Skip to main content

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 .




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Supernatural

Supernatural A term used when something does not fit into the category of natural or normal. It can also be imagined as something that is caused by a bigger force. Supernatural can be explained as a treatment for epilepsy because Galen of Pergamon the most renowned roman doctor found a “supernatural” cure because it wasn't a pill or medicine it was a simple peony root that was worn like amulet without being eaten. This technique was used as an alternative medicine and since there wasn't any explanation for a herbal medicine they categorized the treatment into a "supernatural" treatment. Agrippa uses magic as the core of his philosophy that unifies theology, physics, and mathematics in one. He went on to explain that the earthly levels of the hierarchy are connected to the natural cosmos but the intellectual level is supernatural inhabited by angels and demons. Supernatural is defined as an illusion because Scot rejects witchcraft and the supernatural ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sorcery

Sorcery A sorcerer is a person who practices magic and thus has the ability to make the unexplainable happen. However, sorcery does not just refer to any type of magic. According to Copenhaver, sorcery is also known as a “magical wrongdoing” (Copenhaver 2015, 93). Another word for harmful sorcery is “Maleficium”, which is seen as a criminal offense (Apuleius 2015, 143). It is said that even Moses, after bringing about the Ten Commandments, claimed that sorcery was evil and should be illegal (Copenhaver 2015, 17). This practice is commonly associated with witches, who were seen as evil because of their suspected relations with the devil. Witches were believed to be able to manipulate the feelings or actions of others as well as cause damage using mysterious methods of magic (Burchard 2015, 273). This kind of sorcery was feared by all and the suspicion that resulted often led to the accused women being put to death. Sorcery was not only associated with witches, but with other ki...
Post a Comment
Read more

Superstition

Superstition Superstition is the belief that an event can be caused as a result of a supernatural happening or being. People who are superstitious readily attribute magical qualities to objects and events with the belief that something larger is going on than meets the eye. Augustine, a student of the psychology of superstition, explains that “Anything undertaken by humans to make and worship idols is superstitious, whether it involves giving divine honours to a creature or any part of a creature or enquiries and certain pacts and marks agreed and contracted with demons – like those attempted in the magical arts” (Augustine 2015, 241). This claims that people who are superstitious are in accordance with demons and usually possess a magical worldview. Superstition can run deep in a culture’s beliefs. Copenhaver explains that superstition was extensively woven into society and showed itself through “Ordinary customs and conventions” (Copenhaver 2015, 248), meaning that their norma...
Post a Comment
Read more