]
Belief in the power of the witches and wise men was universal, and youths
and maidens applied to the nearest witch in all their love affairs. The
magic cube, the witches' garter, leaden charms known as sigils, and the
crystal were constantly in use to secure luck, to ward off evil and to
read the future.
One of the witches was believed to have fallen out with the Devil for,
says Calvert, "John Blades, ironmonger of Kirby Moorside, tells me he well
minds hearing of a despert fierce fight which on a time did happen between
ye Devil and an old witch over their dues, over anenst Yaud Wath (ford)
and whilst they did so fight, one by stealth did slip himself over and in
that wise did for ever break her spell."
I am able to give an illustration of one of the figures made by a witch of
these parts for causing some bodily injury to happen to her client's
enemy. The custom was a common one in the circles of witchcraft. A youth
having a rival for the hand of some attractive maiden and wishing him
every imaginary evil he would apply to "Aud Mother Migg" or one of the
other hags of the neighbourhood and explaining his position the witch
would prepare a small figure of the rival. The ingredients would be of the
same class as the magic cube already fully described (generally pitch,
beeswax, hog's lard, bullock's blood, and fat from a bullock's heart), and
in order to cause his rival to lose an eye, or to go lame, or deaf, or to
have any particular complaint in any particular part of his body the
jealous lover had merely to stick a pin in that portion of the little
brown figure.
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