NOTES TO ITER IV.

NOTE XII. Page 561. ANCIENT NORSE ROMANCES OF SHETLAND.

The argument of the Shetland Romance given in page 561, as explained by WILLIAM HENRY of Guttorm, has appeared in print, for the first time, from Mr Low's MSS. I would have inserted the words which were taken down by this Tourist, but as they have already appeared in Dr BARRY'S History of Orkney (page 484), a reprint is scarcely demanded. I may observe, that the imperfect orthography of the poem, owing to the transcriber's ignorance of the northern languages, rendered it to Dr PERCY Wholly unintelligible. A gentleman, however, of Edinburgh, well versed in Danish literature, had some intention of transmitting the ballad to Copenhagen, under the impression that it would there stand a chance of being interpreted. In Dr BARRY's work (p. 482. and 483.), may be also found a few ancient Shetland words, collected by Mr Low from Foula, as well as the Lord's Prayer in Norse, which it is unnecessary to republish.

NOTE XIII. Page 562. WITCHCRAFT OF SHETLAND.

TRIAL OF WITCHES IN SHETLAND, A. D. 1644.

Intent upon Pannel MARION PEEBLES alias PARDONE, Spouse to SWENE

in Hildiswick.

In the first, you the said MARION PEEBLES alias PARDONE, is Indytit and accusit for the sinful and damnable renouncing of GOD, your Faith and Baptism, giving and casting of yourself, body and saul, in the hands of the Devil, following, exercising, using and practising of the fearfull and damnable craft of Witchcraft, Sorcerie, and Charming, in manner following, viz.

In the first, you are Indytit and accusit for coming in the month of Jmvje and thirty years, to the house of JOHN BANKS in Turvisetter, and JANET ROBERTSON, his spouse, with a wicked, devilish and malicious intention to cast Witchcraft and Sickness upon them; and missing the said Janet there, for going to Sursetter, where she then was, and after cursing and scolding her, telling her that

she should repent what she had done to your daughter and good-son. And for that im mediately with the word, ye, by your devilish art of witchcraft, did cast sickness upon the said Janet, who, immediately upon your departure, fell in an extraordinary and unkindly sickness, and lay eight weeks, taking her shours and pains by fits, at midday and midnight, and so continued most terribly tormented; her said sickness being castin upon her by your said devilish witchcraft, during the said space, until the said JOHN BANKS came to you and threatened you, at which time ye gaif him a gullion of silver [2s. value], to hold his peace and conceal the same, promising to him that nothing should ail his wife. And thereafter, for that ye sent her ane cheese of the breadth of one loof, composed by your said devilish art of witchcraft, with ane jinke-roll, and desiring her the said JANET to eat the same, when (whereof the said JANET refused to eat,) yet immediately she grew well, but two of her kine died, the said sickness being casten upon them by your said wicked and devilish art of witchcraft.

2. Witchcraft.-Likcas also, you are indytit and accusit, for that by your said art of devilish witchcraft, ye did, upon the recovery of the said Janet, cast the same sickness upon MARION BANKS, sister to the said JOHN BANKS, which troubled her after the same manner, tormenting her for twenty days, until that one OSLA in Olnasfirth, coming to you, by direction of the said JOHN BANKS, and warned you hereof, whereupon, by your said devilish witchcraft, the said sickness was taken off the said MARION and casten upon a young cow of the said JOHN's, which took wodrome, [madness,] and died within twenty-four hours, which ye cannot deny.

3.

-Item, Ye the said MARION are indytit, for that you being very shroudly suspected, and commonly bruited as a common witch, ye coming along upon some of your said devilish and wicked intentions to umquil EDWARD HALCRO in Overure, qr. he was dichting bear to steep for malt, you being of wicked intention, by your said devilish craft, did undo the said making of malt, and he suspecting you, after he had reproved you for minding you about him, ye said to him all would be well touching the said making, as it so fell out so taking upon you and acknowledging by your wordis your power in the said wicked and devilish art of witchcraft. That, after that, he being there scrowing corns, and ye persisting in your said wicked and devilish intentions to undo and provock the said EDWD you did thereby marr and undo twa whole makings of the same bear, qlk never did good, qlk ye rank witch cannot deny.

