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A brief overview of our witch ancestors...
Finding a blog post idea for the letter U was not an easy task. So we searched through dozens of sites, typed the letter U in every possible way into search engines before delving into the search for Latin phrases that would catch our attention… and Bingo! ‘Ultra Vires’ or rather (if, like me, your Latin classes seem far away) ‘Beyond the Powers’…
This Latin phrase was (and still is?) used in constitutional law, but it didn’t take much for us to already imagine an article on witchcraft in Brittany as well as on the gift and transmission of these powers.
Whether you believe it or not, we’re not heading to Hogwarts but to Rochefort-en-Terre, in Brittany, to start this article. It’s in this village that, according to many generations, there was a woman better known as « Naïfa the witch ». According to reports, this old lady, often found at the Château de Rieux, could predict the future, be seen in several places at once, and even cast spells… Some even say she was immortal; she never aged and didn’t eat either. Incroyable, but vrai?
In any case, stories of witches (and wizards!), fairies, druids, and other healers are numerous in Brittany. This importance could be explained by the Celtic religion and culture specific to the Bretons. Even the Museum of Brittany in Rennes has embraced magic by offering, early 2018, the exhibition « I believe, I don’t believe » to offer ordinary mortals an experience rich in beliefs and magic. Ancient magical and healing practices still fascinate – after all, recent gatherings of druids or so-called enchanted objects are recorded. Thus, Breton tales and legends are not about to leave popular beliefs.
This is a question many ask, in France, but also in the Anglo-Saxon world – ‘Do I descend from a witch?’. And while there are many digitized databases online, there are no census records of witches in France, at least not yet. However, if you come from a Scottish family, the following might interest you. Indeed, we are in the midst of the Witch Hunts, in the mid-17th century, and the Scots are vigorously recording the names and confessions (under torture, of course) of witches (and wizards). This document has been digitized and is available online since 2016 – a pretext to take a look! And if the mood takes you to relive the Witch Hunt experience, Professor Brian Pavlac invites you to consult his site (a mini role-playing game).
Perhaps you’ve already wondered about this? It’s true that having powers can seem cool! And we all know someone who can walk through fire or a bonesetter, a healer.
By searching well on search engines, you won’t have trouble finding magical formulas and other prayers said to allow you to control fluids and develop your powers, because know that these do not always pass from generation to generation. Indeed, the manipulation of natural laws seems possible for those who possess a ‘gift’, an innate ability – but magic, also and a priori, that can be learned! And it’s through hard work that mastery of these powers will be achieved.
Moreover, if being a ‘witch’ was not well seen at the time, today, in the United States, many embrace it as a passion, even a second job. So, could we in the near future claim to descend from witches?
In any case, if many stories of witchcraft are just family stories that people enjoy sharing, beware of scammers who might cast a strobinel on you!