Scott 356 Sea Phantoms
Scott or Scot, Miehael: Scottish Astrologer and Magician further legend recounts that he went as Scottish envoy to
(1175-1234). Though Michael Scott's life is wrapped in the king of France, and that the first stamp of his black
obscurity his name is rather a familiar one, various causes steed's horse rang the bells of Notre Dame, whereupon his
having brought this about. In the first place, Dante refer most Christian majesty granted the messenger all he desired.
to him in his Inferno, speaking of him as one singularly As regards the writings of Michael, he is credited with a
skilled in magical arts ; while he is also mentioned by translation of Aristotle's De Animalibus, but the ascription
Boccaccio, who hails him as among the greatest masters of is not very well founded. However, it is almost certain
necromancy. Moreover, Coleridge projected a drama that he wrote Qumsto Curiosa de Natura Solis et Lunae,
dealing with Michael, whom he asserted was a much more which is included in the Theatrum Chemicum ; while he was
interesting personality than Faustus ; and then there is a undoubtedly author of Mensa Philosophica, published at
novel about him by Allan Cunningham, while, above all, Frankfort in 1602 ; and also of Liber Physiognomies
he figures i,n The Lay of the Last Minstrel. And Sir Walter Magistri Michaelis Scot, a book which was reprinted nearly
Scott, no very careful antiquarian, identifies the astrologer twenty times, and was translated into various languages.
with one Sir Michael Scott of Balwearie, who, along with Reference has already been made to a manuscript in the
Sir David Wemyss of Wemyss, went to bring the Maid of Bodleian Library attributed to Michael, and it behoves to
Norway to Scotland in 1290 ; but this identification is add here that at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, at the
manifestly wrong, for in a poem by Vincent de Beauvais Vatican and at the Sorbonne, there are further documents
published so early as 1235, Michael is mentioned as lately purporting to have been penned by the astrologer himself,
deceased. Of course this does not vitiate the idea that he to have been written at his dictation, or to have been copied
emanated from the family of Balwearie, whose estates were out by scribes soon after the actual author's decease.
situate near Kirkcaldy, in Fife ; and it is almost certain Screech Owl : The cry of the screech owl at midnight is said
indeed, that he was a man of gentle birth, it being recorded to portend evil.
that he studied at Oxford university, where it is improbable Sea Phantoms and Superstitions : Sailors as a class are
he would have gone had his parents not been in compara- invariably superstitious, while their predilection herein is
tively affluent circumstances. When his Oxonian days shared in general by fishermen, and others who dwell by
were over Michael proceeded to the Sorbonne at Paris, the marge of the great deep. The old songs of the outer
where he acquired the title of mathematicus ; and from the Hebrides are full of wizardry, and this figures too in many
chanty composed by bygone seamen while Captain
French capital he wandered on to Bologna, in those days a ;
famous as a seat of learning. He did not tarry here for Marryat, a writer who understood sailors as few others
have done, testified repeatedly to their firm belief in the
long, however, but went to Palermo while subsequently
;
he settled for a while at Toledo, for he was anxious to study supernatural. Nor is he the only author who has dealt
Arabic, and that town afforded good facilities therefor. He with this, for, not to mention less notable names, Coleridge
appears to have been successful with these studies, master- touched on the matter in his poem of the Ancient Mariner
;
ing the intricacies of the Arabic tongue thoroughly yet while turning from literature to painting, that exquisite
;
Scottish master David Scott, in a memorable canvas now
there was nothing to induce him to continue in Spain, and
domiciled in the seaport town of Leith, shows Vasco de
accordingly he went to Sicily, where he became attached
Gama and his henchmen gazing thunderstruck at an
to the court of Ferdinand II., probably in the capacity of apparition rising from the waves. And it is scarcely sur-
state-astrologer. At least, he is so designated in an early
manuscript copy, now in the Bodleian Library, of his book prising, after all, that credulity, in this relation should be a
salient characteristic of sailors, the mere fact that they live
on astronomy ; yet it is clear that, at some time or other, in constant danger of sudden death constituting a good
Michael had espoused holy orders. For in 1223 the Pope,
Honorius III., wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury, explanation and apology. In the duchy of Cornwall,
urging him to procure an English benefice for Scott, while so rich in romantic associations of all sorts, quite a number
of stories concerning marine spectres have been handed
it appears that in the following year the Archbishopric of down from generation to generation, and are current and
Cashel in Ireland was offered to him, and that he declined even popular to this day. One of these stories relates how,
this on account of his total ignorance of the Erse language. on a winter's evening when a fierce gale was raging round
This refusal to take a post for which he was unsuited
the Cornish headlands, a fisherman chanced to see a ship
reflects great credit on him, and it is patent that he was
in distress ; and away the man hastened at once, calling on
highly esteemed at the Vatican, for in 1227 Gregory IX.,
some of his fellows to come and aid him in the work of
successor of Honorius, made further overtures to the rescuing the perishing. In a few minutes a rowing boat
had been manned, for Cornish fisherfolk are accustomed
English primate on behalf of Michael ; and, whether these to go afloat in all weathers and to face the peril of drowinng
proved fruitful or not, according to Roger Bacon the while very soon the gallant rescuers were almost within
necromancer came to England in 1230, bringing with him
earshot of the distressed vessel, and could see her name
—the works of Aristotle at that date virtually unknown in clearly on the stern. They thought to jump on board,
—this country and contriving to give them a certain popu-
their idea being that, were the ship blest with a skilful pilot
larity amongst scholars.
It is reasonable to suppose that Michael, having come to acquainted with the dangers of the coast, she might be
England, also paid a visit to his native Scotland. And,
though no documentary evidence is forthcoming to support steered safely into Falmouth harbour but, just as one of
;
this theory, local tradition at Melrose contends that the the fishermen stood up in the prow of the boat with intent
astrologer came to that town in his old age, and that he to throw a rope, the great vessel looming before him dis-
appeared from sight altogether. She could not have sunk,
died there and was buried somewhere in the neighbourhood. for had that been her fate, some relics thereof must certainly
Various other places in the Borders likewise claim this
distinction, and Sir Walter Scott tells that, throughout have survived upon the seething foam and billows ; and,
the south of Scotland, " any great work of great labour or vowing that the devil had conjured up a phantom to induce
them to put out to sea, the rowers put their boat about
antiquity is ascribed either to Auld Michael, Sir William speedily, and pulled for home with might and main. One
Wallace, or the Devil." One popular story about the and all, they were more afraid of the evil one's machinations
necromancer maintains that he used to ride through the air
than of the more genuine perils they were encountering
on a demon horse, and another that he was wont to sail the ;
seas on the back of some fabulous animal and an analogous, but more reasonable form of credulity
;
while yet a on the part of the Cornish fisherfolk is instanced by another
Sea Phantoms 357 Seance
of their traditions, one associated with the village of Sennen people realised at once that their petition had been answered
Cove. This place is situate at the head of a bay flanked whereupon the mysterious phantom vanished as quickly
by two mighty capes. Sometimes a band of misty vapour as it had come. Another French spectre-ship, however,
stretches right across the bay, obscuring the villagers' was wont to remain in sight for longer periods, while its
outlook towards the sea beyond and whenever this occurs appearance invariably struck terror into the hearts of all
;
—who beheld it. Small wonder too, the vessel being manned
the fisherfolk regard it with awe, believing that it warns
by a crew of demons and great dogs the perjured souls of
them not to put out in their boats. At one time, so it is
recorded in the neighbourhood, Sennen Cove numbered men who had been guilty of fearful crimes ; yet the pious
among its inhabitants a group of doughty spirits who, wont knew that in reality they had little to fear, the priests
to laugh at this superstition, were minded to demonstrate having told them that the repetition of a paternoster was
its absurdity ; and accordingly, when the warning band of adamantine proof against molestations from the hideous
vapour next made its appearance, they sailed oft singing visi6n. Somewhat akin to this story is one associated with
gaily. But their boat never returned, their fate remained Venice, where, one stormy evening about the middle of the
a mystery and in fine they contrived to strengthen rather fourteenth century, a fisherman was requested to row
;
than weaken the belief they had ridiculed. three saints to a neighbouring village on the Adriatic
;
Scotland also has her stories of phantom barques. Near and, after bending to his oars for a while, he suddenly
Ballachulish, on the west coast of Argyllshire, there is a stopped and gazed as though petrified, a galley filled with
rocky island on which the Macdonalds of Glencoe were swarthy Saracens having risen beside his boat. The oars-
wont to bury their honoured and laurelled dead ; and the man vowed he would put back with all speed, but his godly
lore of the district tells that once, some hundreds of years passengers bade him be of good cheer, and while they sang
ago, a skiff bearing a beloved chieftain's corpse to this place an ave maria the ominous galley was submerged by the
hungry waves. So the fisherman rowed forward and
Aof interment foundered ere reaching its destination. reached his haven, the three saints rewarded him with a
-horrible thing was this thought the Macdonalds, a horrible
thing that the father of the clan should be swept from sea present of a gold ring, and that is why that article figures
to sea, and be denied a resting-place beside his ancestors in the old coat-of-arms of the Venetian Republic.
;
Go where we will, to countries fringed or intersected by
while anon it appeared as though the affair had verily been
contrived by supernatural agency, for invariably, just before the sea, we find stories like this, or something like it. In
any misfortune overtook the tribe of Macdonald, the Japan there are tales of phantom junks, and the Chinaman
wrecked skiff was seen drifting about the sea, its dead still paints a pair of great eyes on the prow of his craft,
oarsman clinging to it, and a coffin floating in its wake. thinking that these will detect any monsters which chance
Only too often this weird vision appeared, and it is said to be prowling afloat ; while even on the coasts of America,
that, on the eve of the massacre of Glencoe, the spectre usually considered so very prosaic a land, traditions anent
boat bore a crew of ghostly female mourners who sang spectral vessels prevail to this day. Kindred stories are
a loud coronach, their wails reverberating far among the known in the Ionian Islands, and the folk-lore of Shetland
neighbouring mountains. embodies a wealth of matter of this sort ; while round
Another Highland story contends that a large ship, about the serried coast of Denmark, and the windswept
wrecked off the coast of Ross at the time of the first trans-
fiords of Norway, many a phantom barque is supposed to
portation of Celts to Canada, still rises occasionally from hover ; and indeed it was on the North Sea that the most
the waves which erstwhile claimed it as their prey, and,
after sailing gallantly for a few minutes, suddenly lurches famous of all supernatural ships was wont to sail, the ship
and sinks beneath the ocean ; while dwellers by the shores known to us as ' The Flying Dutchman," and to the
of the Solway tell how a certain craft, which went down AGermans as " Der Fliegende Hollander."
sailor, so
goes the romance, had loved a maiden not wisely but too
there while conveying a gay bridal party towards Stran- well, and having wronged her he grew weary of the liaison,
raer, is frequently seen driving at full speed before the left his sweetheart to languish, and put forth on the high
gale, the bride and bridegroom clinging to the rigging as seas where he committed many flagrant acts of piracy.
though in terror of immediate death by drowning. Nor But he was not to go unrequited, and the fates condemned
is this the only phantom wherein the Solway rejoices, for him to sail wearily and everlastingly from shore to shore,
that proverbially treacherous firth, round which Sir Walter this punishment to be endured till he should contrive to
Scott has cast so potent a halo of romance in Redgauntlet,
win the staunch affection of a virtuous woman and prove
witnessed once upon a time the foundering of two Scan- faithful to her. So the wayfarer's barque was driven
dinavian pirate-vessels, and these are said to rise periodi- hither and thither, the guilty man longed to tread solid
cally from the water, the fierce and murderous crew of each ground once more ; but whenever he dared to put in to
calling the while for the mercy wnich they themselves never
port, and commenced paying addresses to one whom he
accorded their victims. thought might be able to save him, the devil soon placed
Bidding adieu to British legends, and looking further him on board ship again, and his interminable voyage com-
afield, we find that religion plays a prominent part in menced afresh. Century after century went past in this
stories of spectre ships. At Boulogne, for example, there fashion, the ill-starred barque gradually becoming familiar
is a tradition to the effect that on one occasion, at a remote to all who sailed upon the grey North Sea, or dwelt by its
date in the middle ages, the townspeople were desirous of shores ; and the legend was not destined to dwindle away
building a church, for at this time they were without any before the onslaughts of incoming cilivisation, for betimes
public place of worship ; but, anxious as they were to a great artist arose to give a new and more genuine immor-
choose a site which the Almighty would approve, they tality to the story. Yes ! Richard Wagner evolved from
found it difficult to come to a decision on this fiead, every- it a mighty drama ; and sometimes, as we listen to his
one suggesting a different place. Finally, in despair, a —music charged so abundantly with the weirdness, mystery
body of them assembled on the beach, intending to offer up —and glamour of the surging ocean we can verily picture the
prayer for a solution to the problem ; and while they were Dutchman's craft driving before a fearsome gale, and see the
engaged thus they happened to look out to sea, when lo ! criminal sitting terror-struck and hopeless at his useless helm.
a vessel was seen sailing towards them, the sacred Virgin Seal of Solomon : (See Magic.)
herself on board. Standing erect in the bows, she pointed Seance : A sitting held for the purpose of communicating
with her hand in a certain direction ; and the devout with the dead, an essential requirement being that at least
Seance 353 Seance
one member of the company be possessed of mediumistic the levitations (q.v.) both of the human body and of
powers. (See Medium.) Antiquity furnishes many exam- furniture and inanimate things. We are told of heavy
—ples of what may be called " seances " e.g., Saul's con- wardrobes being raised to the ceiling without visible agency,
sultation with the Witch of Endor but the term is generally and of several mediums floating upwards in like manner.
used only in connection with modern spiritualism. When, Elongation (q.v.) is another phenomenon of the seance-
in 1848, the Fox family at Hydesville called in their neigh- room, an increase or apparent increase, of from a few inches
bours to listen to the mysterious sounds which have since to a foot taking place in the medium's height.' Locked
become famous as the " Rochester Rappings," the gather- doors and cupboards are opened without keys, and with-
ing was too informal to be called a seance, though all the —out any trace of violence. Apports (q.v.) of small objects
necessary elements were present ; but within the next two flowers, fruit, jewels, anything, in fact are brought from
or three years the contagion spread throughout a large part a distance through closed doors and barred windows, or
of the eastern states, many " circles " (q.v.) were formed, abstracted in mysterious fashion from sealed boxes.
and the phenomena which was in the first instance appar- Inanimate things show in their actions an almost human
ently spontaneous was now deliberately induced. In the intelligence. Heavy objects become light enough to be
early stages of the movement these seances were conducted raised by the touch of a finger, light articles become so
by private mediums, who took no fee for their performances, weighty that the combined force of all present will not
but later professional mediums arose whose seances were suffice to lift them. The medium can hold live coals in his
open to the public on the payment of a fee. Both public hand, or in his handkerchief, without either being burned.
and private seances continued, and still continue, to be an Instruments are played upon when no visible hand is near
indispensable feature of spiritualism. them, or music is produced from the empty air without any
Besides the presence of a medium there are other con- instruments at all. Luminous hands and faces float in the
ditions which must be observed if the seance is to be pro- air, sometimes recognised by the sitters as belonging to
ductive of phenomena. The chief of these is, perhaps, the deceased friends and relatives, and touchings and caresses
darkness or semi-darkness of the seance-room, though this Aare felt. breeze suddenly springs up in the seance-room
—though the doors and windows are still closed and curtains
is by no means an invariable condition. The reason given
by spiritualists is that light interferes with the manifesta- and the clothes of the sitters are inflated. If the seance
tions of the spirits, though a less charitable construction is is an especially successful one, complete spirit forms may
sometimes put upon the insistent demand for darkness. be materialised. If the latter manifestation is to be asked
Sometimes the actual seance is preceded by playing or for, a small cabinet is usually provided, into which the
singing, a proceeding which one of Home's sitters states medium retires. Soon afterwards the filmy spirit form or
" always gave us a good seance." That this playing and
forms are seen to issue from the cabinet, and in them the
singing was not without its purpose we may readily infer, sitters frequently behold lost friends or relatives. The spirit
for a state of expectancy and increased receptivity might forms will move about the room, allow themselves to be
easily be induced thereby, and it may be recalled, en touched, and will, on occasion, even converse with their
passant, that D'Eslon and other disciples • of Mesraer friends in the flesh, and give away locks of their hair and
enjoined their patients to sing, or had some instrument fragments of their clothing. Again, the materialisation
played while the patients were seated around the baquet, or may take place in the open, a small luminous cloud being .
magnetic tub. To return to the seance ; the sitters take first perceived, which gradually developes into a complete
their places around a table and join hands, thus forming a human figure ; or, as has been known to happen, the spirit
" chain." The Baron de Guldenstubbe, in giving directions may seem to issue from the medium's side, and remain
for the forming of -a circle and the conducting of a seance, united to him by a gossamer filament. In most cases the
says : "In order to form a chain, the twelve persons each head and chin are shrouded in white draperies, only a
place their right hand on the table and their left hand on portion of the face being visible. (See Materialisation.)
The automatic or " psychical " phenomena are of a
that of their neighbour, thus making a circle round the
table. Observe that the medium or mediums, if there be different nature. Certain manifestations, such as table-
more than one, are entirely isolated from those who form
tiltings (q.v.), rapping (q.v.), and slate-writing (q.v.), where
the chain." Dr. Lapponi, in his Hypnotism and Spiritism, the communication does not apparently come through the
says " He (the medium) then invites some of his medium's organism, partake of the character of both
:
assistants to place their hands on the table in the following "physical" and '' psychical " phenomena. Purely " psy-
manner. The two thumbs of each person are to be touching chical " manifestations are the automatic writing and
each other, and each little finger is to be in communication speaking of the medium. Sometimes the latter fails
with the little fingers of the persons on either side. He spontaneously into a trance, and delivers spirit messages
himself completes the chain with his two hands. The while in that state, or the medium may remain to all appear-
hands of all together rest on the edge of the table." Some-
ances in a normal condition. Not only writings and utter-
times, again, as in the seances for table-turning and talking,
ances, but drawings and musical compositions may be pro-
the chain is formed simply by all the operators placing their duced automatically, and though automatism of this sort
finger-tips on the table. When the spirits have announced is by no means confined to the seance-room it still plays a
their presence by raps, tilting of the table, and so on, the large part therein, and is espeically in favour with the more
chain may or may not be broken, but so long as it remains serious-minded spiritualists, to whom communications
unbroken the sitters are entirely at the mercy of the spirits. from the spirit-world are of greater importance than the
The phenomena which are thereafter witnessed are so
tricks of household furniture.
diverse and varied that scarcely any account of a seance
A representative account of one of the seances of D. D.
precisely matches another in detail, yet undoubtedlytheyall Home (q.v.), is given by H. D. Jencken in Human Nature,
belong to certain well-defined classes. In the sphere of February, 1867, as follows :
" physical " phenomena we have the movements of furni- " Mr. Home had passed into the trance still so oftea
ture, beginning with the table round which the members witnessed, rising from his seat, he laid hold of an armchair,
of the circle are seated, and affecting, perhaps, all the which he held at arms' length, and was then lifted about
furniture in the room. These antics of inanimate objects three feet clear of the ground ; travelling thus suspended in
in the seance-room are often practically identical with the
spontaneous outbreaks of the poltergeist. Then there are space, he placed the chair next Lord Adare, and made a
circuit round those in the room, being lowered and raised as
Seance 359 Second Sight
he passed each of us. One of those present measured the sion, he spoke for ten minutes in unknown languages.
elevation, and passed his leg and arm under Mr. Home's
A" spirit form now became distinctly visible ; it stood
feet. The elevation lasted from four to five minutes. On
next to the Master of Lindsay, clad, as seen on former
resuming his seat, Mr. Home addressed Captain Wynne, occasions, in a long robe with a girdle, the feet scarcely
communicating news to him of which the departed alone touching the ground, the outline of the face only clear, and
could have been cognisant. the tones of the voice, though sufficiently distinct to be
" The spirit form that had been seen reclining on the understood, whispered rather than spoken. Other voices
sofa, now stepped up to Mr. Home and mesmerised him ; a were now heard, and large globes of phosphorescent lights
hand was then seen luminously visible over his head, about passed slowly through the room."
18 inches in a vertical line from his head. The trance The following extract is taken from an account of a
•state of Mr. Home now assumed a different character seance held by Professor Lombroso with the famous Italian
;
gently rising he spoke a few words to those present, and medium, Eusapia Paladino.
,
—" After a rather long wait the table began to move,
then opening the door proceeded into the corridor ; a
:— slowly at first, a matter explained by the scepticism, not
voice then said ' He will go out of this window and
come in at that window.' The only one who heard the to say the positively hostile spirit, of those who were this
voice was the Master of Lindsay, and a cold shudder seized night in a seance circle for the first time. Then little by
upon him as he contemplated the possibility of this occur- little, the movements increased in intensity. M. Lombroso
ring, a feat which the great height of the third floor windows proved the levitation of the table, and estimated at twelve
in Ashley Place rendered more than ordinarily perilous. or fifteen pounds the resistance to the pressure which he had
The others present, however, having closely questioned him to make with his hands in order to overcome that levitation.
as to what he had heard, he at first replied, ' I dare not " This phenomenon of a heavy body sustained in the
tell you,' when, to the amazement of all, a voice said, ' You air, off its centre of gravity and resisting a pressure of
must tell ; tell directly.' The Master then said, ' Yes twelve or fifteen pounds, very much surprised and aston-
yes, terrible to say, he will go out at that window and come ished the learned gentleman, who attributed it to the action
in at this ; do not be frightened, be quiet.' Mr. Home of an unknown magnetic force.
now re-entered the room, and opening the drawing-room " At my request, taps and scratchings were heard in the
window, was pushed out demi-horizontally into space, and table. This was a new cause for astonishment, and led the
carried, from one window of the drawing-room to the gentlemen to themselves call for the putting out of the
-farthermost window of the adjoining room. This feat candles in order to ascertain whether the intensity of the
being performed at a height of about sixty feet from the noises would be increased, as had been stated. All re-
ground, naturally caused a shudder in all present. The mained seated and in contact.
body of Mr. Home, when it appeared at the window of the " In a dim light which did not hinder the most careful
adjoining room, was shunted into the room feet foremost— surveillance, violent blows were first heard at the middle
the window being only 18 inches open. As soon as he had point of the table. Then a bell placed upon a round table,
recovered his footing he laughed and said, ' I wonder what at a distance of a yard to the left of .the medium (in such a
a policeman would have said had he seen me go round and way that she was placed behind and to the right of M.
—round like a teetotum ! ' The scene was, however, too Lombroso), rose into the air, and went tinkling over the
heads of the company, describing a circle around our table
terrible too strange, to elicit a smile ; cold beads of per-
spiration stood on every brow, while a feeling pervaded all where it finally came to rest."
as if some great danger had passed ; the nerves of those At this seance members of the company also felt themselve
present had been kept in a state of tension that refused to pinched and their clothes plucked, and experienced the
respond to a joke. A change now passed over Mr. Home, — —touchings of invisible hands on their faces and fingers. The
one often observable during the trance states, indicative, no accuracy of the account written by M. Ciolfi was
doubt, of some other power operating on his system. Lord testified to by Professor Lombroso himself. M. J.
—Adare had in i.he meantime stepped up to the open window Second Sight : The faculty of foreseeing future events which
in the adjoining room to close it the cold air, as it came is supposed to belong to certain individuals in the Scottish
pouring in, chilling the room when, to his surprise, he Highlands. The belief in second sight dates back to a very
;
-only found the window 18 to 24 inches open ! This puzzled early period in the history of these regions, and is still
very far from being extinct, even in the more accessible
him, for how could Mr. Home have passed outside through
a window only 18 to 24 inches open. Mr. Home, however parts. Saving the name, there is but little in second sight
soon set his doubts at rest ; stepping up to Lord Adare he that is peculiar to the Celts of Scotland, for it is allied to the
said, ' No, no ; I did not close the window ; I passed thus clairvoyance, prophetic vision, soothsaying, and so on,
into the air outside.' An invisible power then supported which have existed from time immemorial in practically
Mr. Home all but horizontally in space, and thrust his body every part of the world. Yet the second sight has certain
into space through the open window, head-foremost, bring- distinctive features of its own. It may, for instance, be
ing him back again feet foremost into the room, shunted not either congenital or acquired. In the former case it
unlike a shutter into a basement below. The circle round generally falls to the seventh son of a seventh son, by
the table having re-formed, a cold current of air passed over reason, probably, of the potency of the mystic number
those present, like the rushing of winds. This repeated itself seven. Sometimes a Highlander may find himself
suddenly endowed with the mysterious faculty. A person
-several times. The cold blast of air, or electric fluid, or
-call it what you may, was accompanied by a loud whistle gifted with second sight is said to be " fey." Generally there
like a gust of wind on the mountain top, or through the is no apparent departure from the normal consciousness
leaves of the forest in late autumn ; the sound was deep, during the vision, though sometimes a seer may complain
sonorous, and powerful in the extreme, and a shudder kept
Aof a feeling of disquiet or uneasiness. vision may be
passing over those present, who all heard and felt it. This communicated from one person to another, usually by
-rushing sound lasted quite ten minutes, in broken intervals contact, but the secondary vision is dimmer than that of
•of one or two minutes. AH present were much surprised Athe original seer. frequent vision is that of a funeral,
;
and the interest became intensified by the unknown indicating that a death will shortly take place in the
tongues in which Mr. Home now conversed. Passing community. This is an instance of the second sight taking
irom one language to another in rapid succes- a symbolical turn, and perhaps this is its usual form.
