Attitudes toward witchcraft in early 19th century Ireland

L.C. Blackwell · Jun 15, 2011

Ok, this is a bit of an odd one. Can anyone point me to sources on the evolving popular attitudes toward witches/witchcraft/wizardry in early 19th century Ireland? It would be County Donegal, circa 1814, if that helps any.

What I want to know, specifically, is if there could be enough public fear to result in violence against a landlord who was suspected of practicing "the dark arts"--particularly if other rumors involved young women or girls.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

shaldna · Jun 15, 2011

I can't access my stuff in work, but I've got some info on my home computer that might be useful. I'll get back to you on this one.

dirtsider · Jun 15, 2011

You might want to look up the Bridget Cleary case. Granted, that's at the end of the 19th Century. Essentially, Bridget Cleary's husband, Michael, refused to accept the woman he saw wasting away due to illness before him was his wife but was instead a changeling. So he tried to coerce the fairies to return his wife to him. Bridget Cleary died a pretty gruesome death.

You might want to read At the Bottom of the Garden by Diane Purkiss. While the subject of the book is Fairie and Hobgoblins, it does have a section on at least Scottish Witchcraft Trails. It also shows how the fairy beliefs are tied in with witchcraft in some ways.

Deleted member 42 · Jun 15, 2011

Bridget Cleary is a good start. Read this

http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/news/2007/10/bridget-cleary-fairy-intrusion-in.html

L.C. Blackwell · Jun 15, 2011

Mmn. So amazingly sad. It does remind me of "modern" attempts to dispossess people of the Devil, some of which have had fatal endings. It does sound, though, as if a belief in the fey was still very strong, at least in some families, and that would have been a good eighty years after my WIP is set. I researched a bit into the old lore some time back, but wasn't sure just how seriously someone might take it.

The MC is definitely an "outsider," an Anglo-Irish inheritor from London, a war veteran with really disfiguring (not just cosmetic) burns, and reclusive habits for obvious reasons. As if all that weren't enough, he takes under his protection a young girl who has nowhere else to go except the nearest Magdalen. So it seemed to me a situation ripe for rumor, and possibly--eventually--for some sort of violent response, especially on the girl's behalf. This would be just about ten years after Robert Emmet's rebellion and death--tensions likely to be simmering under the surface.

Thank you for your comments/suggestions, and the link!

Deleted member 42 · Jun 15, 2011

L.C. Blackwell said:
Mmn. So amazingly sad. It does remind me of "modern" attempts to dispossess people of the Devil, some of which have had fatal endings. It does sound, though, as if a belief in the fey was still very strong, at least in some families, and that would have been a good eighty years after my WIP is set. I researched a bit into the old lore some time back, but wasn't sure just how seriously someone might take it.

You'll regularly see stories in Irish papers about locals refusing to allow a fairy ring, hawthorne or haugh to be disturbed by builders or road crews.

shaldna · Jun 16, 2011

Medievalist said:
You'll regularly see stories in Irish papers about locals refusing to allow a fairy ring, hawthorne or haugh to be disturbed by builders or road crews.

Folks tend to get quite passionate about things like that, it's as much about personal belief as it is about keeping the traditions and heritage going.

In addition to naturally occuring things such as you mentioned, the National Trust also looks after all the dolmens, cairns, stone rings, church ruins, wells and shrines, even the ones on private land.

They also look after all the souterrains, burrens, cashels, round towers and ring forts that they can. It's great to see the history preserved, and all of these are open to the public to visit.

For those of you who don't know:

Fairy rings - naturally occuring rings of mushrooms

Haugh - A low-lying meadow in a river valley

Hawthorne - hawthornes are a mid sized tree traditionally thought to house faeries. Also often used as a rag tree when near a Holy, or clootie, well. People tie strips of cloth to the branched as a representation of their hopes or prayers - still seen quite alot in the country, often heavily used when someone dies.

L.C. Blackwell · Jun 16, 2011

Thank you both! I'm just starting to build my files for this book--I have some older material, but not a huge amount--as a sideline to the other project I'm doing. So I'm kind of looking for directions to go, as well as source material.

So far, you all have pointed me to several things my poor MC can do--to get himself in more trouble.

(If I didn't give my MCs a contract for reasonably happy endings, I'm pretty sure they'd walk out on me.) :gone:

Attitudes toward witchcraft in early 19th century Ireland

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Deleted member 42

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket

Deleted member 42

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket