TABOO AND GENETICS 163 



charged with making attempts by their wicked 

 arts upon the hves of innocent men, and drawing 

 others by magical potions (philtra et pharmaca) 

 to commit misdemeanours. They are further 

 charged with disturbing the elements, raising 

 tempests, and practising abominable arts. The 

 Council of Laodicea (343-381. Can. 36) con- 

 demned them. The Council of Ancyra forbade 

 the use of medicine to work mischief. St. 

 Basil's canons condemned witchcraft. The 

 fourth Council of Carthage censured enchant- 

 ment. (26.) John of Salisbury tells of their 

 feasts, to which they took unbaptized children. 

 William of Auverne describes the charms and 

 incantations which they used to turn a cane 

 into a horse. William of Malmesbury gives an 

 account of two old women who transformed the 

 travellers who passed their door into horses, 

 swine or other animals which they sold. From 

 some of the old Teuton laws we learn that it 

 was beUeved that witches could take a man's 

 heart out of his body and fill the cavity with 

 straw or wood so that he would go on Uving. 



One of the famous witchcraft trials was that 

 of the Lady Alice Kyteler (27), whose high rank 



\ could not save her from the accusation. It was 

 claimed that she used the ceremonies of the 

 church, but with some wicked changes. She 



1 extinguished the candles with the exclamation, 

 " Fi ! Fi ! Fi ! Amen ! " She was also accused 