Secret Commonwealth 360 Secret Tradition
— —Occasionally the apparition of the doomed man will be that what is true of one applies with equal certainty to all
seen his wraith, or double while he himself is far distant. the others. Thus Strabo records that the strange orgies in
Another form frequently taken by the second sight is that honour of the mystic birth of Jupiter resembled those of
of " seeing lights." The lights, too, may indicate death, Bacchus, Ceres and Cybele ; and the Orphic poems identi-
but they may likewise predict lesser happenings, or have fied the orgies of Bacchus with those of Ceres, Rhea, Venus
no significance at all. Thus a light is seen by two persons and Isis. Euripides also mentions that the rites of Cybele
to hover above the " Big House," then to travel swiftly in are celebrated in Asia Minor in an identical manner with
the direction of the gamekeeper's cottage, where it remains the Grecians mysteries of Dionysius and the Cretan rites
stationary for a while. On the morrow the gamekeeper is of the Cabiri. The Rev. Geo. Oliver in his History of
dead. Again a farmer returning from the market is pre- Initiation affirms that the rites of the science which is now
ceded the whole of the way by a ball of fire, rolling along received under the appellation of Freemasonry were
the road ahead of him. This time, however, the light exercised in the antediluvian world, received by Noah
portends no alarming occurrence, and the excitement of the after the Flood, practised by man at the building of Babel,
glen quickly subsides. The lower animals also are said to conveniences for which were undoubtedly contained in-
possess second sight, which is especially frequent among that edifice, and at the dispersion spread with every
dogs and horses. Two men were travelling from Easdale settlement already deteriorated by the gradual innova-
to Oban on a stormy night. In traversing a short cut tions of the Cabiric priests, and moulded into a form, the
through a wood one of them died from fatigue and exposure. great outlines of which are distinctly to be traced in the
That night more than one horse had to be carefully led mysteries of every heathen nation, and exhibit shattered
past the spot by his driver, who as yet knew nothing of the remains of the one true system, whence they were derived.
tragedy. Indeed most Highlanders believe that the faculty This theory is of course totally mischievous, and although
is common to all the lower animals, else why should they there may have been likenesses between the rites of certain
whine and bristle when there is nothing visible to human societies, the idea that all sprang from one common source
eyes, nothing audible to human ears ? Notwithstanding is absurd. One thing, however, is fairly certain : anthrop-
that the march of civilisation has caused the Highlander ology permits us to believe that the concepts of man, religious
partly to conceal his occult beliefs, at least from the unbe- and mystical, are practically identical in whatever part of
lieving Sassenach, the writer can vouch for the fact that the world he may exist, and there is every possibility that
in certain districts second sight is almost a commonplace, the similarity between early mysteries results in this man-
believed in even by those who avow that they are not in the ner, and that it brought about a strong resemblance between,
least " superstitious." M. J. Wethe mystical systems of the older world. have satis-
Secret Commonwealth of Elves : {See Scotland.) factory evidence that the ancient mysteries were recepta-
Secret Fire : Described by Philostratus as issuing from a cles of a great deal of occult wisdom, symbolism, magical or
Abasin in a well on the hill Athanor. blue vapour rises semi-magical rite, and mystical practice in general and
;
from the well, changing into all the colours of the rainbow. we are pretty well assured that when these fell into desue-
The bottom is strewn with red arsenic ; on it is the basin
tude among the more intellectual classes of the various
full of fire, and from it rises flame without smell or smoke.
countries in which they obtained, they were taken up and
Two stone reservoirs are beside it, one containing rain, the
practised in secret by the lesser ranks of society, even the
other wind. lowest ranks, who are in all ages the most conservative, and
Secret of Secrets : (See Kabala.) who clung faithfully to the ancient systems, refusing to-
Secret Tradition : It has long been an article of faith with partake in the rites of the religions which had ousted them.
students of occultism that the secret tenets of the various
sciences embraced within it have been preserved to modern The same can be posited of magical practice. The princi-
times by a series of adepts, who have handed them down ples of magic are universal, and there can be no reason to
from generation to generation in their entirety. There is doubt that these were handed on throughout the long cen-
no reason to doubt this belief, but that the adepts in
question existed in one unbroken line, and that they all turies by hereditary castes of priests, shamans, medicine-
professed similar principles is somewhat improbable. But
one thing is fairly certain, and that is, that proficiency in men, magicians, sorcerers, and witches. But the same
any one of the occult sciences requires tuition from a master
evidence does not exist with regard to the higher magic,
concerning which much more difficult questions arise.
Was this handed on by means of secret societies, occult
Weschools or universities, or from adept to adept ?
speak
of that branch. All serious writers on the subject are at not of the sorceries of empirics and savages, but of that
one as regards this. It is likely that in neolithic times spiritual magic which, taken in its best sense, shades into
societies existed among our barbarian ancestors, similar mysticism. The schools of Salamanca, the mystic colleges
in character to the Midiwiwin of the North-American
Indians, the snake-dancers of the Hopi of New Mexico, or of Alexandria, could not impart the great truths of this
the numerous secret societies of aboriginal Australians.
This is inferred from the certainty that totemism existed science to their disciples : its nature is such that com-
amongst neolithic peoples. Hierophantic castes would
naturally hand down the tradition of the secret things of munication by lecture would be worse than useless- It is
the Society from one generation to another. The early
necessary to suppose then that it was imparted by one
adept to another. But it is not likely that it arose at a
very early period in the history of man. In his early
psychological state he would not require it ; and we see
mysteries of Egypt, Eleusis, Samothrace, Cabiri, and so no reason for belief that its professors came into existence
forth were merely the elaboration of such savage mysteries.
at an earlier period than some three or four thousand years
There would appear to have been throughout the ages,
what might be called, a fusion of occult beliefs : that B.C. " The undisturbed nature of Egyptian and Babylonian
when the*hierophants of one system found themselves in
civilisation leads to the belief that these countries brought
Weforth a long series of adepts in the higher magic. know-
juxtaposition, or even in conflict, with the professors of that Alexandria fell heir to the works of these men, but it
another, the systems in question appear to have received is unlikely that their teachings were publicly disseminated
much from one another. It has been said that when the in her public schools. Individuals of high magical stand-
ancient mysteries are spoken about, it should be understood ing would however be in possession of the occult knowledge
thatone and the same series of sacred ceremonies is intended,
one and the same initiatory processes and revelations, and of ancient Egypt, and that they imparted this to the Greeks
of Alexandria is certain. Later Hellenic and Byzantine
Secret Tradition 361 Secret Tradition
magical theory is distinctly Egyptian in character, and we concerning the rise of Freemasonry at the time of the
know that its esoteric forms were disseminated in Europe at building of the Temple. Secret societies of any description
a comparatively early date, and that they placed all other possess a strong attraction for a certain class of mind, or
native systems in the background, where they were pursued else a merely operative handicraft society, such as was
mediaeval Masonry, would riot have been utilised so largely
in the shadow by the aboriginal witch and sorcerer. We
have thus outlined the genealogy of the higher magic from by the mystics of that time. One of the chief reasons that
early Egyptian times to the European mediaeval period. we know so little concerning these brotherhoods in mediae-
Regarding alchemy, the evidence from analogy is much val times is that the charge of dabbling in the occult arts
more sure, and the same may be said as regards astrology. was a serious one in the eyes of the law and the church,
These are sciences in which it is peculiarly necessary to therefore they found it necessary to carry on their prac-
obtain the assistance of an adept if any excellence is to tices in secret. But after the Reformation, a modern spirit
be gained in their practice and we know that the first took possession of Europe, and the protagonists of the
;
originated in Egypt, and the second in ancient Babylon. occult sciences came forth from their caverns and practised
in the open light of day. In England, for example, numer-
We are not aware of the names of those early adepts who
carried the sciences forward until the days of Alexandria, ous persons avowed themselves alchemists ; in Germany the
but subsequent to that period the identity of practically
every alchemical and astrological practitioner of any note " Rosicrucians " sent out a manifesto ; in Scotland, Seton,
a great master of the hermetic art, arose : never had
is fully known. In the history of no science is the sequence occultism possessed such a heyday. But it was nearly a
of its professors so clear as is the case in alchemy, and century later until further secret societies were formed, such
the same might almost be said as regards astrology, whose as the Academy of the Ancients and of the Mysteries in
protagonists, if they have not been so famous, have at 1767 ; the Knights of the True Light founded in Austria
about 1780 ; the Knights and Brethren of Asia, which
Weleast been equally conscientious. must pass over in appeared in Germany in the same year ; the Order of
Jerusalem which originated in America in 1791 ; the
our consideration of the manner in which occult science Society of the Universal Aurora established at Paris in
survived, the absurd legends which presume to state how
such societies as the Freemasons existed from antediluvian
times and will content ourselves with stating that the 1783. Besides being masonic, these societies practised
; animal magnetism, astrology, Kabalism and even cere-
probabilities are that in the case of mystical brotherhoods
a long line of these existed from early times, the traditions monial magic. Others were political, such as the Illuminati,
of which were practically similar. Many persons would be which came to such an inglorious end. But the individual
members of several of these, and would import the con- tradition was kept up by an illustrious line of adepts, who
ceptions of one society into the heart of another, as we were much more instrumental in keeping alive the flame
know Rosicrucian ideas were imported into Masonry. - of mysticism than even such societies as those we have
We{See Freemasonry.) seem to see in the mystic societies mentioned. Mesmer, Swedenborg, St. Martin, Pas-
Weof the middle ages reflections of the older Egyptian and qually, Willermoz, all laboured to that end. may
classical mysteries, and there is nothing absurd in the regard all these as belonging to the school of Christian
theory that the spirit and in some instances even the letter magicians, as apart from those who practised the rites of
of these descended to mediaeval and perhaps to present the grimoires or Jewish Kabalism. The line may be
times. Such organisations die much harder than any carried back through Lavater, Eckartshausen, and so on
to the seventeenth century. These men were mystics
credit is given them for doing. We know, for example,
that Freemasonry was revolutionised at one part of its besides being practitioners of theurgic magic, and they
career, about the middle of the seventeenth century, by combined in themselves the knowledge of practically all
an influx of alchemists and astrologers, who crowded out the occult sciences.
the operative members, and who strengthened the mystical With Mesmer began the revival of a science which cannot
position of the brotherhood, and it is surely reasonable to be altogether regarded as occult, when consideration is-
suppose that on the fall or desuetude of the ancient myster- given to its modern developments, but which powerfully
ies, their disciples, looking eagerly for some method of influenced the mystic life of his and many later days.
saving their cults from entire extinction, would join the The mesmerists of the first era are in direct line with the
ranks of some similar society, or would keep alive the flame Martinists and the mystical magicians of the France of the
in secret ; but the fact remains that the occult idea was late eighteenth century. Indeed in the persons of some
undoubtedly preserved through the ages, that it was the English mystics, such as Greatrakes, mysticism and
same in essence amongst the believers in all religions and all magnetism are one and the same thing. But upon " Hyp-
mysteries, and that to a great extent its trend was in the notism," to give it its modern name, becoming numbered
one direction, so that the fusion of the older mystical with the more practical sciences, persons of a mystical cast
societies and their re-birth as a new brotherhood is by no of mind appear to have, to a great extent, deserted it.
means an unlikely hypothesis. In the article on the Hypnotism does not bear the same relation to mesmerism
" Templars " for example, we have tried to show the and magnetism as modern chemistry does to alchemy ;
but the persons who practise it nowadays are as dissimilar
possibility of that brotherhood having received its tenets
from the East, where it sojourned for such a protracted to the older professors of the science as is the modern
period. It seems very likely from what we learn of its practitioner of chemistry to the mediaeval alchemist. This
rites that they were oriental in origin, and we know that is symptomatic of the occult sciences, that they despise
the occult systems of Europe owed much to the Templars,
that knowledge which is " exact " in the common sense
who, probably, after the fall of their own Order secretly of the term. Their practitioners do not delight in labour-
formed others or joined existing societies. Masons have a ing upon a science, the laws of which are already known,
hypothesis that through older origins they inherited from cut and dried. The student of occultism, as a rule, possesses
the Dionysian artificers, the artizans of Byzantium, and the all the attributes of an explorer. The occult sciences have
building brotherhoods of Western Europe. To state this from time to time deeply enriched the exact sciences, but
dogmatically as a fact would not be to gain so much cre- these enrichments have been acts of intellectual generosity.
dence foV their theory as is due to that concerning the It is in effect as if the occultist made a present of them to
dissemination of occult lore by the Templars ; but it is the scientist, but did not desire to be troubled with their
much more feasible in every way than the absurd legend future development in any way. Occultism of the higher
Secret Words 362 Semites, The
sort therefore does not to-day possess any great interest " Incantation :
in hypnotism, and modern mysti.cs of standing scarcely
recognise it as a part of the hidden mysteries. But there (The man) of Ea am I,
is no question that the early mesmerists formed a link
between the adepts of eighteenth-century France and those (The man) of Damkina am I,
The messenger of Marduk am I,
of the present day. The occultists of to-day, however, are My spell is the spell of Ea,
My incantation is the incantation of Marduk,
harking farther back : they recognise that their fore- The circle of Ea is in my hand.
runners of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries drew
The tamarisk, the powerful weapon of Anu,
their inspiration from older origins, and they feel that these
In my hand I hold,
may have had cognisance of records and traditions that we
The date-spathe, mighty in decision,
wot not of. The recovery of these is perhaps for the
moment the great question of modern magic. But apart In my hand I hold."
from this, modern magic of the highest type strains towards " Incantation :
mysticism, and partakes more than ever of its character. He that stilleth all to rest, that pacifieth all.
It disdains and ignores ceremonial, and exalts psychic By whose incantation everything is at peace,
experience. That is not to say that numerous bodies do He is the great Lord Ea,
not exist throughout the world for the celebration of Stilling all to rest, and pacifying all,
magical rite ; but such fraternities have existed from time
immemorial, and their protagonists cannot be placed on a By whose incantation everything is at peace.
When I draw nigh unto the sick man
higher footing than the hallucinated sorcerers of mediaeval
All shall be assuaged.
times.
I am the magician born of Eridu,
Secret Words : Certain words relating to the Eucharist were
communicated by Christ to Joseph of Arimathea and were Begotten in Eridu and Subari.
committed orally from keeper to keeper of the Graal. In
Robert de Borron's metrical romance, material power is When I draw nigh,unto the sick man
May Ea, King of the Deep, safeguard me ! "
—" Incantation :
added to their spiritual efficacy and whoever could acquire O Ea, King of the Deep, to see
and retain them, had a mysterious power over all around
I, the magician, am thy slave.
him, could not suffer by evil judgments, could not suffer
deprivation of his own rights, need not fear the result of March thou on my right hand,
battle, provided his cause were good. The words were the myAssist (me) on left ;
secret of the Graal and were either incommunicable in Add thy pure spell to mine,
writing or were written only in the Book of the Graal which,
de Borron implies, was itself written by Joseph of Arima- Add thy pure voice to mine,
thea. These words are the chief mystery of the Lesser Holy
Graal, as the prose version of de Borron's poem is called. Vouchsafe (to me) pure words,
They were most probably a form of eucharistic consecra-
Make fortunate the utterances of my mouth,
Ordain that my decisions be happy,
tion, and there is evidence that the Celtic church, following Let me be blessed where'er I tread,
the example of the Eastern Church used them in addition Let the man whom I (now) touch be blessed.
Before me may lucky thoughts be spoken.
to the usual consecration as practised in the Latin Church, After me may a lucky finger be pointed.
Oh that thou wert my guardian genius,
which is merely a repetition of the New Testament account And my guardian spirit !
O God that blesseth, Marduk,
of the Lord's Supper. The separate clause they are sup-
posed to have formed is called Epiclesis and consisted of an Let me be blessed, where'er my path may be !
invocation of the Holy Ghost.
Thy power shall god and man proclaim
Seik Kasso : Evil spirits inhabiting trees. (See Burma.) ;
Seiktha : An evil spirit. (See Burma.) This man shall do thy service,
.Semites, The : This article on the Semites applies to the more And I too, the fhagician thy slave."
ancient divisions of the race, such as the Babylonians and " Unto the house on entering ....
Assyrians, and the Hebrews in Biblical times. For later
Samas is before me,
Semitic occultism see Kabala, Arabs, etc. In ancient Sin (is) behind (me),
Babylon, and Chaldea, magic was of course a department Nergal (is) at (my) right hand,
of priestly activity, and in Mesopotamia we find a sect of myNinib (is) at left hand ;
priests, the Asipu, set apart for the practice of magic, which When I draw near unto the sick man.
in their case probably consisted of hypnotism, the casting When I lay my hand on the head of the sick man,
out of demons, the banning of troublesome spirits and so May a kindly Spirit, a kindly Guardian, stand
forth. The Baru again were augurs who consulted the at my side."
oracles on the future by the inspection of the entrails of The third caste was the Zammaru, who sang or chanted
animals and the flight of birds, " the observation of oil in certain ceremonials.
water, the secret of Anu, Bel, and Ea, the tablet of the gods, The lower ranks of sorcery were represented by the
the sachet of leather of the oracles of the heavens and Kassapu and Kassaptu, the wizard and witch, who, as else-
•earth, the wand of cedar dear to the great gods." These where, practised black magic, and who are stoutly com-
priests of Baru and Asipu were clothed in vestments pecu- Webated by the priest-magician caste. find in the code
liar to their rank, which they changed frequently during the —of Hammurabi a stringent law against the professors of
ceremonies in which they took part. In the tablets we black magic : '* If a man has charged a man with sorcery
find kings making frequent enquiry through these priestly and has not justified himself, he who is charged with sorcery
castes and in a tablet of Sippar, we find treated the shall go to the river, he shall plunge into the river, and if
;
installation of a Baru to the Sun-temple, and also Sennach- the river overcome him, he Who accused him shall take to
rib seeking through the Baru the causes of his father's himself his house. If the river makes that man to be inno-
violent de.-ith. Tne Asipu again were exorcists, who cent, and he be saved, he who accused him shall be put to
Weremoved tabus and laid ghosts. death. He who plunged into the river shall take to him-
find an Asipu's func-
tions set forth in the following poem : self the house of him who accused him." This will recall
Semites, The 363 Semites, The
the test for a witch, that if thrown into a pond, if she sinks together in Assyria, for we find medical men constantly
she is innocent, but if she floats she is a witch indeed. using incantations to drive out demons, and incantations are
often associated with prescriptions. Medical magic indeed
Another series of tablets deals with the black magician and
apoears to have been of much the same sort as we find
the witch who are represented as roaming the streets, amongst the American Indians and peoples in a like
entering houses, and prowling through towns, stealing the barbarian condition of existence.
love of men, and withering the beauty of women. The We find the doctrine of the "Incommunicable Name
exorcist goes on to say that he has made an image of the established among the early Semites, as among the Egypt-
ians : the secret name of a god, which when discovered
witch, and he calls upon the fire-god to burn it. He gave the speaker complete power over him by its mere
utterance. The knowledge of the name, or description,
seizes the mouth, tongue, eyes, feet, and other members of the person or demon the magician directs his charm
against, is also essential to success. Drugs also, to which
of the witch, and piously prays that Sin may cast her into were originally ascribed the power vouchsafed by the gods
for the welfare of mankind, were supposed to aid greatly in
an abyss of water and fire, and that her face may grow
—exorcism. In Assyrian sorcery, Ea and Marduk are the
yellow and green. He fears that the witch is directing
most - powerful gods, the latter being appealed to as
a like sorcery against himself, that she sits making spells
intermediary between man and his father, Ea : indeed the
against him in the shade of the wall, fashioning images of legend of Marduk going to his father for advice was com-
monly repeated in incantations. ' When working against an
him. But he sends against her the haltappan plant and
—individual too, it was necessary to have something belong-
sesame to undo her spells and force back the words into her
ing to him, clippings of his hair, or nails if possible. The
mouth. He devoutly trusts that the images she has
possessed person was usually washed, the principal of
fashioned will assume her own character, and that her
cleansing probably underlying this ceremony. An incan-
spells may recoil upon herself. Another tablet expresses
tation called the Incantation of Eridu was often prescribed,
the desire that the god of night may smite the witch in her
and this must relate to some such cleansing, for Eridu is
magic, that the three watches of the night may loose her
the Home of Ea, the Sea-god. A formula for exorcising
evil sorcery, that her mouth may be fat and her tongue
or washing away a demon, Rabesu states that the patient
salt, that the words of evil that she hath spoken may be is to be sprinkled with clean water twice seven times. Of
all water none was so sacred as the Euphrates, and water
poured out like tallow, and that the magic she is working be from it was frequently used for charms and exorcisms.
Fumigation with a censor was also employed by the As-
crumbled like salt. The tablets abound in magical matter syrians for exorcism, but the possessed person was often
guarded from the attack of fiends by placing him in the
and in them we have the actual wizardry in vogue at the middle of an enchanted circle of flour, through which it was
thought no spirit could break. Wearing the glands from
time they were written, which runs at least from the the mouth of a fish was also a charm against possession.
In making a magic circle, the sorcerer usually formed seven
seventh century B.C. onwards until the time when the
little winged figures to set before the god Nergal, with a
cuneiform ceased to be used. Chaldean magic was re-
long spell, which states that he has completed the usuriu or
nowned throughout the world, particularly, however, its
magic circle with a sprinkling of lime. The wizard further
astrological side. Isaiah says " Let now the astrologers,
prays that the incantation may be performed for his
star-gazers, monthly prognosticators, stand up and save
patient by the god. This would seem to be a prototype
thee from the things that shall come upon thee." In the
—of the circle in use amongst magicians of mediaval times.
book of Daniel, we find the magicians called Chaldeans, and
Says Campbell Thompson in his Semitic Magic :
up to the present time occultists have never tired of sing-
—" Armed with all these things the word of power, the
ing the praises of the Chaldean magi. Strabo and ^Elian
acquisition of some part of the enemy, the use of the magic
allude to their knowledge of astrology, as did Diodorus
—circle and holy water, and the knowledge of the magical
Siculus, and it is supposed to have been a Chaldean magician
properties of substances the ancient warlock was well
(Ethanes who introduced his science into Greece, which he
fitted for his trade. He was then capable of defying
entered with Xerxes.
hostile demons or summoning friendly spirits, of driving
The great library of Assurbanipal, king of Assyria,
out disease or casting spells, of making amulets to guard
who died in 626 B.C., affords us first-hand knowledge of the credulous who came to him. Furthermore, he had a
Assyrian magic. He gathered together numerous volumes certain stock-in-trade of tricks which were a steady source
of revenus. Lovesick youths and maidens always hoped
from the cities of Babylonia, and storing them in his
for some result from his philtres or love-charms ; at the
great library at Nineveh, had them copied and translated.
demand of jealousy, he was ever ready to put hatred
In fact letters have been discovered from Assurbanipal to between husband and wife ; and for such as had not the
some of his officials, giving instructions for the copying pluck or skill even to use a dagger on a dark night, his
of certain incantations. Many grimoires too come from little effigies, pierced with pins, would bring death to a
—Babylonia, written during the later empire, the best rival. He was at once a physician and wonder-worker for
known of which are the series entitled Maklu, burning such as would pay him fee."
; "Among the more modern Semites magic is greatly in vogue
Utukki limnuii, evil spirits ; Labartu, hag-demon ; and in many forms, some of them quite familiar to Europeans :
indeed we find in the Arabian Nights edited by Lane, a
Nis kati, raising of the hand. There are also available story of old women riding on a broom-stick. Among
Mahommedans the wizard is thought to deserve death by
many ceremonial texts which throw considerable light on
reason of the fact that he is an unbeliever. Witches are
magical practice. The Maklu for example contains eight
fairly common in Arabic lore, and we usually find them
—tablets of incantations and spells against wizards and figuring as sellers of potions and philtres. The European
witches the general idea running through it being to
instruct the bewitched person how to manufacture figures
of his enemies, and thus destroy them. The series dealing
with the exorcism of evil spirits enumerates demons,
goblins and ghosts, and consists of at least sixteen tablets.
They are for the use of the exorcist in driving out devils
from possessed people, and this is to be accomplished by
invoking the aid of the gods, so that the demons may be
laid under a divine tabu. The demon who possesses the
unfortunate victim must be described in the most minute
manner. The series dealing with the Labartu or hag-
demon, who is a kind of female devil who delights in
attacking children, gives directions for making a figure of
the Labartu and the incantations to be repeated over it.
The magician and philosopher appear to have worked
Semites, The 364 Setna, Papyrus of
witch is usually supposed to be able to leave her dwelling done duty in other places. Such books existed in manu-
at night by sprinkling some of the ashes of the hearth on the script in ancient days, as is vouched for by the story of the
forehead of her husband, whereby he sleeps soundly till the Sibylline books or the passage in Acts xix., 19 ; ' Not a
morning. This is identical with French mediaeval practice. few of them that practised curious arts brought their books
together, and burned them in the sight of all.' "
In Arab folk tales the moghrebi is the sorcerer who has con-
verse with demons, and we find many such in the Old and It is curious to find the charm for raising hatred practi-
New Testaments, as well as diviners and other practitioners cally the same among the Semites as it is amongst the
of the occult arts. In the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Akiba defines peoples of Hungary and the Balkan States : that is
an enchanter as one who calculates the times and hours,
through the agency of the egg of a black hen. We find too,
and other rabbis state that " an enchanter is he who grows many minor sorceries the same among the Semites as
ill when his bread drops from his mouth, or if he drops the among European races. To be invisible was another at-
stick that supports him from his hand, or if his son calls tainment much sought after, and it was thought that if
after him, or a crow caws in his hearing, or a deer crosses one wore a ring of copper and iron engraved with certain
his path, or he sees a serpent at his right hand, or a fox on magic signs this result would be secured, or the heart of a
his left." The Arabs believe that magic will not work black cat, dried and steeped in honey. The article " Solo-
while he that employs it is asleep. Besides it is possible mon " can be referred to for several instances of potent
to over-reach Satan himself, and many Arabic tales exist enchantments. Sympathetic magic is often resorted to by
in which men of wisdom and cunning have succeeded in the Arabic witch and wizard, just as it was amongst the
accomplishing this. Tblis once sent his son to an assembly ancient Hebrews and Assyrians.
of honourable people with a flint stone, and told him to have The great repertory of Semitic occultism is of course the
Kabala, to which the reader is referred for later Hebrew
the flint stone woven. He came in and said, " My father
sends his peace, and wishes to have this flint stone woven." mystical doctrine.
A man with a goat-beard said, " Tell your father to have it Sendivogius, Michael : (See Seton.)
spun, and then we will weave it." The son went back, Sensitive : One who is in any degree susceptible to the
Ainfluence of spiritual beings.
and the Devil was very angry, and told his son never to medium is occasionally,
put forth any suggestion when a goat-bearded man was and, according to some authorities, more correctly, termed
present, " for he is more devilish than we." Curiously a sensitive.
enough, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah makes a similar Sephiroth : (See Kabala.)
request in a contest against the wise men of Athens, who
have required him to sew together the fragments of a Serpent's Egg : (See Amulets.)
ASethos : diviner, who was deprived of his sight by the
broken millstone. He asks in reply for a few threads
Emperor Manuel because of his addiction to Magic. It
made of the fibre of the stone. The good folk of Mosul, is said that the Emperor Andronicus Comnenus obtained
too, have ever prided themselves on a ready wit against the through him by hydromancy an answer to the question
Devil. Time was, as my servant related to me, when of who was to succeed him. The evil spirit gave the
"SI"letters
Iblis came to Mosul and found a man planting onions. in reply ; and on being asked when, said
They fell to talking, and in their fellowship agreed to divide before the Feast of the exaltation of the Cross. This
the produce of the garden. Then, on a day when the prediction was fulfilled, for before the date mentioned
onions were ready, the partners went to their vegetable Isaac Angelus had thrown Andronicus to be torn in pieces
patch and the man said, " Master, wilt thou take as thy by the mob. When the devil spells, he spells backwards,
so that " S I " may quite fairly be taken to represent
half that which is above ground or that which is below ? "
Isaac according to the laws of magic !