4. Witchcraft.-Item, the said MARION is indytit and accusit for that in April 1641, the sd. EDWP. coming to your houss, after ye had urged him to take meat, he took resolution to go to the war [sea-weed] having not intention before, and going with Sueno your husband to the gio heid [narrow creek with high rocks] where they were usit to go down, he being affrayit to go down first, desyrit your husband to go before

him, quha refusing to go, the said Enw". went, whereon he going down and stepping upon a stone which was ever a sure step befoir, ye the said Marion, be yor said wicked and devilish art of witchcraft, maid the said stone to lows and fall down with him, whereby his life was in great perill, yet saved to the admiration of all the beholders. And ye being accusit for taking the said occasion and cryme upon you, anserit that it was not for his gud, but for HELEN THOMSON his spous gud that he was savit.

5. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the said MARION are indyttit and accusit for that ye by yor said wicked and devilish art of witchcraft, did cast ane terrible and fearful madnes and sickness upon ane MADDA SCUDDASDOUGHTER, your awin friend, becaus she wold not byd with you, y'on she continuit most terriblie tormentit, and throw the torment of the sa. disease, she was caryit manytimes to run upon her awin sister yt. keepit her, and divers, so as to have devorit them in her madnes, and so continuit a zeir and half ane zeir, till she, being counsallit be of Hildswick, ran upon the s. Marion and drew blood of you, within JAS. HALCROS hows, biting twa of yr. fingers till they bled, whereupon the said MADDA SCUDDADOUGHTER recoverit of her disease, and came to her ryt sinces, thereby manifestly shewing, and approving your sd, trade, and exercising of you, said MARION PARDONE, 'yours. devilish and wicked craft of witchcraft, tormenting and abusing thereby of weak Christians, Goddis people, againes quhom ye carrie evil will and malice, which ye rank witch cannot deny.

6. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the sd. MARION PARDOWN ar indyttit and accusit for that zeers syne, JAMES HALCRO in Hildiswick having a cow that ye alledged had pushed a cow of yours, ye in revenge thereof, by yr. said devilish art of witchcraft, made the sd. JAMES his cow, milk nothing but blood, whereas your awin cow had no harm in her milk; whereupon they suspecting you, shewit the sd. bloody milk to MARION KILTI your servant, quha desyrit of you the same bloody milk for Goddis caus to shew you, and said she houpit the cow sould be weil; quhilk having gotten, and coming therewith to your hous, and shawing it to you, thereafter the cow grew weil, thairby shewing and proving your sd. devilish practyce of the art of witch

craft.

7. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the said MARION are indyttit and accusit for that you having a'no 1642 zeirs, hyrit ane cow from ANDROW SMITH, younger in Hildiswick, which ye keepit fra the bull, when she wald have taken bull, and the sd. ANDRO getting knowledge thereof, causit the same to be brought to the bull and bullit against your will. The next year when she calved, ye by your sd. devilish art of witchcraft, took away her proffeit and milk, sa that she milked nothing but water, quhilk stinked and tasted of sharn a long tyme, till that you comming by the sd. ANDRO his hous, he suspecting you, caused you to milk her and look to her, after which doing, immediately the sd, cows milk cam to its own nature,-thairby indicating and shewing

your s. devilish, and wicked, and abbominable airt and practyce of witchcraft,—and quhilk ye cannot deny.

8. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the said Marion ar indyttit and accusit, for that in anno , ye coming by ane pies of grass quhairin Andro Smith elder in Videfield had six kine tederit, quhairintil ye went, and out of whilk grass ye and your son, after you had lousit and taken the kyne, fell in scoulding with and abusit the said Andro, and said to him that he sould not have so many kyne to eat grass and milk the next zeir;-according to the qlk wordis, sa it fell out thereafter; for that by your sd wicked and devilish art of witchcraft, the sd hail six kyne died befoir the next half yeir, all fat and gudlike by that same order, as they were lousit by you on tedder, beginning at the first cow, (quhilk was ane black cow, qlk ye lousit, qlk died 20 days before Yule, fat and tydie,) and so furth in succession the rest, by your sd devilish witchcraft, conform to your sd veneficial, wicked and malicious powers, qlk ye cannot deny.

9. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the sd MARION ar indyttit and accusit for that yeirs syne, ye coming to the said ANDRO SMYTH elder, and desyring him len you ane of his hors, to go to Urafirth to lead peatis, qlk he refusit to do, ye out of a wicked and malicious heart said to him that he would repent it; whereupon ye by your wickeed and devilish airt of witchcraft, and for outting of your malice, and for keeping of your said devilish promeis, within aught days thereafter did kill ane of his best warke hors, and within half ane zeir thereafter other three of his sd hors; thairby shewing baith in your words and deeds, your wicked and devilish skill concerning the practise of the fursa devilish and abhominable airt of witchcraft, qlk ye cannot deny.

