III. WITCHES.
The degenerate descendants of bad fairies are witches;[1] in Hungarian, "boszorkány;" in Turkish - Tartar, "Boshûr Khân;" which signifies one who worries, annoys, or teazes. They appear sometimes as green frogs, sometimes as black cats; and they find a demoniacal delight in "plaguing" people. Sometimes they appear as horses and kick their enemies cruelly;[2] if such a horse be caught and shod, the horse-shoes will be found on the hands and feet of the witch next day.[3]
In nearly every village, one or two such old women are to be found who are suspected, but nobody dares to do them any harm.[4]
It is a very simple thing to see the witches. After the autumn sowing is over the harrow is to be left on the field over winter. In the morning of St. George's Day one has to go out in the field, make the harrow stand upright, stand behind it, and observe through it the herd of cattle as they pass by. You will then notice the head witch between the horns of the bull, and the minor witches between the horns of the other beasts.[5] But if you do not know the necessary protecting formula, then you are done for.
If you do not like to risk this, there is another way. Dye the first egg of a black hen, and take it with you to church in your pocket on Easter Sunday, and observe the people as they walk
- ↑ One must be careful not to confound, as many writers do, the witches of fairy tales, with the old women who are designated as witches by the common people.
- ↑ Cf. Many Lincolnshire and Yorkshire tales.
- ↑ Cf . Rancken, "Purmo" 27, and "Munsala," 25.
- ↑ It is interesting to note that, although prosecution for witchcraft was only abolished in England under George II. in 1736: in Hungary it was abolished under Coloman the Learned, who reigned 1095—1114, for a very cogent reason, "Witches are not to be prosecuted, as they do not exist!"
- ↑ The Hungarian cattle have long erect horns like those of the Roman campagna.