Now the Devil saw the good green shoots of the onions
sprouting high, and so carried these off as his share, leaving ASetna, Papyrus of : papyrus of very ancient date, dealing
the gardener chuckling over his bargain. But when wheat with the personality of Prince Setna Kha-em-ust, son of
time came round, and the man was sowing his glebe on a
Rameses II. of Egypt, and said to have been discovered
day, the Devil looked over the ditch and complained that
he had made nothing out of the compact. " This time, by him under the head of a mummy in the Necropolis at
Memphis. Says Wiedemann concerning it : The first text,
quoth he, we will divide differently, and thou shalt take the which has been known to us since 1867, tells tnat this
tops " ; and so it fell out. They visited the tilth together prince, being skilled and zealous in the practice of necro-
and when the corn was ripe, and the fellah reaped the mancy, was one day exhibiting his acquirements to the
field and took away the ears, leaving the Devil stubbing up learned men of the court, when an old man told him of a
the roots. Presently, after he had been digging for a magic book containing two spells written by the hand of
month, he began to find out his error, and went to the man, Thoth himself, the god of wisdom. He who repeated the
who was cheerily threshing his portion. " This is a paltry first spell bewitched thereby heaven and earth and the
quibble," said Iblis, " thou hast cozened me this twice." realm of night, the mountains and the depth of the sea ;
" Nay," said the former, " I gave thee thy desire ; and he knew the fowls of the air and every creeping thing ; he
furthermore, thou didst not thresh out thine onion-tops, as saw the fishes, for a divine power brought them up out of the
depth. He who read the second spell should have power
I am doing this." So it was a sanguine Devil that sent
away to beat the dry onion-stalks, but in vain ; and he to resume his earthly shape, even though he dwelt in the
left Mosul sullenly, stalking away in dudgeon, and stopping grave ; to see the sun rising in the sky with all the gods and
once in a while to shake his hand against so crafty a town. the moon in the form wherein she displays herself. Setna
" Cursed be he, ye tricksters ! who can outmatch devilry inquired where this book was to be found, and learned
like yours ? ". that it was lying in the tomb of Nefer-ka-Ptah, a son of
" In modern times in the East," says Mr. Thompson, King Mer-neb-ptah (who is nowhere else named), and that
" from Morocco to Mesopotamia, books of magic are by no any attempt to take away the book would certainly meet
means rare, and manuscripts in Arabic, Hebrew, Gershuni, with obstinate resistance. These difficulties did not with-
and Syriac can frequently be bought, all dealing with some hold Setna from the adventure. He entered the tomb of
form of magic or popular medicine. In Suakin in the Nefer-ka-Ptah, where he found not only the dead man,
Soudan I was offered a printed book of astrology in Arabic but the Ka of his wife Ahuri and their son, though these
illustrated by the most grotesque and bizarre woodcuts of latter had been buried in Koptos. But as in many other
the signs of the Zodiac, the blocks for which seem to have tales among many other peoples, success brought no
Seton 365 Seton
blessing to the man who had disturbed the repose of the This Venderlinden's grandson in turn, showed to the
celebrated author, D. G. Morhoff, who wrote a letter con-
dead. Setna fell in love with the daughter of a priest at cerning it to Langlet du Fresnoy, author of the Histoire de
Memphis, who turned out to be a witch, and took advan- la Philosophie Hermetique.
tage of his intimate connection with her to bring him to
ignominy and wretchedness. At length the prince recog- Seton visited Amsterdam and Rotterdam, travelled by
nised and repented of the sacrilege he had committed in sea to Italy, and thence through Switzerland to Germany,
accompanied by a professed sceptic of alchemy, one Wolf-
carrying off the book, and brought it back to Nefer-ka-Ptah.
In the hope of atoning to some extent for his sin he journeyed gang Dienheim, whom he convinced of the error of his
to Koptos, and finding the graves of the wife and child of
views at Basle before several of its principal inhabitants.
Nefer-ka-Ptah, he solemnly, restored their mummies to the This person has described Seton, and from the pen picture
tomb of the father and husband, carefully closing the
tomb he had so sacrilegiously disturbed. The second he gives of him we can discern a typical Scot of the seven-
text, edited two years ago by Griffith from a London teenth century. " Seton," he says, " was short but stout,
and high-coloured, with a pointed beard, but despite his
papyrus, is also genuinely Egyptian in its details. Three corpulence, his expression was spiritual and exalted."
" He was," adds Dienheim, " a native of Molier, in an
magic tales, interwoven one with another, are brought into island of the ocean." One wonders if Molier is the German's
connection with Saosiri, the supernaturally born son of corruption of Lothian.
Setna. In the first, Saosiri, who was greatly Setna's Several experiments of importance were now demon-
superior in the arts of magic, led his father down into the strated by Seton. In one of these the celebrated physician
underworld. They penetrated into the judgment-hall
of Osiris, where the sights they saw convinced Setna that Zwinger himself brought the lead which was to be trans-
a glorious future awaited the poor man who should cleave
to righteousness, while he who led an evil life on earth, muted from his own house. A common crucible was
though rich and powerful, must expect a terrible doom.
Saosiri next succeeded in saving his father, and with him obtained at a goldsmith's, and ordinary sulphur was bought
all Egypt, from great difficulty by reading without breaking on the road to the house where the experiment was to
the seal of a closed letter brought by an Ethiopian magician, take place. Seton handled none of these materials and
whom he thus forced to recognise the superior power of took no part in the operation except to give to those who
Egypt. The last part of the text tells of a powerful
magician once dwelling in Ethiopia who modelled in wax followed his directions a small packet of powder which
a litter with four bearers to whom he gave his life. He
sent them to Egypt, and at his command they sought out transformed the lead into the purest gold of exactly the
Pharaoh in his palace, carried him off to Ethiopia, and, same weight. Zwinger appears to have been absolutely
after giving him five hundred blows with a cudgel, con-
veyed him during the same night back to Memphis. Next convinced of the genuine nature of the experiment, for he
morning the king displayed the weals on his back to his wrote an account of it to his friend Dr. Schobinger, which
courtiers, one of whom, Horus by name, was sufficiently
appears in Lonig's Ephemerides. Shortly after this Seton
,
left Basle, and changing his name went to Strasbourg,
skilled in the use of amulets to ward off by their means an whence he travelled to Cologne, lodging with one Anton
immediate repetition of the outrage. Horus then set Bordemann, who was by way of being an alchemist. In
forth to bring from Hermopolis, the all-powerful magic —this city he was sufficiently imprudent to blazon his know-
book of the god Thoth, and by its aid he succeeded in
ledge far and wide, on one occasion producing six ounces
treating the Ethiopian king as the Ethiopian sorcerer had
treated Pharaoh. The foreign magician then hastened to of gold through the application of one grain of his magical
Egypt to engage in a contest with Horus in magic tricks.
His skill was shown to be inferior, and in the end he and his powder. The circumstance seems to have made an
mother received permission to return to Ethiopia under a impression on at least one of the savants of the Cathedral
solemn promise not to set foot on Egyptian territory for a
space of fifteen hundred years. City, for Theobald de Hoghelande in his Histories Aliquot
Transmutalionis MettaliccB, which was published at
Seton (or Sethon) Alexander, was one of the very few alchem-
ists who succeeded in the great experiment of the transmu- Cologne in 1604, alludes to it.
Seton then went to Hamburg, whence he travelled
tation of metals. He took his name from the village of
south to Munich, where something more important than
Seton, which is stated to have been in the vicinity of Edin-
alchemy engaged his attention, for he eloped with the
burgh and close to the sea-shore, so that one may reasonably
conclude that the little fishing community of Port Seton is daughter of a citizen, whom he married. The young
meant, although Camden in his Brittania states that that
was the name of his house. In the year 1601, the crew of a Elector of Saxony, Christian II. had heard of Seton's
brilliant alchemical successes and invited him to his court,
Dutch vessel had the misfortune to be wrecked on the
coast near his dwelling, and Seton personally rescued several but Seton, loath to leave his young wife, sent his friend,
of them, lodged them in his house, and treated them with William Hamilton, probably a brother-Scot, in his stead,
great kindness, ultimately sending them back to Holland
at his own expense. In the following year he visited with a supply of the transmuting agent. In the presence
Holland, and renewed his acquaintance with at least one of of the whole Court, Hamilton undertook and carried
the ship-wrecked crew, James Haussen, the pilot, who through an experiment with perfect success and the gold
lived at Arksun. Haussen, determined on repaying him
then manufactured resisted every known test. This
for the hospitality he had received in Scotland, entertained naturally only whetted the Elector's desire to see and
him for some time in his house, and to him Seton disclosed converse with the magus, and a pressing invitation, which
amounted to a command, was dispatched to Seton, who,
the information that he was a master of the art of alchemy,
and provedjjis words by performing several transmutations. thus rendered unable to refuse, betook himself to the
Haussen, full of the matter, confided it to one Venderlinden, electoral court. He was received there with every mark
a physician of Enkhuysen, to whom he showed a piece of of honour, but it soon became evident to him that Christian
II. had only invited him thither for the purpose of extract-
gold which he had himself seen transmuted from lead. ing from him the nature of his grand secret, but Seton, as
an adept in the mysteries of alchemy, remained true to his
high calling, and flatly refused to gratify the Elector's
greed. Promises of preferment and threats were alike
indifferent to him, and in the end the Elector, in a passion,
ordered him to be imprisoned in a tower, where he was
guarded by forty soldiers. There he was subjected to every
conceivable species of torture, but all to no purpose. The
rack, the fire, and the scourge, failed to extort from him
Seton 366 Shelta Thari
the methods by which he had achieved the grand arcanum. shall really tinge the basest metal, whether with gain or
Quite as exhausted as his victim, the Elector at last for- without gain, with the colour of gold or silver (abiding
bore, and left the unfortunate Scot in peace. all requisite tryals whatever), hath the gates of Nature
At this juncture a Moravian chemist, Michael Sendi- opened to him for the enquiring into further and higher
vogius, who happened to be in Dresden heard of Seton's secrets, and with the blessing of God to obtain them."
terrible experiences and possessed sufficient influence to Seven Stewards of Heaven, by whom God governs the
obtain permission to visit him. Himself a searcher after world. They are known in works on Magic as the Olympian
the philosopher's stone, he sympathised deeply with the Spirits, and they govern the Olympian spheres, which are
adept, and proposed to him that he should attempt to
effect his rescue. To this Seton agreed, and promised that —composed of onehundred andninety-sixregions. Their names
in the Olympian language are : Arathron, the celestial
if he were fortunate enough to escape, he would reward spirit of Saturn, whose day is Saturday Bethor, the angel
Sendivogius with his secret. The Moravian travelled back ;
to Cracow, where he resided, sold up his property, and
returned to Dresden, where he lodged near Seton's place of of Jupiter, whose day is Monday'; Phaleg, the prince of
confinement, entertaining the soldiers who guarded the
alchemist, and judiciously bribing those who were directly Mars, whose day is Tuesday Och, the master of the Sun,
;
whose day is Sunday Hagith, the sovereign of Venus,
;
whose day is Friday Ophiel, the spirit of Mercury, who
;
must be invoked on Wednesday ; Phul, the administrator
concerned in his imprisonment. At last he judged that of affairs in the Moon, whose day is Monday. Each of these
the time was ripe to attempt Seton's salvation. He feasted
Seven Celestial Spirits may be invoked by magicians by the
the guards in a manner so liberal that all of them were soon aid of ceremonies and preparations.
in a condition of tipsy carelessness. He then hastened to Sextus V., Pope, was one of the line of St. Peter accused of-
the tower in which Seton was imprisoned, but found him sorcery. De Thou says of him in his Histoire Universelle
unable to walk, through the severity of his tortures. He (tome XI.) ' : The Spaniards continued their vengeance
therefore supported him to a carriage which stood waiting, against this Pontiff even after his death, and they forgot
and which they gained without being observed. They nothing in their anxiety to blacken his memory by the
halted at Seton's house to take up his wife, who had in her libels which they flung against him. Sextus, said they, who,
possession some of the all-important powder, and whipping by means of the magical art, was for a long time in con-
up the horses, sped as swiftly as possible to Cracow, which federacy with a demon, had made a compact with this
enemy of humanity to give himself up to him, on con-
they reached in safety. When quietly settled in that city,
Sendivogius -reminded Seton of his promise to assist him in dition he was made Pope, and allowed to reign six years.
in his alchemical projects, but was met with a stern refusal, Sextus was raised to the chair of St. Peter, and during the
Seton explaining to him that it was impossible for him as an five years he held sway in Rome he distinguished his
adept to reveal to his rescuer the terms of such an awful pontificate by actions surpassing the feeble reach of the
mystery. The health of the alchemist was, however, human intellect. Finally, at the end of this term, the
shattered by the dreadful torments through which he had Pope fell sick, and the devil arriving to keep him to his
passed, and which he survived only for about two years, pact, Sextus inveighed strongly against his_ bad faith,
presenting the remains of his magical precipitate to his reproaching him with the fact that the term they had
preserver. The possession of this powder only made agreed upon was not fulfilled, and that there still remained
Sendivogius more eager than ever to penetrate the myster- to him more than a twelve-month. But the devil reminded
ies of the grand arcanum. He married Seton's widow, him that at the beginning of his pontificate he had con-
perhaps with the idea that she was in possession of her late demned a man who, according to the laws, was too young by
husband's occult knowledge, but if so he was doomed to a year to suffer death, and that he had nevertheless caused
disappointment for she was absolutely ignorant of the him to be executed, saying that he would give him a year
matter. Seton had left behind him, however, a treatise out of his own life ; that this year, added to the other five,
completed the six years which had been promised to him,
entitled The New Light of Alchymy, which Sendivogius
laid hands on and published as his own. In its pages he and that in consequence he did very wrong to complain.
thought he saw a method of increasing the powder, but Sextus, confused and unable to make any answer, remained
to his intense disappointment and disgust, he only succeeded mute, and turning himeslf towards the ruelle of his bed,
in lessening it. With what remained, however, he posed prepared for death in the midst of the terrible mental
as a successful projector of the grand mystery, and pro- agitation caused by the remorse of Ms conscience. For the
ceeded with much splendour from court to court in a sort of rest," adds De Thou, with amiable frankness, " I only
triumphal procession. In his own country of Moravia, he mention this trait as a rumour spread by the Spaniards,
was imprisoned, but escaped. His powder, however, and I should be very sorry to guarantee its truth."
was rapidly diminishing, but he still continued his experi- Shaddai : One of the ten divine names given in the rabbinical
ments. Borel in his work on French Antiquities mentions legend of the angelic hierarchies. This essence influences
that he saw a crown piece which had been partially dipped the sphere of the moon : it causes increase and decrease,
into a mixture of the powder dissolved in spirits of wine, and rules the jinn and protecting spirits.
and that the part steeped in the elixir was of gold, was She-Goat : One of the branches of augury in ancient Rome
porous, and was not soldered or otherwise tampered dealt especially with the signs which might be derived from
with. The powder done, Sendivogius degenerated into a animals and it was believed that if a she-goat crossed the
mere charlatan, pretending that he could manufacture gold, ;
path of a man who was stepping out of his house it was a
and receiving large sums on the strength of being able to good omen, and he might proceed on his way rejoicing and
do so. He survived until the year 1646 when he died at " think upon Caranus."
Parma at the age of 84. Seton's New Light of Alchymy Sheik Al Gebel : (See Assassins.)
would appear, from an examination of it, to deny that the Shekinah : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritualism.)
philosopher's stone was to be achieved by the successful Shelta Thari : An esoteric language spoken by the tinkers of
transmutation of metals. It says : Great Britain, and possibly a descendant of an " inner"
" The extraction of the soul out of gold or silver, by. language employed by the ancient Celtic Druids or bards.
what vulgar way of alchymy soever, is but a mere fancy, It was in 1876 that the first hint of the existence of Shelta
On the contrary, he which, in a philosophical way, can Thari reached the ears of that prince of practical philolo-
without any fraud, and colourable deceit, make it that it gists, Charles Godfrey Leland. It seems strange that
Shelta Than 367 Shelta Thari
George Borrow had never stumbled upon the language, and ancient tongue differs from that in use in other parts
of Great Britain and Ireland. But that it does so is
that fact may be taken as a strong proof of the jealousy certain. Nearly eighteen years ago Mr. John Sampson, of
Liverpool, a worthy successor to Borrow and Leland, and
with which the nomadic classes guarded it. Leland relates a linguist of repute, collected a number of sayings and
how he and Professor E. H. Palmer were wandering on the —proverbs from two old Irish tinkers John Barlow and
beach at Aberystwyth when they met a tramp, who heard —Phil Murray which he distinctly states are in the Ulster
them indulging in a conversation in Romany. Leland
questioned the man as to how he gained a living, and he dialect of Shelta. Some of these may be quoted to provide
replied, " Shelkin gallopas." The words were foreign even
—the reader with specimens of the language : Krish gyukera
to the master of dialect, and he inquired their import. —have muni Sheldru Old beggars have good Shelta. Stimera
" Why," said the man, " it means selling ferns. That -is —dhi-ilsha, stimera aga dhi-ilsha If you're a piper, have
tinker's language or minklers' thari. I thought as you —your own pipe. Mislo granhes thaber The traveller knows
knew Romany, you might understand it. The right name —the road. Thorn Blorne mjesh Nip gloch Every Protest-
for the tinkers' language is Shelta." " It was," says —ant isn't an Orangeman. Nus a dhabjon dhuilsha The
Leland, " with the feelings of Columbus the night before —blessing of God on you. Misli, garni gra dhi-il Be off, and
he discovered America that I heard the word Shelta, and I
bad luck to you.
asked the fern-dealer if he could talk it." The man
Areplied " little," and on the spot the philologist collected There seems to be considerable reason to believe that
the tinker (or more properly " tinkler ") class of Great
a number of words and phrases from the fern-seller which Britain sprang from the remnants of its ancient Celtic
gave him sufficient insight into the language to prove to inhabitants, and differed as completely from the Gypsy, or
him that it was absolutely different from Romany. The Romany, race as one people can well differ from another.
Celtic origin of the dialect soon began to commend itself This is almost conclusively proved by the criterion of
to Leland, and he attempted to obtain from the man some
speech, for Shelta is a Celtic tongue and that Romany is a
verse or jingle in it, possibly for the purpose of observing
its syntactical arrangement. But all he was able to drag dialect of Northern Hindustan is not open to doubt.
from his informant were some rhymes of no philological
Those who now speak Romany habitually almost invariably
value, and he found he had soon pumped the tramp dry. make use of Shelta as well, but that only proves that the
two nomadic races, having occupied the same territory for
It was in America that Leland nearly terrified a tinker out
of his wits by speaking to him in the lost dialect. The hundreds of years, had gained a knowledge of each other's
man, questioned as to whether he could speak Shelta, languages. Who, then, were the original progenitors of
the tinkers ? Whoever they were, they were a Celtic-
admitted the soft impeachment. He proved to be an speaking race, and probably a nomadic one. Shelta has
Irishman, Owen Macdonald by name, and he furnished been referred to as the language of the ancient bards of
Leland with an invaluable list of several hundred words. Ireland, the esoteric tongue of an Irish priesthood. Leland
But Leland could not be sure upon which of the Celtic puts forward the hypothesis that the Shelta-speaking tinker
languages the dialect was based. Owen Macdonald is a descendant of a prehistoric guild of bronze-workers.
declared to him that it was a fourth language, which had This, he thinks, accounts in part for his secretiveness as
nothing in common with old Irish, Welsh, or Gaelic, and regards his language. In Italy, to this very day the tinker
class is identified with the itinerant bronze workers. The
hazarded the information that it was the idiom of the tinker fraternity of Great Britain and Ireland existed with
" Ould Picts," but this appears to be rather too conjectural
perhaps nearly all its ancient characteristics until the
for the consumption of the philologist. Shelta is not a advent of railroads. But long before this it had probably
amalgamated to a great extent with the Gypsy population,
jargon, for it can be spoken grammatically without using
English, as in the British form of Romany. Pictish in all and the two languages had become common to the two
probability was not a Celtic language, nor even an Aryan one, peoples. This is the only explanation that can be given
however intimately it may have been affected by Celtic for the appearance of Shelta, a Celtic language, in the non-
Celtic portions of Great Britain. That it originated in
speech in the later stages of its existence. Leland's dis-
Ireland appears to be highly probable, for in no other part
covery was greeted in some quarters with inextinguishable of these islands during the later Celtic period was there a
laughter. The Saturday Review jocosely suggested that he state of civilisation sufficiently advanced to permit of the
had been " sold," and that old Irish had been palmed off on
him for a mysterious lingo. He put this view of the existence of a close corporation of metal-workers possessing
matter before his tinker friend, who replied with grave
solemnity, " And what'd I be afther makin' two languages a secret language. Moreover, the affinities of Shelta appear
av thim for, if there was but wan av thim ? " Since to be with old Irish more than with any other Celtic dialect.
Leland's day much has been done to reclaim this mysterious There is one other theory that presents itself in connection
with the origin of Shelta, and that is, that it is the modern
tongue, chiefly through the investigations of Mr. John descendant of the language of the " Ould Picts " men-
Sampson and Professor Kuno Meyer. The basis of these
tioned by Owen Macdonald, Leland's' tinker friend. It
investigations rested on the fact that the tinker caste of has by no means been proved that Pictish was a non-Aryan
language, and, despite the labours of Professor Rhys, we
—Great Britain and Ireland was a separate class so separate are as far off as ever from any definite knowledge concern-
ing the idiom spoken by that mysterious people. But there
indeed as almost to form a race by itself. For hundreds of are great difficulties in the way of accepting the hypothesis
of the Pictish origin of Shelta, the chief among them being
years, possibly, this fraternity existed with nearly all its
its obvious Irish origin. There were, it is known, Picts in
ancient characteristics, and on the general disuse of Celtic the North of Ireland, but they were almost certainly a
small and barbarous colony, and a very-unlikely community
speech had conserved it as a secret dialect. The peculiar to form a metal-working confraternity, possessing the luxury
thing concerning Shelta is the extent of territory over which of a private dialect. It still remains for the Celtic student
it is spoken. That it is known rather extensively in London
itself was discovered by Leland, who heard it spoken by two to classify Shelta. It may prove to be " Pictish," strongly
small boys in the Euston Road. They were not Gypsies,
and Leland found out that one of them spoke the language Ainfluenced by the Gaelic of Ireland and Scotland.
with great fluency. Since Leland's discoveries Shelta has comparison with Basque and the dialect of the Iberian
been to some extent mapped out into dialects, one of the
most important of which is that of Ulster. It would be
difficult to explain in the course of such an article as this
exactly how long the Ulster dialect of this strange and
JShsmhamphorash 368 Sibylline Books
tribes of Morocco might bring affinities to light, and thus Further to the east, inhabiting the more northerly part
establish the theory of its non-Aryan origin ; but its/ of Siberia dwell the Ostiaks, who have nominally adopted
strong kinship with Erse seems undoubted. (See Journal the rites of the Greek Church, but magic is rife amongst
of the Gypsy Lore Society, New Series.) them. Many Ostiaks carry about with them a description
Shemhamphorash : In the Talmud, the external term repre- of fetish, which they call Schaitan. Whether this name,
senting the hidden word of power, by whose virtues it were like the Arabic Sheitan, is merely a corruption of that of
possible to create a new world. But it is lost to man, Satan, it would be difficult to say. Larger images of this
though even sounds approximating to it have a magic kind are part of the furniture of an Ostiak lodge, but they
power, and can give to him who pronounces them dominion are attired in seven pearl embroidered garments, and sus-
in the spirit-world. Some of the Rabbis say that the word pended to the neck by a string of silver coins. In a strange
of power contains twelve letters, others, forty-two, and sort of dualism they are placed in many of the huts cheek
yet others seventy-two but these are the letters of the by jowl with the image of the Virgin Mary, and at meal-
;
divine alphabet, which God created from certain luminous times their lips are smeared with the blood of raw game
points made by the concentration of the primal universal or fish.
Light. Shemhamphorash is, in fact, the name of this word.
It is this people, the Ostiaks, with whom the word
Sheol : (See Hell.) " Shaman " originated. These Shamans are merely
Ship of the Dead : Akin to the superstitious idea of the death- medicine-men.
coach is the belief that at times a phantom barque carries The Mongols, who inhabit the more southern parts of the
away the souls of men. In the form of a cloud-ship, or great waste of Siberia are also ancient practitioners in
wrapped in a driving mist, it sails over mountains and sorcery, and rely greatly on divination. In order to
discover what description of weather will be prevalent for
Amoors, and at sea it sails in despite of wind and tide.
story is told of a certain pirate, at whose death a spectral any length of time they employ a stone endowed with magic
ship approached in a cloud. As it sailed over the roof the virtues called yadeh-tash. This is suspended over, or lies
house was filled with a sound as of a stormy sea, and when in a basin 'of- water with sundry ceremonies, and appears
the ship had passed by the soul of the pirate accompanied to be the same kind of stone in use among the Turcomans
it. as related by Ibn Mohalhal, an early Arab traveller.
Shorter, Thomas : (See Spiritualism.) The celebrated conqueror, Timur, in his Memoirs,
Siberia : The barbarian tribes of Siberia all more or less records that the Jets resorted to incantations to produce
practise the art of Sorcery, and this has been from time heavy rains which hindered his cavalry from acting against
immemorial in the hands of the shamanistic or medicine- them. A Yadachi, or weather-conjuror, was taken
man class. The Samoyeds who are idol-worshippers believe prisoner, and after he had been beheaded the storm ceased.