10. Witchcraft.-Item, you the sd MARION ar indyttit and accusit, for that years syne, ye being suspectit to have castin sickness upon the said ANDRO SMITH elder his oy, qrof she lay long benumed and senseless, ye coming tyme foirs to the hous of Overure, and they challenging and quarrelling you therfor, ye fell into cursing and swearing, and went to the dore, qr ane calf was standing in the dore besyd you, qrupon in your sd wicked and devilish malice, be your sa detestable craft of witchcraft, did cast sickness that it presentlie run mad, cracy, and died.

ye

11. Witchcraft.-Item, ye the said MARION are indyttit and accusit for coming to ANDRO ERASMUSSON's house in Eshaness, qr he having ane cow three days calved befoir, qrupon as ye luikit, ye immediately be airt and devilrie cast sickness, that she immediatlie crap togidder, that no lyf was looked for her; till they sent for you, and causit you lay your hand upon her, qrupon scho then immediatlie recoverit, and was weil, thereby manifestlie and cleirlie shewing your fors wicked, devilish and detestabil lyf, carridge, trade and practise of the forsd abominable airt and craft of witchcraft, qlk ye cannot deny.

12. Witchcraft.-Likeas ye the sd Marion to cullour and extenuat your sd craft, alledging that ye wantit the profit of your kyne, qlk was not true, but onlie to tak

occasion, by your sd wicked and devilish airt of the profit of the said Andro his kyne, came to his hous in July therefter, and efter cursing his wyf, quha shawed you the milk of her kyne, desirit her to caus USLA SINCLAIR, her servant woman, to go with you to kerne, qlk she did. Qrby, and by your sa wicked and devilish airt, ye touk away with you the profeit of the sd ANDRO his kyne until the space of throttein dayes; till the sd ANDRO his wyf went to your hous, and shewit you the milk and butter, and maid publication yrof to the nybours, and immediatlie thereafter gat back her profeit of baith her milk and butter;-qrby manifestly appears, and is shawen, your guiltines in taking the samen be your sd wicked and detestabil aert of witchcraft, and your restoring again of the samen upon a challenge, qlk ye cannot deny. Item, ye ar indyttit and accusit for that zeirs syne, ye cam to THOMAS in Urabister, and desyrit a quoyach cow of his of four zeir old to hyre, qlk was with calf then, whereof he maid you half a grant, but not the full, untill he could advyse with his Mrs, the gud wyf of Urafirth, quha would not consent; and becaus ye gat her not, ye outscoldit him and wer verie angrie. And in revenge of his sd refusal, immediatelie yrafter ye cas seeknes upon the sd cow, qlk being at the hill with utheris of his kyne, scho tuik a wodroam or madnes and cam scouring hame frae the rest to the byre dere, brak up the saim and went in, having her head thrawin backward to her back, that 4 people could not get it back, and thereby dyed throw the sd diseas, cassin on her by your sd airt, working and witchcraft, qlk ye cannot deny.

14. Witchcraft.-Lykeas ye not being in your devilish and wicked mynd eneugh revenget and satisfyit, ye be the same your craft, devilrie, and witchcraft, within six weeks yrefter, cast the lyke seeknes upon ane uther cow of the sd THOMAS his kyne, whereby scho also died mad and in woddram, and for the qlk you are also indyttit, accusit, and cannot deny the samin.

15. Witchcraft-Item, ye the sd MARION are indyttit and accusit for that in anno 1634, at Michelmes, when the cornes were taking in, the sd THOMAS in Urabister having aught piere of hors and mairs gaing on the riggs of Olnais firth, ye cam furth with a staff to ding away his hors, qn ye fell and hurt your knee, whereupon ye, to revenge yourself, and to assyth your wicked and malicious heart and mynd, did, by your foirsd airt of witchcraft and devilrie, caus that within aught dayis thereafter his best hors died, and thereafter before Candelmes uther sex hors and mares.

At Scalloway, the 15th March 1645 zeirs.

We the Moderator and remanent Brethren of the Presb. of Zetland, being conveened day and place forsaid, and having examined the above wreattin process, doe find and declare the poyntis former market in the margine [now marked in Italics]; being lawli prowin to be witchcraft, and yrfor the pairtie guiltie worthy of death be the law of God and the law of the kingdome, and requyris you judges to put them to the knawledge of ane assyse, and minister justice upon them accordinglie, as ye