2o6 THE HOME OF A NA TURA LIST. 



I was curious to know how women became witches, 

 if they went through any course of education or any 

 ceremony, and I am told by more than one person that 

 the following was the only rite necessary. When it is 

 full moon and midnight the aspirant after unhallowed 

 power goes alone to the seashore and lies down upon 

 the beach helow the flood-tide mark. She then puts her 

 left hand under the soles of her feet and the right hand 

 on the top of her head and repeats three times, " The 

 muckle maister Deil tak what's atween dis twa haunds." 

 The devil then appears and clenches the bargain with 

 shaking of hands. When this is done there is no 

 retracting. The woman is his slave, and he gives 

 her power on land and sea. 



The only safeguard against the malice of witches is 

 to "flight wi' dem," that is, draw them into a contro- 

 versy and scold them roundly; or, more effectual 

 still, to scratch them " abune der breath." I am told 

 of a man who did so to his cousin who was a witch, 

 and who had bewitched his wife so as to make her 

 lame. He succeeded in scratching the reputed witch 

 on the forehead, and drevj hlood, which is the essential 

 part of the proceeding, and his wife got better for a 

 time, "though she deed o' the trouble no lang after." 

 That man and that witch are still alive. 



I asked an old woman, who was telling me many 

 terrible tales of the witches, how it was that their 

 power had decreased of late years, for certainly that of 

 their master was not on the wane. And the good old 

 dame answered with the simple faith of conviction, 