Babu refers to one of his early friends, Khwaja ka
also in the existence of an order of invisible spirits which
they call tadebtsois. These are ever circling through Mulai, as conspicuous for his skill in falconry and his
the atmosphere, and are a constant menace to the native, knowledge of Yadageri, or the science of inducing rain and
who is anxious to propitiate them. This can only be effec-
ted through the intervention of a tadibe or Necromancer, snow by means of enchantment. The Russians were much
distressed by heavy rains in 1552, when besieging Kazan,
who, when his services are requisitioned, attires himself in and universally ascribed the unfavourable weather to the
magical costume of reindeer leather trimmed with red arts of the Tatar queen, who was an enchantress.
cloth, a mask of red cloth, and a breast-plate of polished Early in the 18th century, the Chinese Emperor Shi-
metal. He then takes a drum of reindeer skin (See Lap- tsung issued a proclamation against rain-conjuring, address-
land) ornamented with brass rings, and attended by an ed to the Eight Banners of Mongolia. " If," indignantly
assistant, walks round in a circle invoking the presence observes the Emperor, " if I, offering prayers in sincerity,
of the spirits, shaking a large rattle the while. The noise have yet cause to fear that it may please heaven to leave
grows louder, and as the spirits are supposed to draw near my prayer unanswered, it is truly- intolerable that mere
the sorcerer, he addresses them, beating his drum more common people wishing for rain should of their own fancy
gently, and pausing in his chant to listen to their answers. set up altars of earth ; and bring together a rabble of
Gradually he works himself into a condition of frenzy, beats Hoshang (Buddhist Bonzes) and Taossi to conjure the
the drum with great violence, and appears to be possessed spirits to gratify their wishes."
by the supernatural influence writhing and foaming at the Sibylline Books : The manuscripts which embodied the
mouth. AH at once he stops, and oracularly pronounces secrets of human destiny, the work of the sibyls (q.v.) or
the will of the spirits. The Tadibe's office is a hereditary prophetesses of the ancient world. According to Tacitus,
one, but if a member of the tribe should exhibit special
these books were first preserved in the Capitol. When
qualifications he is adopted into the priesthood, and by
fasts, vigils, the use of narcotics and stimulants in the same it was burnt down, the precious leaves of Fate were pre-
manner as is employed by the N.A. Indians (q.v.), he
served, and removed to the temple of Apollo Palatinus.
comes to believe that he has been visited by the spirits. Their after-fate is enshrouded in mystery, but it would
He is then adopted as a Tadibe with midnight ceremoinal, seem that the Cumean books existed until 339 A.D., when
and is invested with a magic drum. A great many of the they were destroyed by Stilikon. Augustus sent three
tricks of the priesthood are merely those of ordinary con- —ambassadors Paulus Gabinus, Marcus Otacillius, and
—Lucius Valerius into Asia, Africa, and Italy, but especially
juring, such as the rope trick, but some of the illusions to the Erythraean Sibyl, to collect whatever could be
discovered of the Sibylline Oracles, to replace those which
which these men secure are exceedingly striking. With
had been lost or burnt. The books are of two kinds
their hands and feet tied together, they sit on a carpet of ;
reindeer skin, and putting out the light, summon the namely, the books of the elder Sibyls, that is, of the earlier
assistance of the spirits. Peculiar noises herald their Greek and Roman times ; and the later, which were much
approach, snakes hiss, and bears growl, the lights are falsified, and disfigured with numerous interpolations.
rekindled and the tadibe is seen released from his bonds. Of the latter, eight books in Greek and Latin are still said
The Samoyeds sacrifice much to the dead, and perform to be extant. Those which are preserved in Rome had
various ceremonies in their honour, but they believe that been collected from various places, at various times, and
only the souls of the tadibes enjoy immortality and hover contained predictions of future events couched in the most
through the air, demanding constant sacrifice. mysterious of symbolic languages. At first they were
Siderit 369 Slade, Henry
permitted only tolbe read by descendants of Apollo, but he is said to have affirmed that his sorceries took a great deal
later by ,the priests, until their care was entrusted to of time and trouble to perform, owing to the necessity for
certain officials, who only replied to inquiries at the com- a multitude of magical rites and incantations, while the
mand of the Senate, in cases of extraordinary emergency. miracles of the apostles were accomplished easily, and
They were two at first, and named duumviri : these were successfully, by the mere utterance of a few words.
appointed by Tarquinius Superbus. Two hundred and The adept from whom Simon learned the art of magic
was one Dositheus, who pretended to be the Messiah fore-
thirteen years afterwards, ten more were appointed to told by the prophets, and who was contemporary with
their guardianship {decemviri), and Sulla increased the Christ. From this person he appears to have acquired a
number to fifteen (quindecemviri.)
Siderit : Another name for the magnet. great store of occult erudition, and owed his power chiefly
to the hysterical conditions into which he was capable of
Signs, Planetary : {See Astrology.) throwing himself. Through these he was enabled to make
himself look either old or young, returning at will to child-
Silvester II., Pope, (Gerbert, died 1003) : One of a number of hood or old age. It is evident that he had not been initiated
—popes who from the tenth century onwards were regarded into Transcendental Magic, but was merely consumed by a
thirst for power over humanity and the mysteries of
as sorcerers. It was said and the story probably nature. Repulsed by the Apostles, he is said to have under-
taken pilgrimages, like them, in which he permitted himself
—emanated from the Gnostics who had been proscribed by to be worshipped by the mob. He declared that he himself
was the manifestation of the Splendour of God, and that
the Church that Gerbert had evoked a demon who
obtained for him the papacy, and who further promised Helena, a Greek slave of his, was its reflection. Thus he
him that he should die only after he had celebrated High
Mass in Jerusalem. One day, while he was saying mass in imitated Christianity in the reverse sense, affirmed the
a Church in Rome, he felt suddenly ill, and remembering
that he was in the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, eternal reign of evil and revolt, and was, in fact, an anti-
he knew that the demon had played him a trick. Before
christ.
he died, the chronicler continues, he confessed to his
After a while he went to Rome, where he appeared
cardinals his compact with the devil. However, as before the Emperor Nero. He is said to have been decapi-
Gerbert had been preceptor of two monarchs, and a friend
of others, it is more likely that he owed his preference to tated by him, but his head was restored to his shoulders,
one of these. He was one of the most learned men of his and he was instituted by the tyrant as court sorcerer.
day, a proficient in mathematics, astronomy, and mechan- Legend states that St. Peter, alarmed at the spread of the
doctrine of Simon in Rome, repaired thither to combat it,
ics. He it was who introduced clocks, and some writers that Nero was made aware of his arrival, and imagining
credit him with the invention of arithmetic as we now have Peter to be a rival sorcerer resolved to bring them together
it. It is not at all improbable that his scientific pursuits for his amusement. An account ascribed to St. Clement
seemed to the ignorant to savour of magic. The technical states that on the arrival of Peter, Simon flew gracefully
language employed in his various studies might well have through a window into the outside air. The Apostle gave
a sinister significance to the ignorant. The brazen head
which William of Malmesbury speaks of as belonging to vent to a vehement prayer, whereupon the magician, with
Silvester, and which answered questions in an oracular a loud cry, crashed to the earth, and broke both his legs.
manner probably had its origin in a similar misinterpreta-
Nero, greatly annoyed, immediately imprisoned the saint,
tion of scientific apparatus. But however that may be,
and it is related that Simon died of his fall. He had, how-
there is no lack of picturesque detail in some of the stories ever, founded a distinct school headed by Merrander,
told of him. By the aid of sorcery he is said to have which promised immortality of soul and .body to its
followers. As late as 1858 there existed in France and
discovered buried treasure and to have visited a marvellous
America a sect whichcredited the principles of this magician.
underground palace, whose riches and splendour vanished
1 at a touch. His very tomb was believed to possess the
powers of sorcery, and to shed tears when one of the suc-
ceeding popes was about to die. Siradz, Count of : {See Dee.)
Simon Ben Yohai r {See Kabala.) ASixth Sense : term used to denote the faculty of spiritual
Simon Magus : The sorcerer mentioned in the New Testar perception, which is distinct from, and higher than, the five
ment (Acts viii.) who bewitched the people of Samaria, and
physical senses. It is the possession of the medium, the
led them to believe that he was possessed of divine power.
psychic or sensitive, and in some measure of all hypnotic
He was born in Samaria or Cyprus and was among the
number of Samaritans who, moved by the preaching of subjects. It is not properly a separate sense at all, but is
compounded from the spiritual correlates of the physical
Philip, came to him for baptism. Later, when Peter and senses.
John laid their hands on the new converts, so that they Slade, Henry : An American medium, principally known
received the Holy Ghost, Simon offered the disciples money in connection with his slate-writing exploits. He came to
to procure a similar power. But Peter sternly rebuked Britain in July, 1876, and was cordially received by the
him for seeking to buy the gift of God with money, and leading spiritualists. Very many people were impressed
bade him pray that his evil thought might be forgiven, and completely mystified by the phenomena they witnessed
whereupon the already repentant Simon said, " Pray ye at his seances, and Lord Rayleigh, at a meeting of the
to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have British Association in September, 1876, stated that he had
attended a seance of Slade' s in the company of a professional
spoken come upon me."
Though we are not told in detail what the sorceries were conjurer, and that the latter had failed entirely to find an
with which Simon bewitched the people of Samaria, certain explanation of the facts. A few days after this emphatic
early ecclesiastical writers have left a record of his doings. testimony was given, however, Professor Ray Lankester
He could, they averred, make himself invisible when he published in a 'letter to the Times the result of a seance at
pleased, assume the appearance of another person, or of the which he and Dr. Donkin were present. He had, tie said,
lower animals, pass unharmed through fire, cause statues to snatched the slate prematurely from " Dr." Slade's hand,
become alive, make furniture move without any visible and had found a message written thereon, though the sound
means of imparting motion, and go through a long list of of writing had not then been heard. The spiritualists main-
equally miraculous performances. In explanation of his tained that the ' : exposure " was no exposure at all, since
Slade declared that he had heard the spirits writing, and
desire to possess the apostles' power of working miracles
370 Slavs
Slate-Writing
! thwwihaamaedsosrcmatiortesninofaetnudnismoiieenonnnnedta.d. cwtoiHhuAteorthwtfeatohvchftaee,rrldia,bwnu,sltttahaabtennohcduamert.esohdefinistHuPermvenoo'cfiseeacspdecspahtoeroraaeldetLerhadbrn,eeikeenenasmBntlordoeinsrttttahhhiiseenn observe correctly, should see in slate-writing a phenomenon
mconviction was quashed because of a slight omission the explicable only by a spiritualistic theory. But there was
definite proof of fraud in several cases. Muslin and a false
beard, part of the make-up of a " spirit " had been found
in Eglinton's portmanteau, various persons averred that
they had seen his messages written on prepared slates
charge A fresh summons was issued on the following day, previous to the seance, and he had been concerned in other
but Siad? had left the country, and did not thereafter matters of an equally doubtful character. And though
return In the years 1877-88 Professor Zollner of Leipsic in- these detections also were disputed they left in the unbiassed
vestigated the slate-writing and other phenomena occurring mind but little doubt of the fraudulent nature of Eglinton's
in the presence of Slade, mainly in the hope_of establishing mediumship.
his theory of four-dimensional space.
endless cords, coins extracted from Knots were tied in Spiritualists themselves admitted- that fraud might
sealed boxes but occasionally be practised by genuine mediums, owing to the
; uncertainty of the " power." Particularly was this so in
Professor Zollner did not succeed in his attempt to have the case of professional mediums, who were obliged to pro-
knots tied in a piece of bladder, or to have two rings of solid
proof was duce some results, and who had to resort to trickery when
wood interlaced. In short, no really conclusive
. other means failed them. Mr. S. J. Davey, an associate
of the Society for Psychical Research who, having discov-
obtained. In 1884 Slade' s phenomena was investigated by
a committee appointed by the University of Pennsylvania.
The results of the latter investigation were, at the best, of a ered the tricks of slate-writing, practised them himself, was
claimed by certain spiritualists as a medium as well as a
negative description. {See also Slate-writing.)
form of the so-called "direct" spirit conjurer, and that notwithstanding his protestations to the
ASlate-writing:
writing, or autography, which has always been one of the contrary. This is undoubtedly a powerful argument
most popular phenomena of the seance. The modus —against the good faith of slate-writing. If his sitters could
operandi is the same in the majority of cases. The medium
mistake these sleight-of-hand tricks which Mr. Davey
and the sitter take their seats at opposite ends of a small —practised with the express purpose of discrediting their
table, each grasping a corner of an ordinary school slate,
professional mediums for genuine spirit manifestations,
which they thus hold firmly pressed against the underside might they not also be misled by the legerdemain of Slade
Aof the table. small fragment of slate-pencil is first and Eglinton, and other well-known mediums ? It has
enclosed between slate and table, for the use of the supposed been objected that even skilled conjurers such as " Pro-
fessor " Hoffmann and Houdin professed themselves
spirit-writer. Should the seance be successful, a scratching
sound, as of someone writing on a slate, is heard at the end mystified by slate-writing performances, but the answer is
of a few moments, three loud raps indicate the conclusion fairly obvious, that quite a clever conjurer may be baffled
of the message, and on the withdrawal of the slate, it is by the performances of a brother-expert. The methods
—found to be partly covered with writing either a general adopted by Mr. Davey were of a simple nature, requiring
message from the spirit-world, or an answer to some question little or no apparatus. In the case of a long, general
nerviously written down by the sitter. message, he would prepare a slate beforehand, and substi-
Among the mediums who were most successful in obtain- Atute it for the test slate. shorter message' or a reply to a
ing spirit writing in this manner were Dr. Slade and Mr. question, he would write on the reverse side of the slate,
Eglinton. The former, an American medium, came to
with a scrap of pencil fastened in a thimble, and so with-
England in 1876, and succeeded in mystifying not a few draw the slate that the side written on would be uppermost.
men of education and of scientific attainments. His critics There is reason to believe that like simple devices were used
have attributed his success, in part at least, to his frank and in other seances, for their very simplicity, and the absence of
engaging manner, which did much to disarm suspicious all apparatus, rendered them particularly difficult of
sitters. However, ere long Professor Ray Lankester detection. But where the sitters were more credulous,
exposed his trickery, though the exposure was regarded by intricate furniture and appliances were used, and the most
many as inconclusive, and " Dr." Henry Slade was prose- elaborate preparations made for the seance. (See Pope
cuted. Though sentenced to three months' hard labour, John XXII.)
the omission of certain words in the accusation made the Slavs : The Slavonic races have an extensive demonology,
and in some measure their religious pantheon appears to
conviction of no effect. But Dr. Slade found that England have been in a stage between animism (q.v.) and polythe-
had become too hot for him, and speedily retired whence ism, that is between god, and spirit-worship. Among them
he had come. Many of the accounts of his seances in all witchcraft, fairy and folk-lore rest mainly in a belief
different countries are of interest, chiefly because of the dis- in certain spirits of nature, which in some measure recall
crepancy which exists between those of credulous spiritual- the pneumatology of Paracelsus and the Comte de Gabaiis.
ists and those of trained investigators. Dr. Richard " In the vile," says Dr. Krauss, " also known as Samovile,
Hodgson, however, has pointed out that even in the latter Samodivi, and Vilivrjaci, we have near relations to the
class instances of mal-observation are the rule rather than forest and field spirits or the wood and moss-folk of Middle
the exception, particularly where sleight of hand plays a Germany, France and Bavaria the " wild people of Hesse,
Eifel, Salzburg and the Tyrol, the wood-women and wood-
prominent part in the exhibition. A worthy successor to
Slade was William Eglinton, who acted as medium for men of Bohemia, the Tyrolese Fanggen, Fanken, Norkel
slate-writing manifestations, and attained to an extraordin- and Happy Ladies, the Roumanish Orken, Euguane, and
ary popularity, upwards of a hundred people testifying to Dialen, the Danish Ellekoner, the Swedish Skogsnufvaz, and
his mediumistic powers in the spiritualist journal Light. the Russian Ljesje, while in certain respects they have
CSpeaking of his performances, Mr. affinity with the Teutonic Valkyries." They are, however,
C. Massey said, more like divine beings, constantly watching over and con^
" Many, of whom I am one, are of the opinion that the
case for these phenomena generally, and for autography, trolling the destinies of men. They are prayed to or
in particular; is already complete." Eglinton's manifesta- exorcised on all occasions. In short their origin is cer-
Wetions were produced in full light, and his seances were tainly Shamanistic. Says Leland : " can still find
seldom blank, so it is hardly surprising that very many the vila as set forth in old ballads, the incarnation of
persons, ignorant of the lengths to which conjuring can beauty and power, the benevolent friend of sufferers, the
be carried, and over-confident in their own ability to geniuses of heroes, the dwellers by rock and river and
Slavs 371 Societies of Harmony
greenwood tree. But they are implacable in their wrath Hahn and an officer named Charles Kern, living for the
to all who deceive them, or who break a promise. Nay, time in the Castle of Salwensik, Silesia, were disturbed fsby
they inflict terrible punishment even on those who disturb curious happenings which suggested that the Castle was
their rings, or the dances which they make by midsummer haunted. Strange noises were heard, small objects were
moonlight. Hence the proverb applied to any man who seen to rise from the table and fly through the room. The
suddenly fell ill, ' he stepped on a fairy ring.' " (See only account is by Councillor Hahn, and, as is generally the
Circles.) case in such circumstances, the most surprising occurrences
were not witnessed by the recorder, but were told him by
There are three varieties of witches or spirits among the
southern Slavs, the Zracne vile, or aerial spirits, evilly dis- his friends. Thus Kern is said to have seen in the glass the
posed to human beings, and inflicting serious injuries upon
apparition of a woman in white while Hahn was not
;
them, Will-'o-the-wisps, who lead people astray by nights ; present when a jug of beer was raised from the table by
the Pozemne vile, companionable spirits, who give sage invisible hands, tilted, and its contents poured down an
counsel to mankind, and dwell in the earth ; and the invisible throat.
Podovne vile, or water sprites, kindly to man on shore, but Sleeping Preacher : Rachel Baker, known as the Sleeping
treacherous to a degree on their own element. Another Preacher, was born at Pelham, Massachusetts, in 1794.
water-spirit is the Likho, the Slavonic Polyphemus, a dread When she was nine years old her parents removed to Mar-
and terrible monster, the Leshy is a wood-demon, Norka cellus, N.Y. As a child she had a religious training, her
is the frightful Lord of the Lower World, and Koschei is a parents being devout people, and she early manifested a
description of ogre whose province is the abduction of strong conviction of her sinfulness. In 181 1 she showed
—princesses. symptoms of somnambulism, in which she seemed stricken
Witchcraft. The witch is very frequently mentioned with horror and despondency. But gradually her mind
in Slavonic folk-tales, especially among the southern Slavs. became calmer, and delivered discourses of singular clear-
ness, marked by a devout and solemn tone. These fits of
She is called vjestica, (masculine viestae) meaning originally somnambulism, or trance - speaking, seized her regularly
"the knowing" or "well-informed one," Viednta every day, and soon became habitual. She began and
(Russian) . In Dalmatia and elsewhere among the Southern concluded her devotional exercises with prayer, between
Slavs the witch is called Krstaca, " the crossed " in allusion
to the idea that she is of the horned race of Hell. It which came the discourse. Then a state of apparent
physical distress supervened, and sobs and groans shook
enrages the witches so much to be called by this word that her frame. At length the paroxysm passed, and she
when they hear that any one has used it they come to his subsided into a natural sleep. Change of scene did not
house by night and tear him in four pieces, which they cast affect these exercises, but the administration of opium
to the four winds of heaven, and drive away all his cattle
and stock. Therefore the shrewd farmers of the country would interrupt them. Her trance discourses were after-
wards published.
call the witch hmana zena, or " Common woman." There
are many forms of Slavonic witch, however, and the Smagorad, a magic book : (See France.)
vjestica differs from the macionica and the latter from the Smith Helene : The nom-de-guerre of a trance medium who
came under the observation of Professor Flournoy. Born
Zlokobnica, or " evil-meeter," one whom it is unlucky to
encounter in the morning, or possesses the evil eye. A about 1863, at the age of twenty-nine she joined a spiritual-
Serbian authority says : "I have often heard from old
ist circle and soon developed powerful mediumistic faculties.
Hodzas and Kadijas that every female Wallach as soon as In 1 894 M. Flournoy was admitted to the circle and thence-
she is forty years old, abandons the " God be with us," and forward examined with much interest the clairvoyance and
becomes a witch (vjestica) or at least a zlokobnica or maci- trance impersonations of Helene. In the winter of 1894 sne
Aonica. purported to have visited, during trance, the planet Mars,
real witch has the mark of a cross under her nose,
and many of her trance discourses after that date contain
a zlokobnica has some hairs of a beard, and a macionica may
be known by a forehead full of dark folds wtih blood-spots' descriptions of Martian life—manners, dress, scenery. At
in her face." length she claimed to have learned the language of the
In South Slavonian countries the peasants on St. George's sister-planet, and this language she spoke with fluency and
Day adorn the horns of the cattle with garlands to protect consistency. (See Martian Language.) Professor Flournoy
them from witches. They attach great importance to a however, found no evidence sufficient to j ustify any belief in
seventh or a twelfth child, who, they believe, are the great a supernormal faculty, unless it be telepathy.
protectors of the world against witchcraft. But these are Smith, Joseph : (See America, U.S. of.)
in great danger on St. John's Eve, for then the witches, Sneezing, Superstitions Relating to : It is said that the
having the most power, attack them with stakes or the custom of blessing one who sneezes originated in Italy in
stumps of saplings, for which reason the peasantry care- the time of Gregory the Great, during a pestilence which
fully remove everything of the kind from the ground
Aproved mortal to those who sneezed. still older date
in the autumn season. The Krstnik, or wizards, notori- is given to this custom by some writers, who state that
ously attract the vila ladies, who in most instances are sneezing was fatal from the time of Adam to that of Jacob,
desirous of becoming their mistresses, just as the women- when the latter begged that its fatal effects might be
kind of the salamanders desire to mate with men. (See removed. On his request being granted, the people grate-
the Curiosa of Heinrich Kornmann, 1666.) The man who fully instituted the custom of saluting the sneezer. In
gains the love of a vila is supposed to be extremely lucky. some diseases sneezing was a bad, in others a good omen.
The Slavs believe that on St. George's Day the witches Sneezing to the right was lucky, to the left, unlucky ; from
climb into the steeples of churches with the object of noon to midnight good, from night to noon, bad. St.
getting the grease from the axle of the bell, which, for some Austin says that the ancients would return to bed if they
reason, they prize exceedingly. Transformation stories sneezed while putting on a shoe.
are fairly common, too, in Slavonic folklore, which proves Societas Rosicruciana of Boston : (See Rosicrucians.)
that this was a form of magic employed by the witches of Societe Industrielle of Wiemar : (Sec Alchemy.)
these countries. The belief in vampires is an outstanding Societe Industrielle of Wien : (See Alchemy.)
superstition in Slavonic countries, and its connections are Societe Spiritual di Palermo : (See Italy.)
fully discussed in the article Vampire. Societies of Harmony : Associations. formed for the practice
Slawensik Poltergeist : In the winter of 1806—7 Councillor of magnetism by the pupils of F. A. Mesmer. The first
Society lor Psychical Research 372 Solomon
Societe de V Harmonie was formed at Paris, and its members Solomon : The connection of Solomon, son of David, the
seem to have acted in a manner that was anything but King of Israel, with magical practice, although it does not
harmonious, for, after some quarrelling among themselves possess any Biblical authority, has yet a very considerable
they at length broke their contract with Mesmer, whereby body of oriental tradition behind it. It is supposed,
they promised before being admitted to his lectures, that however, that the Jewish Solomon has in many cases been
confounded with a still older and mythical figure. Then
they would not practice on their own account, or give away
the secret of his methods, without his consent. Other the Arabs and Persians have legends of a prehistoric race
Societies of Harmony soon sprang up, the most important who were ruled by seventy-two monarchs of the name of
being that of Strasbourg, founded in 1785 by de Puysegur. Suleiman, of whom the last reigned one thousand years.
Society for Psychical Research : {See Spiritualism, Psychic " It does not seem," says Yarker, " that these Suleimans
Research.) who are par excellence the rulers of all Djinn, Afreets and
Solanot, Viscount : {See Spain.) other elemental spirits, bear any relationship to the
Solar Deity : {See Theosophy.) Israelite King." The name, he says, is found in that of a.
god of the Babylonians and the late Dr. Kenealy, the
Solar System : Theosophists have special doctrines as to the translater of Hafiz, says that the earliest Aryan teachers
formation of solar systems. They start by postulating the
existence of all pervading ether, or, as it is termed in occult were named Mohn, Bodies or Solymi, and that Suleiman
chemistry (q.v.) koilon, an ether which is quite impercepti- was an ancient title of royal power, synonymous with
ble to ordinary senses and indeed even to clairvoyants
" Sultan " or " Pharaoh." A Persian legend states that in
except the most highly-developed. It is, despite its the mountains of Kaf, which can only be reached by the
diffusion, of extreme density. The Deity intending to magic ring of Solomon, there is a gallery built by the giant
create a universe invests this ether with his divine force, Arzeak, where one kept the statues of a race who were
whereupon it becomes the constituent of matter in the ruled by the Suleiman or wise Kings of the East. There
shape of minute drops or bubbles, and of this the universe is a great chair or throne of Solomon hewn out of the solid
with its solar systems is formed. First a mass is aggregated rock, on the confines of the Afghanistan and India called the
Takht-i-Suleiman or throne of Solomon, its ancient Aryan
by the appropriate agitation of these drops, and to this name being Shanker Acharga. It is to these older Suleiman's
mass is imparted a rotatory motion. The mass thus formed, then, that we must probably look for a connection with
of course, contains the matter from which will be formed all the tradition of occultism, and it is not unlikely that the le-
the seven worlds, the existence of which Theosophy teaches, gend relating to Solomon and his temple have been confused
and it may be well here to observe that these worlds are with these, and that the protagonists of the antiquity of Free-
not separate in the manner we usually conceive separate
masonry, who date their cult from the building of Solomon's
worlds to be, but inter-penetrate each other. The sub- Temple, have confounded some still older rite or mystery
stance in its original form is of the texture of the first
—world, and in order to create the texture of the second relating to the ancient dynasty of Suleiman with the circum-
and lower world the Deity sets up a vast number of stances of the masonic activities of the Hebrew monarch.
rotatory agitations into each of which is collected 49 " God," says Josephus, " enabled Solomon to learn that
atoms arranged in a certain way, sufficient of the first atom
skill which expels daemons, which is a science useful and
having been left to form the first world. This process sanative to men. He composed such incantations, also,
continues six times, the atoms of the succeeding lower by which distempers are alleviated, and he left behind
worlds being formed from those of the world immediately him the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive
higher and each time of a multiple of 49 atoms. Gradually away daemons, so that they never return. And this
and with the passing of long ages, the aggregation, which method of cure is of great force unto this day ; for I have
contains the atoms of all seven worlds completely inter- seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was
mingled, contracts and becomes more closely knit until it Eleazar, releasing people that were daemoniacal, in the
forms a nebula which eventually attains the flat, circular presence of Vespasian and his sons, and his captains, and
form familiar to students of astromony. Towards the the whole multitude of his soldiers. The manner of the
centre it is much more dense than at the fringes, and in the cure was this. He put a ring that had a root of one of
process of flattening and because of the initial revolving these sorts mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils and
;
motion, rings are formed encircling the centre. From
when the man fell down immediately, he adjured him to
these rings the planets are formed, and after the further return unto him no more, making still mention of Solomon,
passing of ages, it is possible for human life to exist on and reciting the incantations which he composed. And
them. The various worlds as has been said, penetrate when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the
each other substantially within the same bounds, the spectators that he had such a power, he set, a little way off,
exceptions being the worlds of finer texture which extend a cup, or basin full of water, and commanded the daemon
beyond those relatively more dense. The names of the as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to
—worlds are : the first which has not as yet been experienced let the spectators know that he had left the man." Some
by man
the Divine the second, the Monadic whence pretended fragments of these conjuring books of Solomon
;
come the impulses that form man ; the third, the Spiritual, are noticed in the " Codex Pseudepigraphus " of Fabricius,
the highest world which man has as yet been able to and Josephushimself has described one of the antidaemoniacal
experience the fourth, the Intuitional, the fifth, the roots, which must remind the reader of the perils atten-
; dant on gathering the " mandrake."
