magic in Ireland

Magic in Ireland

The source for the story is Christina Hole's Witchcraft in England

(1977). The edition is a favourite of mine because it 

is illustrated by Mervyn Peake.

Better known for Titus Groan and Gormenghast, 

He was an artist illustrator, of some skill as well...

That's by the way.

The story revolves around a Dame Alice Kyteler in 1324.

She  was accused of witchcraft by her husband, Sir John le Poer,

after a maidservant persuaded him that she

dabbled, and might be responsible for the wasting disease,

from which he was dying.

She had already had three  husbands before him, 

He took her keys from her, searched her coffers,

and found magical powders and unguents, 

( also a sacrimental wafer stamped with the name of the devil,

allegedly in some versions of the  story.)

He sent the evidence to the Bishop of Ossory.

Of course being Catholic, this came 

under the auspices of the inquisition.

Therefore she was accused of not only 

trying to poison her hucband 

 but of killing her previous ones.

She was also alleged to have seduced local people to follow

Witchcraft... Anything to make the charges worse, perhaps.

You remember them? , the Spanish Inquisition, looking a little like the Monty Python team?

... to be continued.