the Council of Basel-Ferrara-Florence, which took place from approximately 1431 through 1445 – not before indulging in a spot of peace negotiation with the Bohemians along the way.
During the Council, he circulated his Formicarius (“The Ant Hill”), a collection of his writings (1435 - 1437) on current theological, philosophical, and social issues, including diabolism and sorcery, although again he departed from his Catalan predecessor by dedicating only one section to this subject. Book Five, Of Witches and Their Deceptions, mostly unfolds as the interrogation by Peter of Greyerz (a.k.a. Gruyeres), a “castellan” or “judge” active in the area of Berne, Switzerland in the late 14th – early 15th century, of an allegedly captured male witch who “confesses” to suitably gruesome details of his practice, such as ritual infanticide a la Holy Child of La Guardia.
However, Nider manages to stress the heretical nature of witchcraft as well as its more sensational aspects; for example, he gives that alleged sorcerous equivalent of Sunday mass, the orgiastic witches’ Sabbath, conspicuously little emphasis in his treatise. In fact, he seems to have actually doubted that witches could fly, that naïve loon…
At any rate, he made his fame during his lifetime mostly as a reformer and scholar in addition to theologian and negotiator; the University of Vienna twice elected him as dean before his death on August 13, 1438 in Colmar, today France. First printed posthumously in 1475, Formicarius not only represents the second published book to deal with witchcraft, but also reveals that Church officials, specifically Inquisitors, were trying and torturing suspected witches as early as the beginning of the 15th century. It also may make Nider “the first clerical authority to argue that women were more prone to become witches than were men.”
And all witch hunters needed was more printed material to take it up another notch…
Next: Hunting Witches in Print, Part Three
11 December 2006, on 10:33 pm
When people believe in the existence of the supernatural (whatever that really means as no religious person I have spoken to has the same definition as the next), any other claims of supernatural powers must be eradicated.
So, it becomes a case of : “My version of the supernatural is real and good and your version of the supernatural is real/unreal and bad.”
The “supernatural doctrines” do not handle competition well. And of course, if they admit that other claims of the supernatural are fanciful, they may be put on the spot to explain the “reality” of their own.
12 December 2006, on 6:44 am
I knew a senior Dominican priest whose job at one time was to teach exorcism to younger priests in training. He claimed that the hardest part of the procedure was keeping a straight-face whilst reciting what he called ‘the mumbo-jumbo’. Apparently those trainees who found the whole procedure rather incredible were considered to be the type who would subsequently have ‘a crisis of conscience’ and leave the priesthood.
12 December 2006, on 10:40 am
“Can They REALLY Fly?”
Not any better than a pig, but when propelled off a tall building or launched from a trebuchet they have a momentary illusion of flight.
12 December 2006, on 1:28 pm
Eve…your mentioning the sibyl, or as I remember the name Sybil, reminds me of the marvelous BBC series, “I Claudius” [ca. 1976?], where so much of the series has the famous Roman seer’s ‘readings’, or prophecies, as a backdrop to much of the story’s evolution. I could see where the medieval Church wanted to stamp out any remnants of the old ‘Mystery’ religions which were probably still lurking in underground cults.
Jumping to recent times…
Even the Soprano series had an episode where Tony Soprano visits Rome, and on a tour of the ancient ‘Sybil’ site is told the story of the old tradition by his female tour guide. [One of his many love interests!]
In my own memory of the occult concepts, I would interpret the ‘flying’ of witches to be related to Astral projection claims, or OOBE [Out of body travel]. In our own time we have the concepts of ‘Remote Viewing’, even Near Death accounts; boohooed by all the skeptics, of course!
As an old, longtime New Ager, I had experiences which, at one time, I thought were possibly Astra projections; today I just leave all that to ‘unknowns’. My atheist partner still claims she had a long ago Astral experience, which she still insists was NOT a dream. I’m definitely an atheist; but as a ‘Freethinker’. leaning just a smidgeon toward a Buddhistic “Conciousness Evolution” possibility…regarding any ’spiritual’ shtick…I remain skeptical.
One more reference to Sibyl [Sybil] comes to mind…”Sybil” [1976] with Sally Fields playing the lead as a patient with ‘multiple personalities’, and Joanne Woodward, as the Psychiatrist; who was of course, the main character in another famous multiple personality flick: “The Three Faces of Eve” [1957].
Hmmm…Eve…
I better stop this now!
12 December 2006, on 4:23 pm
And 4,000 points to ChuckA for not only picking up the classical significance of “sybil” but relating it back to me! Nice application of the “six degrees of separation” theory…
Old Git, I saw an old catholic priest, supposedly an expert in exorcism, interviewed on a Spanish-language talk show not too long ago. Not only did he seem angry at all the people who no longer believe in the literal existence of the devil and demons, he also wriggled out of describing what he does in detail by claiming that the rites had to remain secret so that they couldn’t be faked. Apparently the Church trains its exorcists to look for and recognize certain “indisputable” symptoms that say “I’m Satan and I’m here!”