Mental ; the sixth, the Emotional (Astral) world and the
;
seventh is the world of matter as matter is familiar to us. The Koran alleges that Solomon had power over the
winds, and that he rode on his throne throughout the
Reference is made to the various articles dealing more world during the day, and the wind brought it back every
fully with these worlds as follows :
Adi Plane, See" Divine World and Solar System" night to Jerusalem. This throne was placed on a carpet
Annpadaka ,, ,, Monadic ,, ,, of green silk, of a prodigious length and breadth, and
,, ,, ,,
Atmic or sufficient to afford standing-room to all Solomon's army, the
Movanic ,, ,, Spiritual men on his right hand and the Jinn on his left. An army
Buddhic ,, ,, Inutitional of the most beatiful birds hovered near the throne, forming
a kind of canopy over it, and the attendants, to screen the
As tral ,, ,, Emotional
king and his soldiers from the sun. A certain number of
Solomon 373 Sortilege
evil spirits were also made subject to him, whose business Solomon, Mirror of : The method of making the Mirror of
Weit was to dive for pearls, and perform- other work. are Solomon, which is used for purposes of divination, is as
also informed, on the same authority, that the devils, follows Take a shining and well-polished plate of fine
:
having received permission to tempt Solomon, in which steel, slightly concave, and with the blood of a white
they were not successful, conspired to ruin his character. —pigeon inscribe at the four corners the names Jehovah,
They wrote several books of magic, and hid them under Eloym, Metatron, Adonay. Place the mirror in a clean and
bis throne and when he died they told the chief men white cloth, and when you behold a new moon during the
;
among the Jews that if they wished to ascertain the manner first hour after sunset, repeat a prayer that the angel
in which Solomon obtained his absolute power over men, Anael may command and ordain his companions to act
Genii, and the winds, they should dig under his throne. as they are instructed that is, to assist the operator in
;
They did so and found the books, abounding with the most
divining from the mirror. Then cast upon burning coals a
impious superstitions. The more learned and enlightened
suitable perfume, at the same time uttering a prayer.
refused to participate in the practices described in those Repeat this thrice, then breathe upon the mirror and evoke
the angel Anael. The sign of the cross is then made upon
books, but they were willingly adopted by the common the operator and upon the mirror for forty-five days in
people. The Mahomed?ns assert that the Jewish priests succession-^at the end of which period Anael appears in the
form of a beautiful child to accomplish the operator's
published this scandalous story concerning Solomon, which wishes. Sometimes he appears on the fourteenth day,
was believed till Mahomet, by God's command, declared according to the devotion and fervour of the operator.
him to have been no idolater. The perfume used in evoking him is saffron.
Solomon, it is further maintained by the Mahomedans,
brought a thousand horses from Damascus and other
*&3S£&. ££ STa^O&KSLTthenr Solb"mV„-.s"sra Ble"s7 (Se'e 'subt^ean Crypte.)
and others pretend that they came out of the Red Sea, and Somnambulism : (Latin, somnus, sleep, and ambulare, to
were provided with wings. The King wished to inspect his walk.) The condition in which walking,
talking, and
horses, and ordered them to be paraded before him and actions of a more complicated character are performed
; during sleep, without the agent's consciousness or after
their symmetry and beauty so much occupied his attention recollection. The somnambulist may have his eyes closed,
that he gazed on them after sunset, and thus neglected
and ears deaf to auditory impressions or sense impressions,
evening prayers till it was too late. When sensible of his
without waking in him any gleam of consciousness. This
omission, he was so greatly concerned at it that he ordered
may have some effect in rousing new trains of association
all the horses to be killed as an offering to God, except a and suggesting a new line of action. It is suggested that
hundred of the best of them. This, we are informed, — —the sleep-walker may see only a mental picture of what he
procured for him an ample recompense, as he received for
is doing that is, a dream and not the objective reality,
the loss of his horses dominion over the winds.
and certain experimental tests have proved that this occurs
The following tradition is narrated by the Mahomedan
in some cases at least. Somnambulism admits of many
commentators relative to the building of the temple of
Jerusalem. According to them, David laid the foundations varying degrees. Its mildest form is typified in the inarticu-
late murmurings or vague gestures of a dreaming child,
of it, and when he died he left it to be finished by Solomon.
while in the most extreme cases where all the senses are
That prince employed Jinn, and not men, in the work ; and
active, and the actions apparently as purposive as in the
. this idea might probably originate from what is said in the normal waking state, it borders on the condition of spon-
First Book of Kings (vi., 7) that the Temple was " built of taneous hypnotism. Indeed its affinity with hypnosis was
stone, made ready before it was brought thither, so that early recognised, when the hypnotic subjects of the mag-
there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron, netists were designated somnambules. It is remarkable
heard in the house while it was building " ; and the Rabbins that somnambulists may walk in dangerous paths with
notice a worm which, they pretend, assisted the workmen,
the power of which was such as to cause the rocks and perfect safety, but if they are suddenly awakened they
are liable to fall. Spontaneous somnambulism generally
stones to separate in chiselled blocks. Solomon, while
engaged in the erection of the Temple, found his end indicates some morbid tendency of the nervous system,
approaching, and he prayed that his death might be con- since, as a rule, only in some abnormal state could the
dream ideas exercise so exciting an influence on the brain
cealed from the Jinn till the building was finished. His
request was granted. He died while in the act of praying, as to rouse to activity centres normally controlling volun-
and leaning on his staff, which supported his body in that tary movements.
posture for a whole year, and the "jinn, who supposed him Sorcery : (From Latin sortiarius, one who practices divina-
to be still alive, continued their work. At the expiration of tion by lots -) The use oi supposed supernatural power
the year the edifice was completed, when a worm which by tne agency of evil spirits called forth by spells by a
had entered the staff, ate it through, and to the amazement witch or black magician. {See Magie.)
even of the Jinn the body fell to the ground, and the King Sorrel-leaf : A sorrel-leaf was sometimes used to bewitch
was discovered to be dead. people, as in the case of the Irish Witch mentioned in
The inhabitants of the valley of Lebanon believe that George Sinclair's Satan's Invisible World Displayed, who
the celebrated city and temple of Baalbec were erected by gave to a girl a leaf of sorrel, which the child put into her
the Jinn under Solomon's direction. The object of the mouth. Great torture ensued for the child, such tortures
erection of Baalbec is variously stated, one tradition affirm- being increased on the approach of the witch.
ing that it was intended to be a residence for the Egyptian Sortilege, or divination by lots, is one of the most ancient
princess whom Solomon married, and another that it was and common superstitions. We find it used among the
built for the Queen of Sheba. Oriental nations to detect a guilty person, as when Saul
Solomon Ibn Gabirol (1021-1058) : Spanish-Hebrew poet by this means discovered that Jonathan had disobeyed his
command by taking food, and when the sailors by a
and mystic philosopher. He was a Neoplatonist, but at
the same time subscribed to the mystical doctrine which similar process found Jonah to be the cause of the tempest
states that the Deity can only be regarded as a negation of by which they were overtaken. The methods of using the
all attributes. This he considered essential to the preser- lot have been very numerous, such as Rhabdomancy,
vation of the Jewish monotheism. Clidomancy, the Sortes Sagittaria:, otherwise- Belomancy,
Sortilege 374 Spain
and the common casting of dice. The following are the Remember, Roman, with imperial sway
more classical : to rule the nations.
Sortes ThriaecEB, or Thriasan lots, were chiefly used in It is said that Charles I. and Lord Falkland made trial of
Greece ; they were pebbles or counters distinguished by the Virgilian lots a little before the commencement of the
certain characters which were cast into an urn, and the great civil war. The former opened at that passage in
first that came out was supposed to contain the right the fourth book of the .SLneid where Dido predicts the
direction. This form of divination received its name from violent death of her faithless lover ; the latter at the
lamentation of Evander over his son in the eleventh book ;
the Thrive, three nymphs supposed to have nursed Apollo, if the story be true, the coincidences between the responses
and to have invented this mode of predicting futurity.
Sortes Viales, or street and road lots, were used both and events are among the most remarkable recorded.
in Greece and Rome. The person that was desirous to learn Sortes Biblicse, divination by the Bible, which the early
his fortune carried with him a certain number of Iots,s Christians used instead of the profane poets. Nicephorus
distinguished by several characters or inscriptions, and Gregoras recommends the Psalter as the fittest book for
walking to and fro in the public ways desired the first the purpose, but Cedrenus informs us that the New Testa-
boy whom he met to draw, and the inscription on the lot ment was more commonly used. St. Augustine denounces
thus drawn was received as an infallible prophecy. Plut- this practice in temporal affairs, but declares in one of
arch declares that this form of divination was derived his letters that he had recourse to it in all cases of spiritual
difficulty. Another form of the Biblical lots is to go to a
from the Egyptians, by whom the actions and words of
boys were carefully observed as containing in them some- place of worship, and take as an omen the first passage
thing prophetical. Another form of the Sortes Viales was of Scripture read by the minister, or the text from which
exhibited by a boy, but sometimes by a man, who posted he preaches. This is no uncommon practice ir. modern
himself in a public place to give responses to all comers. times, and it is frequently vindicated by persons who ought
He was provided with a tablet, on which certain fatidical to know better.
verses were written ; when consulted, he cast dice on the The Mussulmans consult the Koran in a similar manner,
tablet, and the verses on which they fell were supposed
to contain the proper direction. Sometimes instead of but they deduce their answer from the seventh line of the
right-hand page. Others count how often the letters
tablets they had urns, in which the fatidical verses were kha and shin occur in the page ; if kha (the first letter of
thrown, written upon slips of parchment. The verse kheyr, " good ") predominate, the answer is deemed
drawn out was received as a sure guide and direction. favourable ; but if shin (the first letter of shin " evil ") be
To this custom Tibullus alludes :
more frequent, the inference is that the projects of the
Thrice in the streets the sacred lots she threw, inquirer are forbidden or dangerous.
And thrice the boy a happy omen drew. It would be easy to multiply examples of these efforts
This form of divining was often practised with the to obtain guidance from blind chance ; they were once
Sibylline oracles, and was hence named Sortes Sibyllina. so frequent, that it was deemed necessary to denounce
Sortes Prenestinse, or the Prenestine lots, were used in them from the pulpit as being clearly forbidden by the
Italy.; the letters of the alphabet were placed in an urn divine precept, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
and shaken they were then turned out upon the floor, South American Indians : {See American Indians.)
;
and the words which they accidentally formed were Sovereign Council of Wisdom : {See Devil-worship.)
—received as omens. This superstitious use of letters is still Spain : Witchcraft. From early times Spain was regarded as
common in Eastern nations. The Mussulmans have a the special abode of superstition, and in the middle ages
divining table, which they say was invented by the prophet as the home of sorcery and magic, probably because of
Edris or Enoch. It is divided into a hundred little squares,
each of which contains a letter of the Arabic alphabet. the immense notoriety given to the discoveries of the
The person who consults it repeats three times the opening Moorish alchemists. {See Moors.) The Inquisition quickly
took root in the country, and reaped a rich harvest among
chapter of the Koran, and the 57th verse of the 6th chapter : Jews, Mo#iscos, and superstitious Christians.
Alfonso de Spina, a Franciscan of Castille, where the
" With Him are the keys of the secret things ; none
Inquisition was not then established, wrote, about the year
knoweth them but Him He knoweth whatever is on the
; 1458 or 1460, a work especially directed against heretics
and unbelievers, in which he gives a chapter on these
dry ground, or in the sea : there falleth no leaf but He articles of popular belief which were derived from the
ancient heathendom of the people. Among these, witches,
knoweth it ; neither is there a single grain in the dark
parts of the earth, nor a green thing, nor a dry thing, but
it is written in a perspicuous book." Having concluded
this recitation, he averts -his head from the table and under the name of Xurguine (jurgina) or bruxe, held a
places his finger upon it ; he then looks to see upon what prominent place.
letter his finger is placed, writes that letter ; the fifth He tells us that in his time these offenders abounded in
following it the fifth following that again and so on Dauphiny and Gascony, where they assembled in great
; ;
numbers by night on a wild table land, carrying candles
until he comes back to the first he had touched : the with them, to worship Satan, who appeared in the form
of a boar on a certain rock, popularly known by the name
letters thus collected form the answer. Elboch de Biternc, and that many of them had been taken
by the inquisition of Toulouse and burnt. From that
Sortes Homericae and Sortes Virgilianse, divination by
time we find, in Spanish history, the charge of witchcraft
opening some poem at hazard, and accepting the passage and sorcery not infrequently brought forward under
different forms and circumstances, of which several remark-
which first turns up as an answer. This practice probably
able examples are given by Llorente in his History oj the
arose from the esteem which poets had among the ancients,
by whom they were reputed divine and inspired persons. Inquisition in Spain.
Homer's works among the Greeks had the most credit, but
The first auto-da-fe against sorcery appears to have been
the tragedies of Euripides and other celebrated poems that of Calahorra, in 1507, when thirty women, charged
before the inquisition as witches, were burnt. In 1527, a
were occasionally used for the same purpose. The Latins great number of women were accused in Navarre of the
practice of sorcery, through the information of two girls.
chiefly consulted Virgil, and many curious coincidences are
related by grave historians, between the prediction and
the event thus, the elevation of Severus to the empire is
;
supposed to have been foretold by his opening at this
verse
Spain 375 Spain
one of eleven, the other only of nine years old, who con- the confessions of the miserable creatures who were its
fessed before the royal council of Navarre that they had victims were all creations of the imagination. They were
been received into the sect of the jurginas, and promised
on condition of being pardoned, to discover all the women punished because their belief was a heresy, contrary to the
who were implicated in these practices. doctrines of the church. Llorente gives the abstract of a
treatise on this subject by a Spanish ecclesiastic named
The moment the attention of the inquisition was thus
drawn to the crime of sorcery, the prevalence of this super- Pedro de Valentia, addressed to the grand inquisitor in
stition in the Basque provinces became notorious ; and consequence of the trial at Logrono in 1610, and which
Charles V., rightly judging that it was to be attributed
more to the ignorance of the population of those districts remained in manuscript .among the archives of the inquisi-
-than to any other cause, directed that preachers should be
tion.
sent to instruct them.
The first treatise in the Spanish language on the subject This writer adopts entirely the opinion that the acts
of sorcery, by a Franciscan monk named Martin de Cas- confessed by the witches were imaginary ; he attributed,
tanaga, was printed under approbation of the bishop of them partly to the methods in which the examinations
•Calahorra in 1529. About this time the zeal of the inquisi-
were carried on, and to the desire of the ignorant people
tors of Saragossa was excited by the appearance of many
witches who were said to have come from Navarre, and examined to escape by saying what seemed to please their
to have been sent by their sect as missionaries to make
disciples of the women of Arragon. This sudden witch- persecutors, and partly to the effects of the ointments and
persecution in Spain appears to have had an influence on draughts which they had been taught to use, and which
the fate of the witches of Italy. Pope Adrian IV., who
was raised to the papal chair in 1522, was a Spanish bishop, were composed of ingredients that produced sleep, and
and had held the office of inquisitor-general in Spain. In
the time of Julius II., who ruled the papal world from 1503 acted upon the imagination and the mental faculties.
to 1513, a sect of witches and sorcerers had been discovered —ASpiritualism.
in Lombardy, who were extremely numerous, and had their writer in the Religious Philosophical
Sabbaths and all the other abominations of the continental —Journal says : " The language that furnishes the largest
witches. The proceedings against them appear to have
been hindered by a dispute between the inquisitors and the number of periodicals devoted to the dissemination of the
ecclesiastical judges who claimed the jurisdiction in such
doctrine and philosophy of modern Spiritualism, is the
xases. On the 20th July, 1523, pope Adrian issued a bull
Spanish. This statement will be somewhat surprising to
against the crime of sorcery, placing it in the sole juris-
many of our readers, for we have been accustomed to look
diction of the inquisitors. This bull perhaps gave the new
upon the Spaniards as non-progressive and conservative in
impulse to the prosecution of the witches in Spain.
the extreme. Spain, until a few years, has always been
Of the cases which followed during more than a century,
the most remarkable -was that of the auto-da-fe at Logrono intolerant of any religions except the Roman Catholic,
-on the 7th and 8th of November, 1610, which arose in some
measure from the visitation of the French Basque province and was the latest of European nations to yield to the spirit
in the preceding year. The valley of Bastan is situated
of religious progress. Protestantism has with the greatest
.at the foot of the Pyrenees, on the French Frontier, and
at no great distance from Labourd. It was within the difficulty obtained a foothold in that country within the
jurisdiction of the inquisition established at Logrono in last few years, but it has been attended with annoying
-Castille. The mass of the population of this valley appear
restrictions and persecutions, while its progress has been
-to have been sorcerers, and they held their meetings or
exceedingly slow and discouraging.
Sabbaths at a place called Zugarramurdi.
Spiritualism in Spain commenced, as in many other lands,
A woman who was condemned implicated a number of other
with a series of disturbances, which took place in a family
-persons. All the persons arrested on this occasion agreed
residing in the outskirts of Cadiz. Stone-throwing, bell-
in their description of the Sabbath, and of the practices of
ringing, and other preternatural annoyances were the
the witches, which in their general features bore a close
first means of awakening attention to the subject, and as
resemblance to those of the witches of Labourd. The they occurred at the house of a Spanish gentleman who had
usual place of meeting was known here, as in Labourd, by
the popular name of Aquelarre, a Gascon word, signifying just returned from the United States, full of the marvels of
the meadow of the goat. Their ordinary meetings were
" the Rochester knockings," circles were at once formed,
held on the nights of Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
intelligent responses by rappings obtained, and a foot-hold
-every week, but they had grand feasts on the principal gained, upon which the edifice of Spiritual progress was
holidays of the church, such as Easter, Pentecost, Christ- upreared. So rapidly did the interest thus awakened
mas, etc., All these feasts appear to have been fixed by spread, that the first promulgators were soon lost sight of,
the Christian teachers at the period of older pagan festivals. and as early as 1854, a society was formed at Cadiz, which
The accounts of their Sabbaths are entirely similar to was organised for the sole purpose of publishing the com-
munications received from " the Spirits " during two
those given of such meetings elsewhere. They danced, sang
preceding years. From 1854 to i860, Spiritualism spread
took part in the most horrible orgies, and came into personal through the principal towns and villages of Spain in the
usual fashion. Circles were held in private families, and
contact with Satan.
an endless number of " societies " were formed and dis-
The auto-da-fe of Logrono, as far as it related to the solved, according to the exigencies of the time. One of
sect of the sorcerers of Zugarramurdi, caused a great sen- the first public events of note in connection with Spanish
sation, and brought the subject of witchcraft under the Spiritualism, was of so remarkable a character, that it
deserves special mention. This was no other than an
•consideration of the Spanish theologians. These were so Auto-da-fe, the only difference between the occasion under
far more enlightened than the body of their contemporaries
in other countries, that they generally leant to the opinion consideration and the fiery executions of olden times being,
-that witchcraft was a mere delusion, and that the details of that the victims were formerly human beings, whereas in
the present instance, they were all the books, pamphlets,
and works of a Spiritualistic character that could be
procured at that period of the movement. Amongst the
pile thus offered up on the altar of religious enlightenment,
were the writings of Kardec Dufau, Grand, and Gulden-
stubbe some copies of English and American Spiritual
;
papers, and a large collection of tracts issued by the Spirit-
ualists of Spain. This memorable scene occurred on the
morning of the 9th of October, 1 861, at the Esplanade Bar-
celona.
Among the well-know residents of Barcelona, was a
Spain 376 Spain
Sefior Navarez, whose daughter, Rosa, had for many years from their old point of view ; they no longer entertain
schemes of revolt against the authorities. They endure
been the subject of spasmodic attacks, called by the
their lot with resignation under the influence of the teach-
—Catholic clergy " the obsession of demons " by the
ing that this world is but a preliminary stage to another,
medical faculty, an aggravated condition of epilepsy.
where, if repentant of the ill they have done, and seeking
Within two years after the Auto-da-fe, Rosa was pronounced the good of others, they will be better off than here. " Not
entirely cured, by the magnetic passes of a gentleman who long since one of these men died ; at his death he declined
was the medium of the private circle held in the city. the established offices of the prison priest, on the ground
that he was a Spiritualist and did not need them. The
Shortly after this, Barcelona could boast of its well- priest then discovered that Spiritualism was a subject of
approved Spiritual organs, numerous societies for investi- discussion with many of the prisoners. He made a repre-
sentation of the matter to his bishop, who made formal
gation, and several mediums, who from their exclusive complaint of it to the commandant of the prison, and the
commandant made an investigation. In the end a particu-
positions in private life, would object to their names being lar prisoner was selected for punishment in the form of an
mentioned. The journal whs published by Sefior Alcan-
tara, and was warmly supported by the Viscount de Torres
Solanot, and numbers of other leaders of science and
literature in Spain. By this publication the opponents of
Spiritualism were amazed to learn of the immense pro- additional weight of fetters. This coming to the know-
gress the cause was making, and the number of distin- ledge of the Spiritualists of Tarragona, Barcelona, and
Lerida, they had a meeting upon the subject and delegated
guished persons who assembled nightly in circles to promote
one of their number, a man of position, to interview the
Ainvestigation. circular calling the attention of the commandant. The representations which he made, led
the commandant to cancel his order as to the additional
Spanish public to the phenomena of Spiritualism was
fetters. The bishop's censure against spiritualist books
published in 1875 by Viscount Solanot. The authors of placed them under prohibition, which was maintained.
this circular, met with no response worthy of their fraternal
intentions. It might have been difficult to define exactly
what the Spanish brethren proposed to do or wished others It is known, however, that although never found by gaolers,
to unite with them in doing ; certain it is, that no tangible the books are still there."
results could be expected to follow from a very transcen- In April, 1881, the editor of the Madrid El Criterio says :
" that great progress has been made in the cause oi
dental address to the scattered ranks of a movement, whose
motto might well be Liberty, Inequality, and Disintegra- Spiritualism that the hall of meeting of the Spiritual
;
tion : " Our Spanish friends mean well, but is it possible
Society ' is completely full every Thursday evening,' and
there can be unity enough amongst them to send a delega- is not now large enough ' to hold the public who come to
tion to America ? " asked one of the shrewdest on perusing
the sessions,' that Dr. Merschejewski has called the atten-
this grandiloquent circular. Nothing daunted by the
tion of the University of St. Petersburg to a psychometric
impossibility of getting an international representation
phenomena of much importance ; to wit : A young man-
worthy of the cause at Philadelphia, the energetic Viscount
deemed from childhood to be an idiot, who will in some
Solanot again agitated the subject previous to the Paris seconds solve any mathematical problem, while if a poem
Exposition of 1878. In the articles written for El Criterio be read to him, even of many hundred verses, he will
on this proposition, the Viscount names amongst those repeat the whole of it without failing in a single word."
Sefior Manuel Lopez in the same issue of El Criterio says,
societies of Spiritualists prepared to promote an Interna-
tional representation, " La Federation Espirita," of Belgium; — Wespeaking of the progress of a society of Spiritualists in.
