Pyewacket
Encyclopedia
Pyewacket was one of the familiar spirit
s of a witch
detected by the "witchfinder general" Matthew Hopkins
in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree
, Essex
, England
. Hopkins claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his house, and heard them mention the name of a local woman. She was arrested and deprived of sleep for four nights, at the end of which she confessed and called out the names of her familiars, describing the forms in which they should appear. They were:
Hopkins claims he and nine other witnesses saw the first five of these, which appeared in the forms described by the witch. Only the first of these was in the form of a cat
; the next two were dog
s, and the others were a black rabbit
and a polecat – so Pyewacket was, presumably, not a cat's name. As for the other familiars, Hopkins says only that they were such that "no mortall could invent." The incident is described in Hopkins's pamphlet "The Discovery of Witches" (1647).
In the 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle Pyewacket is the name of Gillian Holroyd's Siamese cat/familiar.
In the 2008 computer game A Vampyre Story Pyewacket is the name of the familiar of the (missing, presumed dead) sorceress that used to own the castle where the game begins. She is a large Siamese cat with a marked resemblance to Max of Steve Purcell's Sam & Max, a nod to the fact that many of the people who worked on the game were once employed at Lucasarts.
Pamela Green
, the preeminent British nude model of the 1950s, had a cat called Pyewacket. She was an active member of Spielplatz
Naturist Club in Bricket Wood as was Gerald Gardner
, who established his first coven there. Ross Nichols, founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids used to visit the club as well. In addition Pamela Green
had a boat named Pyewacket. In 1960 she featured in a short 8mm film called Witches Brew under the name of Rita Landre.
Familiar spirit
In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic...
s of a witch
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
detected by the "witchfinder general" Matthew Hopkins
Matthew Hopkins
Matthew Hopkins was an English witchhunter whose career flourished during the time of the English Civil War. He claimed to hold the office of Witchfinder General, although that title was never bestowed by Parliament...
in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree
Manningtree
Manningtree is a town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England, which lies on the River Stour. It adjoins built-up areas of Lawford to the west and Mistley to the east and the three parishes together are sometimes referred to as "Manningtree".Manningtree is a claimant for the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Hopkins claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his house, and heard them mention the name of a local woman. She was arrested and deprived of sleep for four nights, at the end of which she confessed and called out the names of her familiars, describing the forms in which they should appear. They were:
- Holt, "who came in like a white kittling"
- Jarmara, "who came in like a fat SpanielSpanielA spaniel is a type of gun dog. It is assumed spaniels originated from Spain as the word spaniel may be derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase "Chiens de l’Espagnol" . Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of dense brush. By the late 17th century spaniels had become...
without any legs at all" - Vinegar Tom, "who was like a long-legg'd greyhoundGreyhoundThe Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
, with a head like an Oxe" - Sacke and Sugar, "like a black Rabbet"
- Newes, "like a Polecat"(a Polecat is a type of weasle.)
- Elemanzer, Pyewacket, Peck in the Crown, Grizzel Greedigut, described as impImpAn imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.-Folklore:...
s
Hopkins claims he and nine other witnesses saw the first five of these, which appeared in the forms described by the witch. Only the first of these was in the form of a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
; the next two were dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, and the others were a black rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
and a polecat – so Pyewacket was, presumably, not a cat's name. As for the other familiars, Hopkins says only that they were such that "no mortall could invent." The incident is described in Hopkins's pamphlet "The Discovery of Witches" (1647).
In the 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle Pyewacket is the name of Gillian Holroyd's Siamese cat/familiar.
In the 2008 computer game A Vampyre Story Pyewacket is the name of the familiar of the (missing, presumed dead) sorceress that used to own the castle where the game begins. She is a large Siamese cat with a marked resemblance to Max of Steve Purcell's Sam & Max, a nod to the fact that many of the people who worked on the game were once employed at Lucasarts.
Pamela Green
Pamela Green
Pamela Green was an English glamour model and actress, best known at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s...
, the preeminent British nude model of the 1950s, had a cat called Pyewacket. She was an active member of Spielplatz
Spielplatz
Spielplatz is believed to be the UK's second oldest naturist club, and consists of 12 acres located in the village of Bricket Wood, in the county of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom....
Naturist Club in Bricket Wood as was Gerald Gardner
Gerald Gardner
Gerald Brousseau Gardner , who sometimes used the craft name Scire, was an influential English Wiccan, as well as an amateur anthropologist and archaeologist, writer, weaponry expert and occultist. He was instrumental in bringing the Neopagan religion of Wicca to public attention in Britain and...
, who established his first coven there. Ross Nichols, founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids used to visit the club as well. In addition Pamela Green
Pamela Green
Pamela Green was an English glamour model and actress, best known at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s...
had a boat named Pyewacket. In 1960 she featured in a short 8mm film called Witches Brew under the name of Rita Landre.
External links
- The Discovery of Witches at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...