Riight - and in no way do they dare bring these “secrets” into the light to be scrutinized by psychological and psychiatric experts - I mean, god forbid those symptoms turn out to be of *gasp* mental illness instead of possession…
13 December 2006, on 10:51 am
Do they REALLY fly?
Many witches used to apply “flying ointment” — a mixture of assorted potent psychedelic plant ingredients in a greasy base (not necessarily the fat of an unbaptised baby, although that would certainly sound good to the Inquisition. Extra Virgin Olive Oil was not available from the nearest Tesco in those days, so everyone, not just witches, used to save their cooking fat and render it by heating it in a pan of water; the heavy impurities would then fall to the bottom of the water, leaving the clean fat floating on top) — to “places on the body where hair grows”, then rubbed in using a broomstick in the fashion of Jim Morrison with a microphone stand.
(Here we notice an essential difference between Wizards and Witches — and the distinction is not sexual. Both genders have mucous membranes and blood vessels close to the surface there. The difference is that wizards, being incorrigible show-offs, would insist to use a special staff just for “flying”; although they considered even this mode of transport vastly inferior to teleportation. Witches, on the other hand, were more familiar with the art of “make do and mend” and would use the nearest suitably-sized object; a broomstick usually sufficing. The prevailing sexist attitudes of the day meant that women were usually less able to afford special tools; perhaps because their own husbands, fathers, brothers and sons were taking their money and spending it on special tools.)
I haven’t experimented with actual flying ointment myself (though I have a friend who claims to have a friend who claims to have tried it); but from what fragments I can discern, they would definitely have felt as though they were flying!
13 December 2006, on 10:53 am
Totally O/T but in today’s news:-
Priest jailed over genocide
A Catholic priest has been convicted of participating in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide by ordering militiamen to set fire to a church and then bulldoze it while 2,000 people were huddled inside seeking safety. Athanase Seromba, sitting before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, although he will get credit for the four years already served. The tribunal is based in Arusha, Tanzania.
13 December 2006, on 10:56 am
Oh yes ….. The name Sibyl has just one association on this side of the Pond!
13 December 2006, on 7:27 pm
To AJS,
I always understood that the ’secret ingredient’ wasn’t flying ointment, but solanum berries, but I’m not sure which member of the solanum family they came from though I suspect it was the ‘deadly nightshade’. Apparently ‘fly agaric’ has similar properties. Mind you, I got the same reaction from lysergic acid back in the 1950s - yes, folks, it WAS available then if you had a friend who was a biochemist!
13 December 2006, on 7:34 pm
DoubtingThomas said:
What’s wrong with that? His boss, Benedict, was a member of an organisation that stuffed 6 million plus into the ovens!
13 December 2006, on 11:40 pm
Hmmm…for some reason, it had never occured to me that the so-called ‘evil’ flying that witches were into, might just have been a round-a-bout description of women using a broom handle…ahem…
as a sex toy…?
[Scene: A VERY Underground Medieval Witch Supply shop]:
“So Sybil…you say these broom handles have been thorougly sanded to extreme smoothness…I certainly HOPE these new models are better than the one I purchased last year. You know, I suffered terribly from a splinter for a month…and lost all interest in mixing my potions!”
“I DO especially prefer the two piece, short handle, model!…How much did you say was the price?
Aaah…and they’re the monthly special…with some flying ointment added…as a free ‘bonus’?
Oh…and how much is the…what’s it called?…”Vagilene”?
Sorry!
[NOT!]
15 December 2006, on 4:25 pm
Thanks again Eve
I’ve been reading through the links. Man, you know they are truly twisted in the head. to think that this happened over 500 years ago and they ahve not changed much. They still accept most of this doctrine and about the only real tangible change has been that they stopped burning people at the stake. They stil do exorcisms and that leads me to think that they still retain fear of the unknown. Science in little more than a few hundred years is lightyears ahead of these nitwits. Especially in regards to psychological fears and fantasies.
15 December 2006, on 4:45 pm
Not to mention the availability and use of hallucinogens, jimmer, as our suspiciously-well-versed commenters are demonstrating on this thread ;-)!
22 January 2007, on 10:01 pm
Witches can fly? I didn;t know that, I just thought they got high ; )
29 January 2007, on 9:47 pm
[...] Hunting Witches in Print, Part Three – “All Right, That’s It: No More Mr. Nice Inquisitor!” By Eve The Story Thus Far: German Inquisitor Johannes Nider wrote Formicarius (“The Ant Hill”), the second major work on European witchcraft, in 1435 CE (see Hunting Witches in Print, Part Two – “Can They REALLY Fly?”)… [...]