" The British National Association of Spiritualists," Madrid : " have received a mediumistic work of
England ; "La Sociedad Central Espirita," of the Republic extraordinary merit, executed by a medium of the ' Society
of Mexico ; and " El Central General del Espiritismo." of Spiritualists ' of Zaragoza. It consists of a portrait o£
Notice is also taken, and with a hope of its ultimate success, Isabel the Catholic, made with a pencil, and is a work truly
admirable. It is said by intelligent persons who have
of the attempt to form a national association and unite all
the discordant elements under the one broad banner of examined it to be an exact copy of one preserved in the
simple Spiritualism. Royal Museum of Painters of this court. Many thanks are
Magnetism and Mediumistic Science .—In. Spain as in tendered to the Zaragozan Society for this highly appre-
Italy, a considerable amount of attention has been directed ciated present. It was about the end of the year 1880, that
towards the unfoldment of Mediumistic power by means of the Spiritualists of Spain sustained another series of attacks-
from the Church. The first of these was the refusal of the
Magnetism. Magnetic Societies abounded in Spain up to
within the last few years, when many elements of internal clergy to accord the customary rites of interment to the-
discord prevailed in the ranks, and succeeded in dissolving remains of two ladies, both of irreproachable character, and
the bonds which had united flourishing associations. good standing in society, but both "guilty" of having
believed in Spiritual manifestations. The second raid
Amongst the amateur mesmerists of Spain may be men-
tioned Don Juan Escudero, of Madrid, a gentleman who which the Church in Spain perpetrated about this time
to the prejudice of the Spiritualists, was the suppression,
having witnessed some experiments in " animal magnet-
ism " in California, tried its effect in his own family with of a well-written Spiritual paper published at Lerida,
entitled El Buen Sentido. The Bishop of Lerida had long
success.
threatened this step, and warned the editor to beware how
Among the numerous circles or " groups " formed in the
he presumed to allow any writings reflecting upon clerical
different parts of Spain for the study of Spiritualism and
its phenomena, was one of long standing at Tarragona doings to appear in his columns. As some of the principal
called '' The Christian Circle," Quite recently the Presi-
contributors were Madame Soler, Mdlle. Sans, Don Murillo,
—dent of this circle sent the following communication to the
and others equally capable of arraigning the intolerant
Revue Spirite of Paris : " The convict prison here in
acts which Church policy seemed determined to push against
Tarragona has 800 inmates sentenced to forced labour
the Spiritualists, it was scarcely likely that the Bishop's-
By some means, Spiritualistic books have been introduced threats would produce much effect. The last article which
among the prisoners. The circulation of these books seemed to inflame the clergy to retaliate was an indignant
among them has been the means of bringing seventy or protest which appeared in the columns of this paper on the
eighty of them to be believers in our doctrine. These condemnation of a working man to three years' imprison-
converts have ceased to regard their miserable position ment, leaving a family of children destitute and all for
Spain 377 Spells
speaking in public against the intolerance of the Church. known professor of the art of magic, and if it be in a lan-
In a number of El Criterio, dated 1881, is a letter from guage or dialect unknown. Thus the magicians of Ancient
Don Migueles, in which he gives a somewhat discouraging Egypt employed foreign words for their incantations, such
as Tharthar, thamara, thatha, mommon, thanabotha,
—account of " the cause " as it recently existed in Spain.
opranu, brokhrex, abranazukhel," which occurs at the end
The editor says : " Don Migueles visited many cities to
of a spell the purpose of which is to bring dreams. The
examine into the state of affairs of a spiritual nature, but
magicians and sorcerers of the middle ages likewise em-
found many who were only to be enticed by physical ployed gibberish of a similar land, as do the medicine men
of the North American Indians at the present day. The
phenomena, caring nothing for the esoteric beauties of our
reason for the spell being usually couched in a well-known
faith many who were convinced that they knew all there
; formula, is probably because experience found that that
was to be known concerning it, and others who were timid and no other formula was efficacious. Thus in Ancient
fearing the disapproval of neighbours. In some places, Egypt not only were the formula? of spells well fixed, but
however, excellent mediums were discovered. In Santiago, 1 he exact tone of voice in which they were to be pronounced
was specially taught. The power of a spell remains until
in Oviedo, in Corunna and Valladolid, an exceptional
such time as it is broken by an antidote or exorcism.
interest was manifest. Near Santiago, there was a young
—Therefore it is not a passing thing.
girl possessed of wonderful faculties. Two bars of mag- (1) The protective spell. The commonest form of this is
netized iron held over her horizontally, half a metre distant, an incantation, usually rhymed, imploring the protection of
certain gods, saints, or beneficent beings, who in waking
were sufficient to suspend her body in the air. " The
or sleeping hours will guard the speaker from maleficent
proceedings of the Spanish Society, under the name of the
powers, such as :
Sesiones de Controversio, in the month of April last, are
" Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
spoken of in the Critic as markedly impressive on account of
Bless the bed that I lie on."
the lofty sentiments maintained throughout the discussions, Of a deeper significance are these supposed to De spoken
by the dead Egyptian on his journey through Amenti
by the various speakers. ' In the past month were given by which he wards off the evil beings who would hinder his
way, and so the serpent who would bite the dead is ad-
also very interesting conferencias by our illustrious brothers,
dressed thus : " O serpent come not ! Geb and Shu stand
the Sres. Rebolledo and Huelbes.' The able engineer and
against thee. Thou hast eaten mice. That is loathsome
inventor, belonging to the Society of Santiago de Chili and
to the Gods. Thou hast gnawed the bones of a putrid cat."
founder of that of Lima, D. R. Caruana y Berard, has just The Book of the Dead says, " Whoever readeth the spells
daily over himself, he is whole upon earth, he escapes
arrived in Madrid. The Revista Espiritista of Barcelona from death, and never doth anything evil meet him," says
mentions the visit which its editor has made to the central Budge in Egyptian Magic, p. 128. " We learn how great
societies of Spiritualists of Sabodell and Tarrasa, where a was the confidence which the deceased placed in his words
great number of brethren were assembled on the occasion, of power, and also that the sources from which they sprang
were the gods of Thoth and Isis. It will be remembered
and which will result in great good to the doctrine." The the Thoth is called the " scribe of the gods," the " lord of
writing," the " master of papyrus," the " maker of the
Barcelona Lux, of date 1881, gives encouraging accounts of
palette and the ink-jar," the " lord of divine words,"
seances held at Cordova, Tarragona, Seville, and many i.e., the holy writings or scriptures, and as he was the lord
other places. The editor, Madame Soler, also refers to the of books and master of the power of speech, he was con-
prohibition to Catholics, by an archbishop to have or to sidered to be the possessor of all knowledge both human and
divine. At the creation of the world it was he who reduced
read the Spiritualistic work of Niram Aliv of the " Society to words the will of the unseen and unknown creative Power,
: and who uttered them in such wise that the universe came
into being and it was lie who proved himself by the exercise
of Spiritualists " of Tarrasa of the circle of Santa Cruz
; of his knowledge to be the protector and the friend of
Osiris, and of Isis, and of their son Horus. From the
of Tenerif of that of " Faith, Hope, and Charity," of evidence of the texts we know that it was not by physical
; might that Thoth helped these three gods, but by giving
them words of power and instructing them how to use them.
Andujar, and of St. Vincent de Bogota.
We know that Osiris vanquished his foes, and that he
Speal Bone, Divination by : A form of divination used in
Scotland. A speal bone, or blade bone of a shoulder of re-constituted his body and became the king of the under-
mutton is used, but details of the method are wanting. A world and god of the dead, but he was only able to do these
common soldier, accompanying Lord Loudon on his retreat things by means of the words of power which Thoth had
given to him, and which he had taught him to pronounce
to Skye, told the issue of the battle of Culloden at the very
properly and in a proper tone of voice. It is this belief
moment it was decided, pretending to have seen the event
by looking through the bone. which makes the deceased cry out, " Hail, Thoth, who
madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou Ani
Speers, Dr. : [See Moses, William Stainton.)
to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the
Spells : Spells, incantations, a written or spoken formula of
words supposed to be capable of magical effects. great and sovereign princes who are in Tattu, or in any
other place." Without the words of power given to him by
Anglo-saxon spel, a saying or story, hence a form of Thoth, Osiris would have been powerless under the attacks
words of his foes, and similarly the dead man, who was always-
; Icelandic, spjall, a saying Gothic, spill, a fable.
; identified with Osiris, would have passed out of existence at
his death but for the words of power provided by the
The conception of spells appears to have arisen in the writings that were buried with him. In the Judgment
Scene it is Thoth who reports to the gods the result of the
idea that there is some natural and intimate connection
between words and the things signified by them. Thus
if one repeats the name of a supernatural being the effect
will be analogous to that produced by the being itself. It is
assumed that all things are in sympathy, and act and
react upon one another, things that have once been in
contact continue to act on each other even after the con-
tact has been removed. That certain names unknown to
man, of gods, demi-gods, arid demons, if discovered can be
used against them by the discoverer, was believed in Ancient
Egypt. Spells or enchantments can be divided into
several classes as follows
: (1) Protective spells (2) the
;
curse or taboo
; (3) Spells by which a person, animal or
object is to be injured or transformed (4) Spells to pro-
; curing of persons
cure some minor end, or love-spells,
the
and cattle, etc.
The power of the spoken word is implicitly believed in
by all peoples, especially if it emanates from a
primitive
Spells 378 Spider
weighing of the heart in the balance, and who has supplied category belong a number of so-called fairy tales, that
its owner with the words which he has uttered in his suppli- actually are folk-tales. And these do not all pertain to
cations, and whatever can be said in favour of the deceased Aryan peoples for wherever magical arts are believed
he says to the gods, and whatever can be done for him he to be all-powerful, there one of its greatest achievements
does. But apart from being the protector and friend of is the casting of a spell so as to alter completely the appear-
Osiris, Thoth was the refuge to which Isis fled in her
ance of the person on whom it is cast, so that this individual
trouble. The words of a hymn declare that she knew " how
becomes an animal. One need only recall the story in
to turn aside evil hap," and that she was " strong of tongue the Arabian Nights of the Calenders and the three noble
ladies of Bagdad, in which the wicked sisters are trans-
and uttered the words of power which she knew with
correct pronunciation, and halted not in her speech, and formed into bitches that have to be thrashed every day.
Of this class are the stories of "Beauty and the Beast "
was perfect both in giving the command, and in saying the and " The Frog Prince."
word," but this description only proves that she had been
(4) Spells to procure some minor end, love-spells, etc.,
instructed by Thoth in the art of uttering words of power
Love-spells were engraved on metal tables by the Gnostics,
with effect, and to him, indeed, she owed more than this. and the magicians of the middle ages. Instances of these
are to be found in The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abraham
Spells to keep away disease are of this class.
The amulets found upon Egyptian mummies, and the
inscriptions on Gnostic gems are for the most part of a the Jew (q.v.) Spells were often employed to imprisoa
protective nature. {See Egypt and Gnostics.) The pro- evil spirits.
The later Jews have many extravagant opinions and
tective spell may be said to be an amulet in words, and is
-often found in connection with the amulet, on which it is legends relating to this subject, which they appear to have
derived in a great measure from the Babylonians. Jose-
—inscribed.
(2) The curse or taboo. (a) The word of blighting, the phus affirms that it was generally believed by his country-
-damaging word, (b) The word of prohibition or restriction. men that Solomon left behind him many spells, which
(a) The curse is of the nature of a spell, even if it be had the power of terrifying and expelling evil spirits. The
not in the shape of a definite formula. Thus we have the Rabbins also almost uniformly describe Solomon as an
accomplished magician. It is probable that the belief in
Highland curses : " A bad meeting to you." " Bad under-
standing to you." " A down mouth be yours " which are the power of spells and incantations became general among
certainly popular as formulae. the Jews during the captivity, and that the invention of
Those who had seen old women, of the Madge Wildfire them is attributed to Solomon, as a more creditable per-
sonage than the deities of the Assyrians. Those fictions
School, cursing and banning, say their manner is well-
acquired currency, not only among the Arabs, Persians,
calculated to inspire terror. Some fifteen or twenty years
ago, a party of tinkers quarrelled and fought, first among and other Mohammedan nations, but, in process of time,
themselves, and then with some Tiree villagers. In the also in many Christian communities. They were first
•excitement a tinker wife threw off her cap and allowed adopted by the Gnostics and similar sects, in whose creed
her hair to fall over her shoulders in wild disorder. She heathenism preponderated over Christianity ; and, in the
then bared her knees, and falling on them to the ground, in dark ages, they found their way among the Catholics
;
.a praying attitude, poured forth a torrent of wishes that principally by means of the Pseudo-gospels and fabulous
struck awe into all who heard her. She imprecated legends of saints. An incident in the life of St. Margaret
" Drowning by sea and conflagration by land ; may you will suffice as a specimen. This holy virgin, having van-
never see a son to follow your body to the graveyard, or a quished an evil spirit who assaulted her, demanded his
daughter to mourn your death. I have made my wish name. " My name," replied the demon, " is Veltis, and
I am one of those whom Solomon, by virtue of his spells,
before this, and I will make it now, and there was not yet a
confined in a copper caldron at Babylon ; but when the
my-day I did not see wish fulfilled." Curses employed by Babylonians, in the hope of finding treasures, dug up the
witches usually inferred a blight upon the person cursed, caldron and opened it, we all made our escape. Since that
time, our efforts have been directed to the destruction of
their flocks, their herds and crops. Barrenness, too, was righteous persons ; and I have long been striving to turn
thee from the course which thou hast embraced." The
frequently called down upon women. A person under a
curse or spell is believed in the Scottish Highlands " to
become powerless over his own volition, is alive and awake reader of the "Arabian Nights' Entertainments" will
but moves and acts as if asleep." Curses or spells which be immediately reminded of the story of the " Fisherman."
inferred death were frequently mentioned in works which The Oriental origin of many similar legends, e.g., of St.
deal with Mediaeval Magic. (See Summons by accused.)
(b) The Taboo, the word of prohibition or restriction. —George of Cappadocia, is equally obvious. Malleus
Literature. Grimm's Deutsche Mythologie ;
This is found in the mystic expression " thou shalt not."
Maleficarum ; Campbell's Witchcraft and superstition in
Thus a number of the commandments are taboos, and the
the Scottish Highlands Budge's Egyptian Magic ; Hen-
;
—Book of Leviticus teems with them. The taboo is the derson's, Survivals in Belief among the Celts.
" don't " applied to children a curb on primitive desire. Spider : As an amulet. This insect, baked, was sometimes
To break a taboo was to bring dire misfortune upon one- worn round the neck as a charm. Elias Ashmole in his
•self, and often upon one's family. Diary says : " I took early in the morning a good dose of
Of injuring or transformation of a person, animal or elixir, and hung three spiders about my neck, and they
object there are copious examples. These were nearly drove my ague away. Deo Gratias ! " Spiders and their
affected by a spell of a given formula. Thus no less than webs were often recommended as a cure for this malady.
twelve chapters of the Book of the Dead (chapters LXXVII. Burton gives us the following tale : " Being in the country
"to LXXXVIII) are devoted to providing the deceased with
in the vacation time, not many years since, at Lindly in
words of power, the recital of which was necessary to enable myLeicestershire, father's house, I first observed this
him to transform himself into various animal and human amulet of a spider in a nut-shell, wrapped in silk, so applied
forms. The Rev. S. Baring Gould in his Book of Folklore, for an ague by my mother This I thought most absurd
Pa8 e 57. says, that in such cases the consequence of a and ridiculous, and I could see no warrant in it till
spell being cast on an individual requiring him or her to at length, rambling amongst authors, I found this very
become a beast or a monster with no escape except under medicine in Dioscorides, approved by Matthiolus, repeated
conditions difficult of execution or of obtaining. To this by Aldrovandus I began to have a better opinion of
Spiegelschrift 379 Spiritism
it, and to give more credit to amulets, when I saw it in testimonies as the above, from the lips of skilled and dis-
some parties answer to experience." interested witnesses, would naturally seem to raise spirit
Spiegelschrift : Writing written backwards, from right to photography to the level of a genuine psychic phenomenon.
left, so as to be read in a mirror. Automatic writing is But a careful analysis of the evidence, such as is given by
frequently done in this way, and it is said_that the ability Mrs. Sidgwick in her article on Spirit Photography in the
to produce spiegelschrift is often found where there is a Psychical Research Society's Proceedings, vol. VII., will
natural tendency to automatism. serve to show how even a trained investigator may be
Spirit in Theosophy, is the monad after he has manifested deceived by sleight-of-hand. And it is notable that Mr.
himself in the Spiritual, Intuitional and Mental Worlds Beattie himself afterwards pointed out instances of double
in the aspects of Will, Intuition and Intellect respectively, exposure in Hudson's productions. In spite of this,
but the term is often used to denote the monad in the Hudson continued to practise, and the various spiritualist
aspect of Will only. (See Monad and also the various magazines continued to lend him their support, with the
articles on these Worlds.) exception of the Spiritualist, whose editor, himself a
Spirit Messenger : Journal of Spiritualism. (See Spiritual- practical photographer, had aided Mr. Beattie in the
ism.) denunciation of spirit photography. Another enthusiastic
Spirit Photography : The production of photographs on which spiritualist, Mr. Enmore Jones, who at first professed to
alleged spirit-forms are visible. When the plate is develop- recognise a dead daughter in one of the pictured " spirits,"
ed there appears, in addition to the likeness of the sitter, afterwards admitted that he had been mistaken. Those
a shape resembling more or less distinctly the human form, who had pinned their faith to the genuineness of the
which at the moment of exposure was imperceptible to the photographic manifestations were naturally unwilling to
normal vision. Spiritualists assert that there are photo- relinquish their belief in what they considered a sure proof
of the reality of the spirit-world, and ingenious explanations
—graphs of spirits -the spirits of departed friends and were offered to cover the circumstance of the apparent
—relatives of the sitters and that the presence of a medium
is required to facilitate their production. Notwithstanding double exposure. The spirit aura, they said, differed
that on the recognition of the supposed spirit by the sitter from the natural atmosphere in its refracting power, and
and others rests the main evidence in favour of spirit it was not to be wondered at that objects were sometimes
photography, the " astral figure " is generally very vague duplicated. And so Hudson retained a considerable
and indistinct, with the head and shoulders enveloped in measure of popularity. Mr. Beattie himself afterwards
close-clinging draperies. The practice of spirit photography attempted to produce spirit photographs, and succeeded
originated in America some fifty years ago, and has enjoyed in obtaining vague blotches and flaws on his pictures, some
a fitful existence to the present day. It was first intro- of them bearing a dim resemblance to a human figure.
duced by Mumler, a Boston photographer, in 1862. Dr. But there is reason to believe that a hired assistant, who
Gardner, of the same city, was photographed by Mumler, provided studio and apparatus, was not entirely above
and on the plate appeared an image which the sitter suspicion. In 1874 Buguet (q.v.), a Paris photographer
identified as his cousin, who had died twelve years before. crossed over to London where he commenced the practice
Dr. Gardner published abroad his experience, and the new of spirit photography. Many of his pictures were recognized
photography was at once adopted by spiritualists, who by his clients, and even when he had been tried by the
saw in it a means of proving their beliefs. In 1863, how- French Government, and had admitted deception, there
ever, Dr. Gardner discovered that in at least two instances were those who refused to regard his confession as spontane-
a living model had sat for Mumler's " spirit " pictures. ous, and inclined to the opinion that he had been bribed
Though he continued to believe that some of the photo- by the Jesuits to confess to fraud of which he was innocent !
graphs might be genuine, his exposure of Mumler's fraud Other spirit photographers were Parkes, a contemporary
effectively checked the movement for a time. After the of Hudson, and Boursnell, who produced spirit pictures in
London in more recent years. The principal evidence in
lapse of six years Mumler appeared in New York, where
the authorities endeavoured to prosecute him, but the favour of spirit photography is undoubtedly the recognition
evidence against him was insufficient to prove fraud, of the spirits by their friends and relatives, but the unre-
and he was acquitted. Spirit photography had flourished liable nature of such a test can be seen when we remember
in America for some ten years before it became known
in Britain. Mr. and Mrs. Guppy, the well-known —that time and again a single " spirit " has been claimed
by several persons as a near relative the sister of one, the
spiritualistic mediums, endeavoured without success to grandfather of another, and so on. One of the most
produce spirit photographs in private, and at length called — —prominent defenders of the mediumistic photographers
in the aid of a professional photographer, Mr. Hudson. A was the Rev. Stainton Moses (q.v.) " M. A. Oxon " who
photograph of Mr. Guppy now revealed a dim, draped saw in them the best proof of the reality of spiritualism.
" spirit " form. Hudson speedily became popular, and
The same view was shared by Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace
his-studio was as largely patronized as Mumler's had been. (q.v.), who said in the Arena, January, 1891 : " It is that
Mr. Thomas Slater, a London optician, made careful which furnishes, perhaps, the most unassailable demon-
•observations of his process without being able to detect stration it is possible to obtain of the objective reality of
spiritual forms."
any fraud. Mr. Beattie, a professional photographer, and
something of a sceptic, made the following statement con- Spirit World : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritualism.)
Spiritism : The name bestowed upon the French form of
cerning Hudson's performances : " They were not made
spiritualism, which was in the main founded on the doc-
by double exposure, nor by figures projected in space in any
trines of "Allan Kardec " (M. Rivail), (q.v.) Spiritism
way they were not the result of mirrors ; they were not differed from spiritualism as expounded in Britain, America
; and elsewhere, chiefly in that it included among its tenets
the doctrine of reincarnation. Allan Kardec, who prior
produced by any machinery in the background, behind it,
above it, or below it, nor by any contrivance connected
with the bath, the camera, or the camera-slide." Mr.
Traill Taylor, editor of the British Journal of Photography to his adoption of spiritualistic creeds, about 1862 had
said that " at no time during the preparation, exposure, or been an exponent of animal magnetism and phrenology,
development of the pictures was Mr. Hudsom within ten based his new teachings on spirit revelations received
feet of the camera or dark room. Appearances of an abnor- through clairvoyants, and so popular were these teachings
mal kind did certainly appear on several plates." Such that they rapidly spread over the Continent. In Britain,
Spiritualism 380 Spiritualism
however, spiritism obtained but little hold, its only exponent manifestation, and partly running parallel with them, was
an extensive movement whose significance, from the
being Miss Anna Blackwell, who endeavoured without spiritualist point of view, is very considerable. The
success to establish the doctrine of reincarnation in this doctrine of animal magnetism was, said to have originated
country. Spiritism and spiritualism must not be confused, with Paracelsus, and was much in favour with the old
since the adherents of each section were opposed to the alchemists. The actual magnet was not greatly used, but
was regarded as a symbol of the magnetic philosophy,
tenets of the other, and even in France, where spiritism
which rested on the idea of a force or fluid radiating from
obtained the most footing, there was a distinct spiritualistic
party who looked askance at the doctrine of reincarnation. the heavenly bodies, human beings, and indeed, from every
substance, animate or in.inimate, by means of which all
The word spiritist is sometimes applied to one who seeks
only the physical phenomena, and neglects the religious things interacted upon one another. While the mystics
and philosophic aspect of spiritualism.
were engaged in formulating a magnetic philosophy, there
Spiritualism : Spiritualism in its modern aspect has' for its
were others, such as Valentine Greatrakes, who cured
basic principles the belief in the continuance of life after
diseases, claiming their power as a divine gift, and not
death, and the possibility of communication between the
dead and the living, through the agency of a medium or connecting it with the rationalist ideas of the alchemists.
psychic, a person qualified in some unknown manner to be
These two phases of magnetism united and came to a
the mouthpiece of supernatural beings. On this founda- height in the work of Franz Antoine Mesmer, who in 1766
tion has been raised the belief known as spiritualism, published his De planetarum influxu, a treatise on the
influence of the planets on the human body. His ideas
variously regarded as a religion or a philosophy. Besides
were essentially those of the magnetic philosophers, and his
the speaking (or writing, drawing, etc.) indirectly through
cures probably on a level with those of Valentine Greatrakes,
the agency of the medium, there are also physical manifesta- but into both theory and practice he infused new life and
tions, such as the materialisation of spirit forms, and won for himself the recognition, if not of the learned
" apports," (q.v.) the so-called " direct " writing, moving societies, at least of the general public. To him is due that
of inanimate objects without contact, and other phenomena application of the magnetic system which resulted in the
of a like nature. The word " spiritism " used in France to
denote spiritualism, is in this country only applied to the discovery of the induced hypnotic trance, whose bearing
theories of Allen Kardec (q.v.) a well-known spiritualist on spiritualism is obvious and important. In 1784 a
who believed in re-incarnation, or to an inferior phase of commission was appointed by the French Government to
spiritualism, in which only physical manifestations are consider magnetism as practised by Mesmer and his followers
sought, and the religious and ethical significance of the
but its report only served to cast discredit on the science,
subject ignored.
and exclude it from scientific discussion. Until the third
Though the movement in its present form dates no
further back than 1848, it is possible to trace its ancestry decade of the nineteenth century the rationalist explana-
tions of Mesmerism concerned themselves entirely with a
to witchcraft, demoniac possession, poltergeistic distur-
bances, and animal magnetism. In these all the phenomena fluid or force emanating from the person of the operator,
of spiritualism may be found, though the disturbing and even visible to the clairvoyant eye, but in 1823 Alex-
influences were not in the earlier instances identified with andre Bertrand, a Paris physician, published a Traite du
the spirits of the deceased. Many famous outbreaks of an Somnambulisme, and in 1826 a treatise Du Magnetisms
epidemic nature, such as that among the Tremblers of the
Cevennes (q.v.) and the Convulsionaries of St. Medard (q.v.), Animal en France, in which he established the relationship
between ordinary sleep-walking, somnambulism associated
which to the beholders showed clear indications of demonic
possession, had in their symptoms considerable analogy —with disease, and epidemic ecstasy, and advanced the
with modern spiritualism. They were accompanied by
spontaneous trance or ecstasy, utterance of long-winded doctrine now generally accepted that of suggestion.
discourses, and speaking in unknown tongues, all of which Magnetism was by this time leceiving a good deal of
are to be found in the seance-room. The fluency of speech,
attention all over Europe. A second French Commission
especially of these ignorant peasants, has been equalled, if
appointed in 1825 presented in 1831 a report which, though
not surpassed, by the outpourings of the unlearned medium of no great value, contained a unanimous testimony to the
actuality of the phenomena. In Germany also magnetism
under the influence of her " control." In such cases the was practised to a considerable extent, and rationalist
symptoms were generally referred either to angelic or diabolic explanations found some acceptance. There was a class
possession, and most frequently to the latter. Witches
however, more numerous in Germany than elsewhere, who
—also were supposed to hold converse with the Devil, and
inclined towards a spiritualistic explanation of Mesmeric
many aspects of witchcraft and notably the part played phenomena. Indeed, the belief -in spirit-intercourse had
grown up beside magnetism from its earliest conception,
—in the persecution of suspects by young women and chil- in opposition to the theory of a magnetic fluid. In the
earlier phases of " miraculous " healing the cures were, as
dren show an obvious relationship to those poltergeistic
disturbances which were the connecting link between has been said, ascribed to the divine gift of the operator,
early forms of possession and modern spiritualism. Cases
in which children of morbid tendencies pretend to be the who expelled the evil spirits from the patient. In epidemic
victims of a witch are to be found in every record of witch-
craft. It was the poltergeist (q.v.), however, who showed cases in religious communities, as well as in individual
most affinity to the " control " of the mediumistic circle. instances, the spirits were questioned both on personal
For at least the past few centuries poltergeist disturbances
have occurred from time to time, and the mischievous matters and on abstract theological questions. A detailed
spirit's favourite modes of manifesting itself have been
singularly akin to those adopted by the spirit control of account of the trance utterances of an hypnotic subject
our days. Again, both spirits require the agency of a was given in 1787 in the journals of the Swedish Exegetical
medium for the production of their phenomena, and it is and Philanthropic Society. The society naturally inclined
in the immediate presence of the medium th?t the phenom- to the doctrines of their countryman, Emanuel Swedenborg,
who was the first to identify the " spirits " with the souls
—ena generally make their appearance.
