Wonders in the Sky (47 page)
Read Wonders in the Sky Online
Authors: Jacques Vallee
A woman named Anne Bodenham, formerly a servant to Dr. Lamb of London, was accused of witchcraft and commerce with devils. She was eventually put to death in 1653 at the age of 80.
The cleric who recorded her trial noted that:
“Arrived at the place of execution, she attempted to go at once up the ladder, but was restrained. Mr. Bower pressing her to confess, she steadfastly refused, and cursed those who detained her.”
Fig. 21: The spirit creatures in Anne Bodenham's magic, emerging from a circle of fire.
A maid testified at the trial that she had seen Anne Bodenham invoke the Devil. After Anne had made a circle with a stick, and filled it with burning coals,
“
Then appeared two spirits in the likeness of great boys with long shagged hair, and stood by her looking over her shoulder, and the Witch took the maid's forefinger of her right hand, in her hand, and pricked it with a pin and squeezed out the blood, and put it into a pen, and put the pen into the maid's hand, and held her hand to write in a great book, and one of the spirits laid his hand or claw over the witches, whilst the maid wrote, and when she had done writing whilst their hands were together, the Witch said Amen, and made the Maid say Amen, and the Spirits said Amen, Amen.
“And the Spirits hand did feel cold to the maid as it touched her hand, when the witches hand and hers were together writing.
”
Source: James Bower,
The Tryal, Examination and Confession of mistris Bodenham, before the Lord chief Baron Wild, & the Sentence of Death pronounc'd against her, etc.
(London: printed for G. Horton, 1653). See also
Doctor Lamb revived, or, Witchcraft condemn'd in Anne Bodenham a Servant of his, who was Arraigned and Executed the Lent Assizes last at Salisburyâ¦by Edmond Bower an eye and ear Witness of her Examination and Confession
(London: printed by T.W. for Richard Best, and John Place, 1653).
251.
22 December 1651, Almerdor, Holland
Flying dutchmen
Dutch sailors saw a fleet of ships in the air, with many people and soldiers.
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Source:
A report made before the harbormaster
(Seville: Juan Gómez de Blas, 1652).
252.
May 1652, Near Rome, Italy
Huge object drops strange matter
A single luminous object, 80 meters in size, was seen in the air. A mass of “gelatinous matter” fell to the ground.
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Source:
Edinburgh Philosophical Journal
1 (October 1819): 234.
253.
1656, Cardiganshire, Wales: Bedroom visitation
In a letter written in 1656, John Lewis of Cardiganshire (Wales) described the experience of an acquaintance of his:
“A man lay in bed at night while his family were all fast asleep. Just after midnight “he could perceive a light entering [his] little room.” Suddenly a dozen or so little beings “in the shape of men, and two or three women, with small children in their arms” walked in.
“The room seemed different somehow. It was illuminated, and appeared to be wider than before. The beings began to dance around and tuck into a special feast, inviting the witness to try the meat. This went on for four hours, and in the meantime, “he could perceive no voice” except for the occasional whisper in Welsh “bidding him hold his peace.” He found it impossible to wake up his wife. Finally, the party of little spirits moved their dancing on to another room, and then departed. Until the man cried out at last and woke up his family, for some unexplained reason “he could not find the door, nor the way into bed.”
John Lewis described the man as “an honest poor husbandsman, and of good report: and I made him believe I would put him to his oath for the truth of this relation, who was very ready to take it.”
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Source: William E. A. Axon,
Welsh Folk-lore of the Seventeenth Century
. Y Cymmrodor Vol. XXI (1908), 116.
254.
1659, Leicester and Nottinghamshire, England
Flying coffin
Starting at 1 P.M. people observed an object “in the perfect figure and form of a black coffin, with a fiery dart and a flaming sword flying to and again, backwards and forwards the head of the said coffin, which was with great wonder and admiration beheld by many hundreds of people.” This was seen until 3:15 P.M., when it broke up with great brilliance.
Fig. 22: Wonders in England
Source:
The five strange wonders, in the north and west of England as they were communicated to divers honourable members of Parliament, from several countrey gentlemen and ministers, concerning the strange and prodigious flying in the air of a black coffin betwixt Leicester and Nottingham, on Sabbath day last a fortnight, with a flaming arrow, and a bloody sword, casting forth firearms of fireâ¦
(London: W. Thomas, 1659).
255.
1660, New England, American Colonies
Aerial phenomena to the rescue of Puritanism
Some remarkable phenomena having appeared in the air, one of which is described as “resembling the form of a spear, of which the point was directed towards the setting sun, and which, with slow majestic motion, descended through the upper regions of the air, and gradually disappeared beneath the horizon,” (note: possibly the zodiacal light) the magistrates and clergy availed themselves of the deep impression which these signs created, to promote a general reformation of manners among the people.
For this purpose, they published a catalogue of the principal vices of the times, in which were enumerated “a neglect of the education of children, pride displayed in the manner of cutting and curling the hair, excess of finery, immodesty of apparel, negligent carriage at church, failure in due respect to parents, profane swearing, idleness, and frequenting of taverns, and a sordid eagerness of shopkeepers to obtain high prices.”
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Source: James Silk Buckingham,
America, historical, statistic, and descriptive
(London: Fisher, Son & co., 1841), 259.
256.
14 March 1660, London (Westminster) England
Peculiar cloud
Boat passengers saw a dark, then bright cloud dropping fire over Westminster. About 8 P.M. they observed “a white bright cloud which gave such a light that they could plainly see the windows of the Parliament House, and people walking to and fro upon Westminster Bridge”.