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Familiar


Familiar
Christine Pelfrey


A familiar is usually an evil spirit or imp associated with a witch. This spirit may or may not take a physical form. Evil familiars are often said to do the bidding of the witch and are gifts from the devil himself. There are some who would suggest that it is possible to have good spirits, or angels, as familiars as well.

The Witch of Endor, mentioned in the bible in the first book of Samuel, speaks of familiars saying, “Look, you know what Saul has done. He has expelled ghost-talkers from the land with those who consult familiars.” (Unknown, 2015)

Scot, who is a Protestant, rejects this idea of familiars, arguing instead that humans not have any such power except that which was given to them by God. He goes on to argue that the belief in witches and their familiars is akin to superstitious Catholic beliefs such as images of saints and pardons etc. He says it is easier for such superstitious folks to believe that a juggler has the help of a familiar than it is to accept that he has achieved such slight of hand. (Scot, 2015)

Matthew Hopkins took the opposing view, describing in detail a witch in the town of Maningtree calling her familiars and telling them which forms to take. These were supposedly witnessed by the investigator, including one which changed shapes from a greyhound to that of a small headless child. Hopkins contends that witches will have their familiars suckle them to avoid detection of the so-called devil’s teat (a third nipple). This is a sign of their covenant with the devil. (Hopkins, 2015)
Robert Boyle seems to take a middle road between Scot’s and Hopkins’ views. Boyle puts forth the possibility that perhaps there are good familiars who can be helpful. Boyle’s interest in alchemy also included the possibility of angel magic, that is good spirits who would delight in helping the alchemist transmute base metals into gold. In his Dialogue on the Converse with Angels, his characters suggest that angels at work in alchemist and philosophers have even managed to convert an atheist. They also mention that Bodine describes in Daemonology a good spirit that was a familiar to a friend of his for years. (Boyle, 2015)

Key Words/Terms: Witch, Spirit, Enchantment, Charm, Action at a Distance, Imps, Angel Magic

Bibliography

Boyle, R. (2015). Intercourse with Good Spirits: Boyle, Dialogue on the Converse with Angels. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 567-569). Penguin Classics.
Hopkins. (2015). Proof Positive: Hopkins, Discovery of Witches. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 543-547). Penguin Classics.
Scot. (2015). Abominable and Devilish Inventions: Scot, Discoverie, 1.7-9. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 442-443). Penguin Classics.
Unknown. (2015). The Witch of Endor 1 Sam: 28. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 23-26). Penguin Classics .




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