Magnetism. Partly evolving from these phases of spirit- of deceased men and women. In Germany Dr. Kerner
experimented with Frederica Hauffe, the " Seeress of
Prevorst " (q.v.), in whose presence physical manifesta-
—tions took place, and who described the conditions of the
soul after death and the constitution of man the physical
body, the soul, spirit, and nervengeist, an ethereal body
Spiritualism 381 Spiritualism
—which clothes the soul after death theories afterwards disturbing influence was the spirit of a pedlar, done to death
by a former resident of the house at Hydesville for the
elaborated by spiritualists. Other German investigators, sake of his money. It was afterwards said that in April
of the same year the Foxes, while digging in their cellar at
J. H. Jung (Jung-Stilling), Dr. C. Romer, and Dr. Heinreich the instigation of the spirits, had discovered therein frag-
Werner, recorded the phenomenon of clairvoyance in their ments of hair, teeth, and bones, supposed to be those of a
somnambules. A French spiritualist, Alphonse Cahagnet, human being, but the statement was not properly verified,
and the evidence for the murder was but small. The
produced some of the best evidence which spiritualism can neighbours of the Fox family, however, were deeply im-
pressed by the " revelations," and, by way of a test,
show, his accounts being as remarkable for their sincerity
questioned the spirits on such matters as the ages of their
and good-faith as for the intelligence they display.
acquaintances, questions which were answered, apparently,
Magnetism received but little attention in England, till with some correctness. Soon afterwards Margaretta Fox
the third decade of the nineteenth century. Towards the- visited her married sister, Mrs. Fish, at Rochester, New
end of the eighteenth century Dr. Bell, Loutherbourg, and York, where the knockings broke out as vigorously as they
had done at Hydesville. Her sister Catherine visited some
others, practised the science in this country, but for about friends at Auburn, and here, too, the rappings were heard.
— —thirty years from 1798 to 1828 it was quite neglected. Many persons found themselves possessed of mediumistic
In the latter year Richard Chenevix, an Irishman, gave powers, and the manifestations spread like an epidemic, till
mesmeric demonstrations. Dr. Elliotson, of University in a few years they were witnessed in most of the eastern
states. Numerous circles were formed by private individ-
College Hospital, practised mesmerism with his somnam- uals, and professional mediums became ever more abundant.
Mrs. Fox and her three daughters continued to hold the place
bules, the sisters Okey, and though he first believed in the
of honour in the spiritualistic world, and gave exhibitions
magnetic fluid, he afterwards became a spiritualist. In
in rriany large towns. In 1850, while they were at Buffalo,
—1843 two journals dealing with the subject were founded some professors of the Buffalo University showed that the
the Zoist and the Phreno-magnet. Most of the English raps could be produced by the medium's joints, and shortly
magnetists of the time believed in a physical explanation afterwards Mrs. Norman Culver, a relative by marriage of
the Fox family, declared that Margaretta Fox had shown
of the phenomena. In 1845 Dr. Reichenbach published her how the rappings were obtained by means of the joints.
She also alleged that Catherine Fox had told her that in a
his researches, claiming to demonstrate the existence of an
seance at Rochester where the medium's ankles were held
emanation (q.v.) which he called odylic or odic force,
to prevent fraud, a Dutch servant maid had rapped in the
radiating from every substance. This effluence could be
cellar on a signal from the medium. This latter statement
seen by clairvoyants, and had definite colours, and pro- was hotly denied by the spiritualists, but no refutation
duced a feeling of heat or cold. Working on individual was attempted with regard to the other allegations. Many
mediums confessed that they had resorted to trickery, but
lines, Braid arrived at the same conclusions as Bertrand
the tide of popular favour in America held to the actuality
had done, and demonstrated the power of suggestion in
" magnetic " experiments, but his theories were neglected of the manifestations. These, as time went on, became
more varied and complex. Table-turning and tilting (q.v.)
as Bertrand's had been. By the medical profession, in part replaced the simpler phenomena of raps. Playing
on musical instruments by invisible hands, " direct " spirit
especially, the whole matter was freely ridiculed, and
writing, bell-ringing, levitation, and materialisation of
•declared to be fraudulent. There is no doubt that their spirit hands, are some of the phenomena which were
witnessed and vouched for by such distinguished sitters as
—attitude would have changed it had, indeed, already
—begun to do so but for the wave of spiritualism that swept Judge Edmonds, the Hon N. P. Tallmadge, Governor of
over America and Europe, and magnified the extravagant Wisconsin, and William Lloyd Garrison. We find the
levitation of the medium Daniel D. Home (q.v.) recorded
attendant phenomena of the trance state, and so obscured
at an early stage in his career. Slate-writing (q.v.) and
its true significance and scientific value.
playing on musical instruments were also feats practised
It will thus be seen not only that magnetism contained by the spirits who frequented Koon's " spirit-room " (q.v.)
in Dover, Athens County, Ohio. At Keokuk, in Iowa, in
the germs of spiritualistic phenomena, but that in many 1854, two mediums spoke in tongues identified on somewhat
insufficient data, as " Swiss," Latin, and Indian languages,
cases the phenomena were identical with those of spirit- and henceforward trance-speaking in their native language
ualism in its present stage of development. Trance- and in foreign tongues was much practised by mediums.
The recognised foreign tongues included Latin and Greek,
speaking was well-known, physical manifestations, though
French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Gaelic, but
less frequently met with, were also witnessed, as in the
generally the trance utterances, when they were not in
ease of Frau Hauff-; ; and clairvoyance was regarded as a English, were not recognised definitely as any known
language, and frequently the " spirits " themselves inter-
common adjunct of the trance. In later years, as has been preted the " tongue." The latter phenomena are evidently
seen, the so-called " magnetic " phenomena were largely akin to the early outpourings of the " possessed " or the
attributed to the agency of the spirits of the deceased. articulate but meaningless fluency of ecstatics during a
—For such an obviously supernormal faculty as clairvoyance religious epidemic. There have been cases, however,
by means of which the subject professed himself able
where persons in a state of exaltation have spoken fluently
to see what was going on at a distance, or to distinguish in a language of which they know but little in their normal
—objects carefully concealed from his normal sight even state. Many of the " spirit " writings were signed with
such men as Bertrand and Braid do not seem to have —the names of great people particularly Franklin, Sweden-
offered an adequate explanation, nor have they refuted the borg, Plato, Aristotle, St. John and St. Paul. Trance-
evidence for it, though it was extensively practised both in
France and England. Indeed, there sprang up in these
countries a class who specialised in clairvoyance, and still
further prepared the way for spiritualism.
—Early American Spiritualism.
What is generally
regarded as the birth of modern spiritualism took place in
America in 1848. In that year an outbreak of rapping
occurred in the home of the Fox family, at Hydesville, in
Arcadia, Wayne County, N.Y. The household comprised
John Fox, his wife, and their two young daughters, Mar-
garetta and Kate, aged fifteen and twelve years respectively,
and the house itself was a small wooden erection. On the
31st March, 1848, Mrs. Fox summoned her neighbours to
hear the knockings, which had disturbed the family for a
few days past. On being questioned the raps manifested
signs of intelligence, and it was finally elicited that the
Spiritualism 382 Spiritualism
lecturing before audiences was also practised, books of himself, with but little educational training on which to
inspirational utterances were published, and poetry and base his ideas, and the result was that the vigour of his
drawings produced in abundance. These automatic pro-
speculation frequently outran its discretion. As for the
—ductions had a character of their own they were vague, causes which made spiritualism more popular and more
lasting than other strange doctrines of the time, they are
high-sounding, incoherent, and distinctly reminiscent. In probably to be found in the special conditions which
cases where they displayed even a fair amount of merit, as
in the poems of T. L. Harris, it was pointed out that they prepared the way for spiritualism. Clairvoyants had
were not beyond the capacity of the medium in his normal made use of rapping prior to the mediumship of the Fox.
state. As a rule they had a superficial appearance of
intelligence, but on analysis were found to be devoid of girls, the induced trance had only recently been brought
meaning. During the early years of spiritualism in America
to the notice of the American people by lecturers, the
the movement was largely noticed by the press, and many clergy and others, accustomed to departures from ortho-
periodicals devoted exclusively to spiritualism made their doxy in every direction, found no difficulty in admitting
appearance. The Spirit Messenger was first published in the intervention of good or evil spirits in human affairs,
while for those who refused to accept the spirit hypothesis
1849, Heat and Light in 1851, the Shehinah in 1852, Spiritual a satisfactory explanation of the phenomena was found in.
Telegraph in 1853, Spirit World, under the title of the
Spiritual Philosopher, in 1850, under the editorship of —electricity, electro-magnetism, or "' odic force."
Spiritualism in England. Though, as has been said,,
Laroy Sunderland. From the beginning of the movement
those who accepted the actuality of the phenomena ranged clairvoyants and somnambules were sufficiently common in
themselves into two separate schools, each represented by
a considerable body of opinion. The theory of the first England prior to the importation of spiritualism in its
was frankly spiritualistic, the explanation of the second American form, the phenomena were, nevertheless, inter-
was that of Mesmer, now appearing under various guises,
with a more or less definite flavour of contemporary — —preted mainly on rationalist fines, and even when the spirit
scientific thought. These two schools, as we have seen,
doctrine which in those days had but a small following
had their foundation in the early days of animal magnetism, became wide-spread and important, the theory of any
when the rationalist ideas of the magnetists were ranged rational explanation was still represented. In 1852, four
against the theories of angelic or diabolic possession. In years after the " Rochester Rappings," a medium named
America the suppositious " force " of the rationalists Mrs. Hayden was brought from America by a lecturer on.
went by the name of " odylic force," " electro-magnetism," " electro-biology." Soon afterwards another professional
and so forth, and to it was attributed not only the sub- medium, Mrs. Roberts, crossed the Atlantic, and both
jective phenomena, but the physical manifestations as well. ladies had a distinguished clientele, and received substantial
And poltergeistic disturbances occurring from time to remuneration in the way of fees. Many of the most
time were ascribed either to spirits or odylic force, as in influential Journals published scornful comments on these
the case of the Ashtabula Poltergeist (q.v.). The Rev. Asa performances, but a belief in the genuineness of the phenom-
Mahan, one of the " rationalists," suggested that the ena was expressed by one at least, Chambers' s Journal, in
an article by Robert Chambers himself. Professor de-
medium read the thoughts of the sitter by means of odylic Morgan was another distinguished witness who testified
force. The protagonists -of a magnetic theory attributed
trance-speaking to the subject's, own intelligence, but after to the actuality of the phenomena, and its supernormal
the birth of American spiritualism in 1848 a spiritualistic
interpretation was more commonly accepted. Notwith- character, and yet others were disposed to investigate.
standing these conflicting theories, of which some were
certainly physical, practically nothing was done in the way In 1853 an epidemic of table-turning (q.v.) spread frorn the
Continent to Britain, and attained to immense popularity
of scientific investigation, with the exception of the experi-
among all classes. So wide-spread did it become that
ments conducted by Dr. Hare, Professor of Chemistry in such men as Braid, Faraday and Carpenter turned their
the University of Pennsylvania, though they hardly attention to it, and showed it to result from unconscious
deserved the name of " scientific investigation." In muscular action. The " rationalist " explanation, be it
1857, when the experiments were made, Hare was already said, was still well to the fore, with talk of odylic force,
advanced in years, and seems to have been easily imposed electricity, or magnetism. Faraday's experiments were
upon. Very few exposures of fraud were made, partly ridiculed, and a pamphlet entitled T able-turning by A nimal
because the majority of the sitters accepted the phenomena Magnetism demonstrated ran through more than a hundred
with unquestioning faith, and partly because the machinery editions in one year. Elliotson and the other protagonists
with which such detection might be made was not forth- of mesmerism found an illustration of their own views in
coming. The collaboration of skilful, trained, and dis- table-turning. Those who inclined to a spiritualistic
belief found a spirit agency at work in the same phenomena
interested investigators, such as have recently applied
themselves to the elucidation of psychic problems, was while a band of clergymen, confessedly awaiting similar
entirely lacking in those days, and the public was left to manifestations in fulfilment of Scriptural prophecy, con-
form its own conclusions. Spiritualism in America was
from the first intimately bound up with socialism. The cluded that Satanic agency was at the root of the matter,
cult of spiritualism was, in fact, the out-growth of the same and had their conclusions supported by the " spirits
themselves, who confessed that they were fallen angels, or
state of things which produced socialistic communities,
the spirits of evil-doers. Among the earliest converts to
and occasioned the rise and fall of so many strange religions.
Warren Chase, Horace Greeley, T. L. Harris, and other spiritualism were Sir Charles Isharn, Dr. Ashburner, and
prominent spiritualists founded such communities, and the the socialist Robert Owen, at that time already over
so-called " inspirational " writings frequently gave direc- eighty years of age, who published in 1854 the first number
tions for their construction. It was characteristic of the of The New Existence of Man upon the Earth, intended as
nation and the time that the general trend of religious and
the organ of a sort of millenium to be brought about by the
philosophic speculation should run on democratic lines. spirits. Automatic writing is recorded at this period, one
The fixed standards of thought which obtained in Europe medium being a child of four, who wrote in Latin. In the
autumn of 1853 Mrs. Hayden returned to America, and the
were not recognised in America ; everyone thought for
practice of table-turning speedily declined. Until i860
little more is heard of spiritualism, though a few journals
were published in the interval. Owen continued to issue
his New Existence, in which, however, spiritualism was
only a secondary consideration. The Yorkshire Spiritual
Spiritualism 383 Spiritualism
Telegraph published at Keighley in 1855, ran till the end skilfully produced that many people hesitated whether to-
regard them as clever conjuring or spirit phenomena. At
of 1859 (from 1857 under the name of the British Spiritual
Telegraph). There were also a few other periodicals which length, however, the Davenports were exposed through
did not enjoy so long a.lease of life. But though the
the agency of a secret knot called the " Tom Fool's knot,"
British books and papers dealing with the subject were but
few, the lack was supplied by American productions, which which they were unable to untie, and which rendered the
were largely read in this country. Mediums, as well as
literature, were imported from America, notable among necessary escape from their bonds impossible. Their career'
in Britain was at an end. Shortly afterwards the conjuring
them being Daniel Dunglas Home (q.v.) who crossed over to
performances of Maskelyne and Cook, in emulation of the
Britain in 1855 at the age of twenty-three, and who had
already acted as a medium in America for some four years. Davenport Brothers, drove the spiritualists to conclude
Many of those who afterwards became prominent mediums
were first coverted to spiritualism at Home's seances. In that they also must be renegade mediums. Native medium-
ship developed much more slowly in England than that of
the autumn of 1855 Home returned to America, and in
1856 his place was taken by P. B. Randolph, who attended the American spiritualists. Mrs. Marshall was for a time
practically the only professional medium of standing in the
the meetings of the Charing Cross Circle. In 1859 came
the Rev. T. L. Harris, deputed by the spirits to visit Eng- country, though private mediums were less rare. Notable
among the latter were Mrs. Everitt, Mr. Edward Child, and
land. An English medium, named Mrs. Marshall, gave
seances professionally, but much less successfully than Miss Nichol, afterwards the second wife of Mr. Guppy, who
did Home and the American mediums, though the phenom-
became a famous medium. During this period poltergeistic
ena were of a similar kind. English spiritualists, however,
disturbances were still recorded in which all the familiar-
did not court publicity, but practised for the most part
anonymously. The phenomena at these seances resemble phenomena reappeared, but they were explained on
—those in America playing of instruments without visible spiritualist lines. Crystal vision was practised and auras
were commonly seen by the medium round the heads of his
agency, materialisation of hands, table-turning, and so on
friends. Automatic writing, speaking, and drawing con-
but on a much smaller scale. It was not so much these
tinued, and inspirational addresses, etc., were published.
physical manifestations, however, which inspired the con-
In 1869 a new impulse was given to spiritualism by the-
fidence or excited the credulity of early spiritualists, but
appearance of several public mediums, chief among them
rather the automatic writing and speaking which, rare at
being F. Heme, who devoted his talents to the production.
first, afterwards became a feature of mediumistic seances.
So early as 1854 the trance utterances of a medium named of physical manifestations, and in connection with whom
Annie were recorded by a circle of Swedenborgians presided
over by Elihu Rich. The importance given at this stage we first see the phenomenon of "elongation" (q.v.).
of the movement to subjective phenomena must be attribu-
—Within a few years a number of other English mediums
ted to an imperfect understanding of unconscious cerebra-
sprang up Eglinton, Monck, Rita, and many more, while
tion. Such men as Mr. Thomas Shorter, editor of the
). Spiritual Magazine, failed to comprehend how the medium Dr. Slade, Annie Eva Fay, and Kate Fox (who afterwards
was able to reason while in the trance state, and to perform married an English barrister named Jencken) came over
intelligent acts of which the normal consciousness knew
from America. In 1870 the Rev. W. Stainton Moses
nothing. Therefore they adopted the spirit hypothesis.
Mrs. de Morgan and Mrs. Newton Crosland gave a ready (" M. A. Oxon,") destined to be one of the greatest of
credence to the automatic utterances of their friends. Sym-
English mediums, devoted himself to private mediumship.
bolic drawings were a feature of Mrs. Crosland's circle, as was
also the speaking in unknown tongues, which were trans- -In 1872 there was introduced into England, through the-
lated by the spirit through another medium.
agency of the Guppys, the practice of Spirit Photography
In i860 a new spiritual era opened, and the whole subject
came into more prominence than it had done heretofore. (q.v.), which had originated ten years earlier in America.
This was due to the increase in the number of British
mediums and the emigration to Britain of many American To very many people a photograph containing, in addition
mediums, including the Davenport Brothers (q.v.) and
D. D. Home, who once more visited England in 1859. to the sitter's portrait, a vague splotch of white, was con-
Home was treated respectfully, not to say generously, by clusive evidence of the materialisation of spirits. After
the bulk of the press and by the public, and admitted to the numerous exposures the craze for spirit photography
highest grades of society. Another American medium who
practised about the same time was J. R. M. Squire, whose declined and of late years little has been heard of it, though
manifestations were vouched for by Dr. Lockhart Robert-
son. Other mediums there were, however, such as Colches- in spasmodic fashion it sometimes shows evidence of life-
ter and Foster, who practised trickery so openly that the
spiritualists themselves exposed their fraud, though main- Slate-writing (q.v.) was a favourite mode of "direct"
taining that at times the manifestations even of these writing and one extensively practised. Sittings were
mediums were genuine. After Home, the most famous generally held in the dark, and the sitters were enjoined to
American mediums were the brothers Davenport, who
practised various forms of physical mediumship. They talk or sing, or perhaps a musical box was played. Most of
took their places in a small cabinet, bound hand and foot the records of these earlier seances are singularly suggestive
to the satisfaction of the sitters. When the lights were of fraud. In 1874 Mrs. Jencken (Kate Fox) was staying at
lowered, musical instruments were thrown about the room Brighton with her baby, aged about six months, and "it is-
and played upon and other physical phenomena were
related that the baby became a writing medium. A
apparent. When the seance was over and the lights once
facsimile of its writing was published in the Medium and,
more raised, the brothers Davenport were found securely
Daybreak of May 8th, 1874. In the same year came Mrs.
fastened in their cabinet. The manifestations were so
Annie Eva Fay whose feats resembled those of the Daven-
ports. Another celebrated medium was David Duguid, of
Glasgow, who painted " under control." In 1876 Henry
Slade came from America, and turned his attention chiefly
Ato slate-writing. few months after his appearance in.
Britain Professor Ray Lankester detected him in fraud,
prosecuted him, and finally obliged him to leave the
country. But the crowning manifestation, the climax of
spiritual phenomena and apparently the most difficult
of achievement, was materialisation (q.v.) It began with
the materialisation of heads, hands, and arms, and pro-
ceeded to full materialisation. In 1872 Mrs. Guppy
attempted this form of manifestation, but with no con-
spicuous success. The mediums Heme and Williams also
—included it in their repertory, but a new and successful
medium made her appearance Florence Cook, who-
Spiritualism 384 Spiritualism
materialised the spirits of " John " and " Katie King." Psychological Society (founded in 1875, and came to an
When, during a seance. Miss Cook was seized by Mr. end in 1879), the writings of its president, Sergeant Cox,
Volckman while impersonating a spirit, the exposure drew and those of the well-known spiritualist, Mr. Samuel
from Sir William Crookes several letters testifying to the Guppy. One other scientific man of the period is deserving
honesty of the medium, With whom he had experimented, of mention in this connection. In 1876 Professor Barrett
and rather helped the cause of spiritualism than otherwise. (now Sir William), lecturing before the British Association,
Other private mediums also gave materialisation seances, declared that hyperesthesia and suggestion were not alone
and from them the contagion spread to their professional capable of explaining the phenomena, and urged the
brethren, among whom the most successful was undoubtedly necessity for appointing a committee to investigate. How-
William Eglinton. Miss Lottie Fowler also attained to ever, his suggestion was not acted upon, and in 1882 he
—fame as a medium about the same time the decade 1870- called a conference to consider the question. The direct
80. These open seances offered a better opportunity to result of this conference was the founding of the Society
the investigator, and though even in them some care was for Psychical Research. ^Up to this point the English
doubtless exercised to prevent the intrusion of " adverse movement differed from the American less in kind than in
influences," there were a good many instances where a degree, for it was altogether weaker and more restricted.
sceptic ventured to grasp the spirit, and when this occurred Indeed, the difference in the traditions of the two countries,
spirit and medium were always fround to be one and the and in the general temper of their people, rendered it
same. By way of apology for these untoward happenings impossible that the movement should spread here as rapidly
the Spiritualist suggested that the spirit was composed of as it had done in America, or that it should be embraced
emanations from the medium, and that when it was grasped —with such fervour. It was not probably for the same
—reason inimical to Christianity in England, but rather
by the sitter spirit and medium would unite, the form
possessing most of the medium's force rejoining the other. supplementary to it, and there were those who claimed to
Another explanation, especially applicable to physical —be converted to Christianity through its means.
The Society for Psychical Research. The history of the
manifestations, was that genuine mediums, giving pro-
fessional seances, and forced to produce the phenomena on criticism of occult phenomena in Great Britain from 1882
all occasions, would sometimes resort to fraud when their to the present time is intimately connected with the
mediumistic powers temporarily failed them. This per- Society for Psychical Research, and there is no development
fectly plausible excuse was always ready to meet a charge of worthy of record which its members have not investigated.
fraud. The subjective phenomena, as time advanced It was the first body to make a united and organised attempt
became less in favour with investigators, who began really to deal with what was called, for want of a better name,
to understand its subjective nature, but with spiritualists psychic phenomena, in a purely scientific and impartial
it remained the most important form of manifestation spirit, free from the bias of preconceived ideas on the
The trance utterances of Home (q.v.), Stainton Moses, and subject. It was, indeed, expressly stated in their prospec-
Miss Lottie Fowler were highly valued. David Duguid, tus that the members in no wise bound themselves to
the celebrated painting medium, was controlled by a new accept any one explanation, or to recognise in the phenom-
spirit, Hafed, Prince of Persia, whose life and adventures ena the working of any non-physical agency. The first
were delivered through the medium. Prominent inspira- president of the Society was Professor Henry Sidgwick,
Emmational speakers were Mrs. Hardinge Britten, J. J. and the Council numbered among its members Edmund
Morse, and Mrs. Cora L. V. Tappan-Richmond. Among Gurney, Frank Podmore, Frederic W. H. Myers, and
English periodicals devoted to spiritualism were Human Professor Barrett ; and the Rev. W. Stainton Moses,
Morell Theobald, Dr. George Wild, and Dawson Rogers,
Nature, first issued in 1867 ; the Medium and Daybreak,
founded a few years later ; the Spiritual Magazine and the latter four being spiritualists. It may be mentioned,
;
the Spiritualist (1867), edited by Mr. W. H. Harrison, and however, that the avowedly spiritualistic members of the
Atreating the subject in a scientific manner. still more Society gradually dropped off. Other presidents of the
recent paper, Light, dates from 1881, and still remains one Society were, Professor Balfour Stewart, the Rt. Hon. A. J.
Balfour, Professor William James, Sir William Crookes,
of the principal organs of the movement. One of the
earliest investigators was Sir William Crookes, whose Sir Oliver Lodge, and Professor Barrett, several of these
experiences with D. D. Home are not to be lightly passed being among the original members. The scope of the
by. In 1863 Professor de Morgan, in a preface to Mrs. de Psychical Research Society was defined by the appointment
Morgan's book, From Matter to Spirit, suggests the agency —of six committees, as follows : (1) Committee on Thought
of some mysterious force, though he did not become a Transference (2) Committee on Hypnotism (3) Com-
; ;
spiritualist until afterwards. In 1868 Cromwell Varley, mittee on Reichenbach's Experiments ; (4) Committee on
the electrician, testified to the phenomena of Home. In Apparitions (5) Committee on Physical (spiritualistic)
;
the following year the London Dialectical Society appointed Phenomena and (6) a Committee to consider the history
;
a Committee to enquire into the matter, whose members and existing literature of the subject. The field of the
included Alfred Russel Wallace (q.v.), Charles Bradlaugh, Society was thus a wide one, and it was still 'further en-
and Sergeant Cox. The report of the committee stated larged in later years, when a committee, headed by Dr.
that the subject was " worthy of more serious and careful Richard Hodgson, conducted an enquiry into Theosophy
investigation than it has hitherto received." Cromwell (q.v.). And the methods of psychic research were applied
Varley, and the Research Committee of the British Nationa 1 to other matters also, which were outside of the Society's
Association of Spiritualists carried out various electrical original scope. In order to find an explanation for the
and other tests, but as these have since been proved to be spiritualistic phenomena, its members journeyed into the
inadequate, it is not necessary to consider them in detail. domain of psychology, and studied automatism, hallucina-
On the other hand Faraday and Tyndall, Huxley and
tions, and thought transference, one or other of which has
Carpenter, refused to have anything to do with the psychic been proved to have an important bearing on much of the
phenomena, and opposed the spiritualistic movement in a spiritualistic phenomena, if not on all. They were also
spirit of intolerance which contrasted unfavourably with instrumental in detecting a great deal of fraud in connec-
the attitude of its scientific protagonists. Meanwhile the tion with mediumistic performances, especially in such
phenomena as slate-writing (q.v.) and other " physical "
• old rationalist school of believers in magnetic or odylic
emanations still lingered and were represented by the manifestations. The explanation of these, in fact, formed
The Brothers Ira & W* Davenport. Cha? Foster and a Spirit
These were the earliest exponents of manifestations, but their One of the earliest spirit-photographs in
methods were later exposed as of the nature of trickery.
existence, bearing but little resemblance
to the later type of photographic
materializations.
