92 pfant "bore, 'bege'f^/, cmel Isqnc/, 



was involuntarily seized with such horror, that he in all probability 

 fell into an ecstatic or hysterical state. Although not one of the 

 trees dedicated to Hecate and her Witch progeny, the Elder 

 appears to have invariably possessed a certain weird attraction 

 for mischievous Elves and Witches, who are fond of seeking the 

 shelter of its pendent boughs, and are wont to bury their satanic 

 offspring, with certain cabalistic ceremonies, beneath its roots. 



These satanic children of Witches are elfish creatures, some- 

 times butterflies, sometimes bumble bees, sometimes caterpillars 

 or worms. They are called good or bad things — Holds or Holdi- 

 kens. The Witches injure cattle with them ; conjure them into 

 the stem of a tree ; and, as we have seen, bury them under the 

 Elder-bushes ; then, as the caterpillars eat the foliage of the tree, 

 the hearts of those people are troubled of whom the Witches think. 



The ill-omened Cercis Siliquastrum, or Judas Tree, is reputed 

 to be specially haunted by Witches, who experience a grim 

 pleasure in assembling around the tree on which the traitorous 

 disciple is said to have hung himself. Perhaps it is they who 

 have spread the tradition that death overtakes anyone who is 

 unfortunate enough to fall into one of these trees. 



The Witches of the Tyrol are reputed to have a great parti- 

 ality for Alder-trees. 



Witches are fond of riding about through the air in the dead 

 of night, and perform long journeys to attend their meetings. 

 Matthison tells us that 



" From the deep mine rush wildly out 

 The troop of Gnomes in hellish rout : 

 Forth to the Witches' club they fly; 

 The Griffins watch as they go by. 

 The horn of Satan grimly sounds ; 

 On Blocksberg's flanks strange din resounds, 

 And Spectres crowd its summit high." 



Their favourite steeds for these midnight excursions are 

 besoms, which are generally to be found ready to hand ; but the 

 large Ragwort (which in Ireland is called the Fairies' Horse) is 

 highly prized for aerial flights. Bulrushes are also employed for 

 locomotive purposes, and other plants are used for equipments, as 

 we read in ' The Witch of Fife ' : — 



" The first leet night, quhan the new moon set, 



Quhan all was dou->se and mirk, 

 We saddled our naigis wi' the Moon-fern leif, 



And rode fra Kilmerrin Kirk. 

 Some horses were of the Brume-cane framit, 



And some of the greine Bay-tree, 

 But mine was made of ane Humloke schaw, 



And a stout stallion was he." 



William of Auverne, who wrote in the thirteenth century, states 

 that when the Witches of his time wished to go to the place of 