The three Fox Sisters, the first exponents of ' Table-tapping [face p. 384
EARLY HISTORY OF SPIRITUALISM
A snep-shot photo of a child as seen clairvoyantly The first spirit-photo of Archdeacon CoHey, with a few
lines addressed to the Crewe 'circle' at Mr. Hope's house
by Dr. Hooper
** ** r:," *S*
.r..y^ lS5t* 5 «•» V» *** >.;
l
V vi'
1 '. '->
>rX »n«^"*^
•w<:
A Apsychograph (negative, i.e, reversed). portion of the A typical spint-photograph Two ladies sitting ; one almost entirely
outermost line is erased: this was probably due to the ' tablet spint-cloud.
being too broad for ' precipitating ' on to the photographic
plate. The dots below are meaningless additions.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF SPIRITUALISTIC MATERIALIZATIONS
(from Rev. G. Henslow's The Proofs of the Truths of Spiritualism) [face p. 385
Spiritualism 385 Spiritualism
one of the chief aims of the Society. Though at the time Professor James, Sir Oliver Lodge, Mr. Myers and Professor
of its founding public mediumship seemed to have de-
clined ; there was still more than enough phenomena for J. H. Hyslop. On the other hand, Mr. Podmore, while not
the Society to investigate, and the testimony of Sir William
Crookes and others of standing and intellectual strength admitting any supernormal agency, suggests that telepathy
indicated that the matter was at least a fit subject for
investigation. In connection with slate-writing, which may help to explain the matter, probably aided by skilful
many persons declared to be genuine and so simple that
fraud was impossible, Mr. S. J. Davey, a member of the observation and carefully-conducted enquiries concerning
Society, gave a number of pseudo-seances. .Having been
himself deceived for a time by the performances in that the affairs of prospective sitters. Mrs. Sidgwick, again,
line of the well-known medium, William Eglinton, and suggested that probably Mrs. Piper received telepathic com-
having at length discovered the modus of his slate-writing munications from the spirits of the dead, which she repro-
feats, Mr. Davey set himself to emulate the medium's
" manifestations." In the interests of psychic research he duced in her automatic speaking and writing. The other
medium was Eusapia Palladino, who, after attracting
undertook to give sittings, which were carefully recorded considerable attention from Professors Lombroso, Richet,
Flammarion, and others on the Continent, came to Britain
by Dr. Hodgson. So well were the devices of the pro- in 1895. Several English scientific men had already
fessional mediums reproduced that none of the sitters were witnessed her telergic powers on the Continent, at the
able to detect the modus operandi of Davey's performances,
even though they were assured beforehand that it was —invitation of Professor Charles Richet Sir Oliver Lodge,
—Mr. Myers, and others and of these Sir Oliver Lodge, at
simply a conjuring trick. Such a demonstration could not
fail to do more than any amount of argument to expose least, had expressed himself as satisfied that no known
agency was responsible for her remarkable manifestations.
the "phenomenon" of slate-writing. (See article on The English sittings were held at Cambridge, and as it was
Slate-writing.) Excellent work was done by the Society proved conclusively that the medium made use of fraud,
in the collection of evidence relating to apparitions of the the majority of the investigators ascribed her " manifesta-
tions " entirely to that. Later, however, in 1898, a
dead and the living, many of which are embodied in Phan- further series of seances were held at Paris, and so success-
tasms of the living, by Messrs. Myers, Podmore and Gurney. fully that Richet, Myers, and Sir O. Lodge once more
A statistical enquiry on a large scale was undertaken by a declared themselves satisfied of the genuineness of the
Committee of the Society in 1889. Some 17,000 cases of
apparitions were collected by the committee and its phenomena. A further account of this medium will be
assistants. The main object in taking such a census was
found under a separate heading. Perhaps the most con-
to obtain evidence for the working of telepathy in veridical vincing evidence for the working of some supernormal
or coincidental apparitions, and in order to make such agency, however, is to be found in the famous cross-corres-
evidence of scientific vahie, the utmost care was taken to pondence experiments conducted in recent years. Mr.
Myers had suggested before he died that if a control were
insure the impartiality and responsible character of all to give the same message to two or more mediums, it would
who took part in the enquiry. The result was, that after go. far to establish the independent existence of such con-
every precaution had been taken the apparitions coinciding
trol. On the death of Professor Sidgwick (in August, 1900)
with a death or other crisis were found greatly to exceed
the number which could be ascribed to chance alone. (See and of Mr. Myers (in January, 1 901) it was thought that
also Fsychical Research.) But the most fruitful of the if mediums were controlled by these, some agreement might
Society's researches were those concerning telepathy (q.v.), be looked for in the scripts. The first correspondences were
found in the script of Mrs. Thomson and Miss Rawson, the
or thought-transference, and it was through the influence former in London, the latter in the south of France. The
of its members that the doctrine of thought-transference, Sidgwick control appeared for the first time to these ladies
so long known to the vague speculations of the old mag-
netists and mesmerists, was first placed on a definite basis on the same day, January nth, 1901. On the 8th of
as a problem wcrthy of scientific enquiry. Investigations
May, 1901 the Myers control appeared in the script of Mrs.
into this matter are still progressing, and trustworthy Thompson and Mrs. Verrall, and later in that of Mrs. Piper
proof of such a mode of communication would affect the and others. So remarkable were the correspondences
scientific view of spiritualism to a remarkable degree. obtained in some cases where there could not possibly be
collusion between the mediums, that it is difficult to believe
Among the individual efforts of members of the Society for
that some discarnate intelligence was not responsible for
Psychical Research the most complete and the most success-
ful were those conducted by Professor and Mrs. Sidgwick in some, at least of the scripts. (See also Cross-Correspon-
1889-91. (See Telepathy.) At the same time there was
much to encourage the belief in some " supernormal " dences.)
agency, especially in the last decade of the nineteenth See also the biographies of the various eminent spiritual-
century. The two mediums whose manifestations led
ists, mediums, and investigators dealt with in this work,
many able men in this country, in America, and on the
and the articles on Telepathy, Hallucination, Table-turning,
Continent, to conclude that the spirits of the dead were
concerned in their phenomena were the Italian medium etc. Also the articles on the various countries of Europe.
Eusapia Palladino (q.v.) and the American Mrs. Piper.
In 1885 Professor James, of Harvard, studied the case of M.J.
Mrs. Piper (q.v.), and a few years later Dr. Richard Hodgson
of the American Society for Psychical Research also investi- By far the most extraordinary experiments in connection
gated her case, the latter commencing his investigations in
an entirely sceptical spirit. Of all the trance mediums she with psychic phenomena were those undertaken by Sir
William Crookes. Working under the most stringent con-
offers the best evidence for a supernatural agency. Dr.
Hodgson himself declared his belief that the spirits of the ditions he and his fellow experimenters assured themselves
that entrance or exit to the room in which their seances
dead spoke through the lips of the medium, and among
others who held ±hat fraud alone would not account for were held was impossible. Yet he succeeded by the aid of
the revelations given by Mrs. Piper in the trance state were a medium in obtaining the best possible evidence of the
presence of spirits or other entities in the apartment.
These were of a tangible nature and were actually weighed
by Sir William, who on one occasion even succeeded in
obtaining a portion of the protoplasmic matter from which
these entities were built up, which he kept in a box for
several days. These entities emerged from the body of the
medium or from that of one of the sitters, walked about,
spoke, and even debated loudly and noisily with Sir
William and the other sitters on many different topics over
AA
Spiritualism 386 Spiritualism
a prolonged space of time. They frequently vanished that only the barrier of our sense perceptions, a " threshold
through the floor. Sir William found their average weight of sensibility," divides us from the world beyond our normal
to be about one-third of that of a human being. These consciousness, just as " the organism of an oyster con-
phenomena were witnessed by numerous persons of the stitutes a threshold which shuts it out from the greater part
of our sensible world." As regards the question of immor-
highest intelligence and probity, among them, it is under- tality it is concluded that " Life can exist in the unseen,"
but it does not follow that spirit communications teach us the
Astood, some of exalted rank. full statement regarding necessary and inherent immortality of the soul. " It
the phenomena in all their details may be found in Mr. we accept the evidence for ' identity,' that some we have
known on earth are still living and near us," we have still
Gambier Bolton's interesting little volume Ghosts in Solid to remember that " entrance on a life after death does not
necessarily mean immortality, that is eternal persistence
Form.
of our personality, nor does it prove that survival after
No work of recent times furnishes the student of psychic death extends to all. Obviously no experimental evidence
research with such a masterly conspectus of the subject as can ever demonstrate either of these beliefs, though it may
Sir William F. Barrett's On the Threshold of the Unseen and does remove the objections raised as to the possibility
(1917). Expanded from an address on the phenomena of
spiritualism delivered some twenty years ago, it covers of survival."
the whole history of psychical research during that period Towards the end of 1916 a great sensation was made not
only in occult but in general circles by the publication by
and a notice of it may well serve to complete this article Sir Oliver Lodge of a memoir upon his son, the late Lieuten-
ant Raymond Lodge, who was killed near Ypres in Septem-
and furnish the reader with data concerning psychical ber, 1915. The book is divided into three parts, the first
research during the present century. The introductory of which contains a history of the brief life of the subject
of the memoir. The second part details numerous records
chapter briefly reviews the work of eminent scientists and of sittings both in the company of mediums and at the
table by Sir Oliver Lodge and members of his family,
provides a frank statement of the present position of psychi-
and it is claimed that in these many evidences of the per-
cal research. Public opinion regarding the quest, and the
sonal survival of his son were obtained, that the whole
conflicting objections of science and religion are briefly trend of the messages was eloquent of his personality and that
although if the evidential matter were taken apart for
reviewed in chapters II. and III., and are followed by an examination single isolated proofs would not be deemed
conclusive, yet when taken in a body it provides evidential
essay on the physical phenomena of spiritualism, which material of an important nature. There is certainly ground
for this contention and it must be admitted that proofs
contains little that is not noticed in the present article. of identity are more valuable when experienced by those
who were familiar with the subject during his earthly
Chapter VII., " On Certain more Disputable Phenomena of career. But to those who have not had this opportunity
the balance of the evidence seems meagre and it is notable
Spiritualism," deals with examples of the direct voice and that in this especial case most of the tests of real value
direct writing, materialization and spirit photography, all broke down when put into practice. The third part of the
book deals with the scientific material relating to the life
of which phenomena have been termed ectoplasms by
after death which is reviewed and summarized in a spirit of
Professor Ochorowicz of Warsaw. " By Ectoplasy," says
great fairness, although a natural bias towards belief in
Sir William, " is meant the power of forming outside the immortality is not a little obvious. In this the work
differs from that by Sir William Barrett, with its wholly
body of the medium a concentration of vital energy or scientific attitude and its greater natural ability to discern
vitalized matter which operates temporarily in the same dialectical weaknesses, but it is far from being unscientific
way as the body from which it is drawn, so that visible, in character. On the other hand Sir Oliver Lodge's work
is inspired throughout by an enthusiasm which if not
audible or tangible human-like phenomena are produced.
entirely absent in that of Sir William Barrett, is certainly
This is very much like the ' psychic force ' hypothesis
under a new name. The chapter " On the Canons of not conspicuous in that writer's treatise. Sir Oliver's
enthusiasm is, indeed, that of a Columbus or a Galileo.
Evidence in Psychical Research " includes a sentence which Throughout the centuries the pioneer and discoverer have
might well be taken to heart by the too sceptical : "It been uplifted and assisted more by faith than by reason, and
it is probably because of his abounding faith in human
is utterly unphilosophical to ridicule or deny well-attested immortality that Sir Oliver Lodge will in future be regarded
phenomena because they are inexplicable." Sir William as perhaps the. greatest pioneer in psychic science, not
shows how the critical examination of psychic phenomena —only of his own generation but of many generations. L. S.
Spiritualism as a Religion. Spiritualism was, and is,
has languished because of the lack of trained scientific regarded by its adherents as a religion, or a supplement to
an existing religion, imposing certain moral obligations and
observers, those devoting themselves to the subject being offering new and far-reaching revelations on the conditions
of existence beyond the grave. The continuity of life after
for the most part persons of more enthusiasm than judg- death is, of course, one of its most important tenets, though
not a distinctive one since on it depend most of the
ment. The chapter on theories is eminently useful. " I
;
have never yet," says the author, " met with anyone who
world's creeds and religions. But the spiritualist's ideas
has seriously studied the evidence or engaged in prolonged
concerning the nature of the life of the freed soul are peculiar
investigation of this subject who holds ' that all mediums
to his creed. The soul, or spirit, is composed of a sort of
are impostors.' " The theories examined to account for attenuated matter, inhabiting the body and resembling
supernormal phenomena include those of hallucination, it in form. On the death of the body the soul withdraws
which is only partially admitted as a cause. Exo-neural
action of the brain which is, however, a sub-conscious
action, an effect of the subliminal self, but perhaps the
most interesting of the hypotheses which account for these
miraculous happenings is described as follows : "It may
—be that the intelligence operating at a seance is a thought-
projection of ourselves that each one of us has his simu-
lacrum in the unseen ; that with the growth of our life
and character here a ghostly image of oneself is growing up
in the invisible world." The Problem of Mediumship is
the subject of the tenth chapter. Objection is taken to
the word " medium," not only because of its associations,
Abut for more scientific reasons. separate division of the"
book is occupied with the phenomenal evidence afforded
by apparitions, automatic writing, supernormal messages,
and the evidence of identity in the discarnate condition
and of survival after death. The last portion of the volume
brings the question of human personality up to date,
especially as regards its higher aspects, the conclusion being
Spiritualism 387 Staus Poltergeist
itself, without however, undergoing any direct change, and — —somewhat unfairly, it must be admitted would have
for a longer or shorter period remains on the " earth plane." associated with it some less creditable ones, such as that
But the keynote of the spirit-world is progress ; so after which advocated free Love. But the many forms which
a time the spirit proceeds to the lowest " discarnate plane," spiritualism took in America were, as has been said, the
and from that to a higher and a higher, gradually evolving product of the country and the time. In other lands the
into a purer and nobler type, until at length it reaches the forms were different. In England, for instance, where
sphere of pure spirit. Another central belief of spiritualism wont and tradition were more happily settled, spiritualism
is that the so-called " dead " can, and do, communicate was regarded as by no means incompatible with Christianity
with the living, through the agency of mediums, and can but rather as affording a fuller revelation of the Christian
produce in the physical world certain phenomena depend- religion, a view which the trance utterances of the medium
ing for their operation on no known physical laws. To the confirmed. In France, again, Allan Kardec's doctrine of
earnest spiritualist, requiring no further proof of the re-incarnation blended happily with the doctrines of
reality of his creed, the subjective phenomena, as they are spiritualism to produce spiritism. Then we have the more
called, comprising trance-speaking, writing, etc., are of modern example of theosophy (q.v.), a blending of spiritual-
vastly greater importance than the physical manifestations, ism with oriental religions. But all these varied forms
just as the latter are more in favour with psychical re- contain the central creed of spiritualism ; the belief in the
searchers, because of the better opportunities they offer continuance of life after the " great dissolution," or death
for investigation. From the trance-speaking of the medium of the body, and in continual progress ; and in the fact of
are gathered those particulars of the spirit world which to communication between the freed spirit and living human
the outsider present one of the most unattractive pictures beings. On the whole spiritualists have shown themselves
extant of that domain. The spirit life is, in fact, repre- rather tolerant than otherwise to those who were not of their
sented as a pale and attenuated reproduction of earthly band. On the one hand their mediums did not hesitate
life, conducted in a highly rarified atmosphere. Trance to claim kinship with the wizards, shamans and witch-
drawings, purporting to depict spirit scenes, afford a doctors of savage lands, whom they hailed as natural
description no less nattering than the written picture. mediums ; and on the other, there were many able and
From their exalted spheres the spirits are cognisant of the sincere spiritualists who joined forces with the Psychical
doings of their fellow-men still on earth, and are at all Researcher, in the unflinching endeavour to expose fraud
times ready to aid and counsel the latter. This they can and get at the truth. M. J.
do only through the medium, who is a link between "the seen Spiiitual Magazine : Spiritualistic Journal.
(See Spiritual-
and the unseen, perhaps through some quality of super- ism.)
normal sensitiveness. There are those who maintain that Spiritual Notes : [See British National Association of
those mediums who hold seances and become the direct Spiritualists.)
—mouthpieces of the spirits are only supereminently endowed Spiritual Philosopher : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritual-
with a faculty common to all humanity that all men are ism.)
mediums in a greater or less degree, and that all inspiration, Spiritual Portraits : (See Bla'te.)
whether good or bad, comes from the spirits. It is in Spiritual Telegraph : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritual-
connection with this idea of the universality of mediumship ism.)
that the effect of spiritualism on the morals and daily life Spiritualist : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritualism.)
of its adherents is most clearly seen. For the spirits are Spodomancy : Divination by means of the cinders from
naturally attracted to those mediums whose qualities sacrificial fires.
resemble their own. Enlightened spirits from the highest ASpunkie, The : goblin of the same nature as the Scottish
spheres seek high-souled and earnest mediums through " Kelpie." He is popularly believed to be an agent of
Satan, and travellers who have lost their way are his especial
whom to express themselves, while mediums who use their prey. He attracts his unfortunate victim by means of a
divine gifts for a base end are sought by the lowest and light, which looks as if it were a reflection on a window, and
wickedest human spirits, or by beings termed " elementals,"
who do not even reach the human standard of goodness. is apparently not far away ; but as the man proceeds
Indeed, it is stated that the lower spirits communicate
with the living much more readily than do the higher, by towards it, like the rainbow it recedes. However, he still
follows its gleam, until the Spunkie has successfully lured
reason of a certain gross or material quality which binds him over a precipice or into a morass.
them to earth. The path of the medium is thus beset with Squinting : An ill omen. In the book of Vairus it is said .
many difficulties, and it is essential that he should be
principled and sincere, a creature of pure life and high " Let no servant ever hire himself to a squinting master."
ideals, so that the circle of his " controls " be select. For Squire, J. R. M. : (See Spiritualism.)
not only do the tricky " elementals " deceive the sitters
Stapleton, William : (See England.)
and the investigators with their lying ways, but they oft- Staus Poltergeist : The village of Staus, on the shores of Lake
' times drive the medium himself to fraud, so that under their Lucerne, was in the years 1860-62 the scene of the most
control he secretes " apports " about his person, and remarkable case of poltergeist-haunting to be found in
materialises false beards and dirty muslin. And as it is modern records. The outbreak occurred in the house of
with the full-fledged medium, so with the normal individual. M. Joller, a distinguished lawyer and a member of the
If he is to insure that the source of his inspiration be a Swiss national council, a man, moreover, whose character
both in public and private life was beyond reproach. The
high one he must live in such a way that only the best
spirits will control him, and so his impulses shall be for his household comprised M. Joller himself, his wife, seven
own good and the betterment of the race. It will thus be ohildren (four boys and three girls), and a servant-maid.
seen that spiritualism is in itself a complete religion ; but One night in the autumn of i860 the latter was disturbed
it also combines well with other religions and creeds. In by a loud rapping on her bedstead, which she regarded as a
America the spiritualistic and the socialistic elements presage of death. M. Joller ascribed the sounds to the
mingled harmoniously and many of the socialistic com- Agirl's imagination, and forbade her to speak of them.
munities were founded by spiritualists. Other sects there few weeks later, returning after a short absence, he found
were which associated themselves with spiritualism during his family much alarmed. The knocks had been repeated
the early history of the movement in America, and rumour in the presence of his wife and daughter, and had even
Staus Poltergeist 388 Subliminal Self
manifested signs of intelligence. When, a few days after- Gazette. In 1890 he founded the Review of Reviews, finding
wards, they had news of the death of a friend, they imagined —therein an outlet for his remarkable energy. His journal-
that this must have been- what the raps portended. But
istic zeal led him to espouse many causes -he conducted a
again in June, 1861 the outbreak was renewed. This time propaganda in favour of the peace movement, devoted
it was one of the boys who fainted at the apparition of a himself to the interests of the Boers during the South
white, indistinct figure. Other strange things began to be African War, and issued cheap reprints of classical works.
seen and heard by the children, and a few months later the — —But not the latest of his activities was concerned with his
maid complained that the kitchen was haunted by dim,
advocacy of spiritualism. For four years 1893-97 he
grey shapes who followed her to her chamber, and sobbed all conducted a spiritualistic organ, the Borderland, and till
night in the lumber-room. In October of the same year his death gave the weight of his journalistic and personal
the maid was replaced by another, the rappings ceased, and influence to the movement. Notwithstanding that there
the disturbances seemed to be at an end. They were re- was something of fanaticism in his zeal, and that his ardour
newed, however, and with tenfold vigour, in August, 1862, sometimes carried him beyond prescribed limits, he was
during the absence on business of M. Toller, his wife, and still a force to be reckoned with in the sphere of politics,
their eldest son. So great was the annoyance that the and Cecil Rhodes, especially, was much influenced by his
children fled from the house into the garden, in spite of their opinions. Mr. Stead perished with the sinking of the
father's threat to punish their credulity. But at length Titanic in April, 1912, since when many spiritualistic
the poltergeist began to persecute M. Toller himself, pursuing circles claim to have seen and spoken with him. His
him from room to room with loud knocks, and not all -his daughter, Miss Estelle Stead, has written his life.
efforts sufficed to elucidate the mystery. Things began to Stevenson, R. L. : {See Fiction, Occult English.)
be thrown about by invisible hands, locked doors and Sthulie Plane : {See Physical World.)
fastened windows were flung wide, strange music and voices Stilling, Jung : {See Germany.)
and the humming of spinning-wheels were heard. In Stoic heomancy : A method of divination which is practised
spite of M. Toller's attempts to conceal these happenings, by opening the works of Homer or Virgil, and reading as
the news spread abroad, and hundreds, even thousands, of an oracular statement the first verse which presents itself.
persons flocked to witness the phenomena. Finding no It is a branch of rhapsodomancy (q.v.)
rational hypothesis to fit the circumstances M. Toiler begged Stoker, Bram : {See Fiction, Occult English.)
the Commissary Niederberger to come and investigate, but Stolisomancy : Divination from the manner in which a
in the latter's absence Father Guardian visited the haunted person dresses himself. Augustus believed that a military
house, blessed it, though without alleviating the distur- revolt was predicted on the morning of its occurrence by
bances, and suggested that an enquiry be made by men of the fact that his valet had buckled his right sandal to his
authority. M. Joller privately called in several scientific left foot.
men of his acquaintance, but they also were unable to find Stomach, Seeing with the : A phenomenon frequently
. a solution, though various theories of electricity, galvanism, observed by the followers of Mesmer in their somnambules.
and magnetism were advanced. Other persons of authority, The subject, in a cataleptic state closely resembling death,
Land-Captain 7-elger, the Director of Police Jann, Dr. would show no signs of intelligence when questions were
Christen, the President of the Court of Justice, were directed to his ears, but if the questions were addressed to
present while Commissary Niederberger and Father the pit of the stomach, or sometimes to the finger-tips or
Guardian made a careful examination of the house, without toes, an answer would be immediately forthcoming.
discovering any cause for the disturbances, which still con- Several such cases are recorded by Dr. Petetin, of Lyons,
tinued unabated. At length M. Joller demanded of the who in 1808 published his AElectricite nimale, and by other
police a formal examination, and three of the heads of the mesmerists. Not only hearing, but seeing, tasting and
police were chosen to investigate. The Joller family were smelling were performed by the stomach, independent of
bidden to withdraw, and for six days the police remained in the sensory organs. Petetin attributes the phenomenon to
undisturbed possession. At the end of that period, having animal electricity and states that objects placed on the
neither heard nor seen any sign of the poltergeist, they drew —patient's stomach were not seen when they were wrapped in
up a report to that effect, and took their departure. Imme-
wax or silk that is, non-conductors. The best way to
diately on the Jollers re-entering the house the phenomena communicate with a patient in the cataleptic state was
began afresh. Ridicule was heaped upon the unfortunate for the operator to place his hand on the stomach of the
member of council, even by those of his own party, and his subject, and address his question to the finger-tips of his
house was in such an uproar that he found it impossible to own free hand. This trance phenomenon, as well as
go on with his business. Add to this the unwelcome others, may now be referred to suggestion and hyper-
curiosity of the crowds who flocked to witness the marvels, esthesia.
and it is not surprising that at length, in October, 1862, M. Strange Story, A : by Bulwer Lytton. {See Fiction, Occult
Joller left for ever his ancestral home. In the following English.)
spring he succeeded in finding a tenant for the house in Strega : {See Italy.)
Staus, but the poltergeistic outbreak was not renewed. It Strioporta : Frankish title for a witch. {See France.)
has been thought necessary to relate the above events Stroking Stones and Images : It is related by Cotton Mather
somewhat fully, since they afford perhaps the best evidence that an Irish-American witch produced pain and disease
extant for the hypothesis of discarnate intelligence operat- in others by merely wetting her finger with saliva, and
ing in poltergeistic cases. The Joller case is exceedingly stroking small images, or sometimes a long, slender stone.
well-attested, not only by the curious crowds who saw the Studion, Simon : See Rosicrucians.)
Aopening and shutting of windows, and so on, but also by Subliminal Self : term much used in psychical research to
men of responsibility, members of the national council, denote that part of the personality which is normally
court of justice, and other institutions. beneath the ,: threshold " {limen) separating consciousness
Stead, William Thomas: Journalist and Spiritualist, was from unconsciousness. The phrase owed its popularity
born at Embleton, Northumberland, in 1849. On leaving largely to the late Mr. Myers, who made use of it to explain
school he was apprenticed in the office of a merchant, but the psychic phenomena which he had observed. Mr.
soon drifted into journalism. In 1871 he was editor of the Myer's view was that only a fraction of the human person-
Darlington Northern Echo, and in 1883 of the Pall Mall ality, or soul, finds adequate expression through the
Subterranean Crypts 389 Subterranean Crypts
ordinary cerebral processes, because of the fact that the round a bent tree in a line with the axis of the stone, he
brain and physical organism have not yet reached a very
contrived, in the last of the light, and with much expendi-
advanced stage of evolution. The soul, in short, is like ture of toil to raise it. And then, greatly to his surprise,
an iceberg, with a fraction of its bulk above water, but he saw a large, deep, hollow place, buried in the darkness,
having much the greater part submerged. The subliminal which, when his eyes grew accustomed a little to it, he
self, again according to Mr. Myers, was in touch with a discovered was the top-story to a stone staircase, seem-
reservoir of psychical energy, from which it drew forces ingly of extraordinary depth, for he saw nothing below.
which influenced the physical organism. Thus the in-
spiration of genius, the exaltation of the perceptive and The country-fellow had not the slightest idea of where this
intellectual faculties in hypnosis, and such exercises as could lead to ; but being a man, though a rustic and a
automatic writing and talking and table-tilting, were clown, of courage, and most probably urged by his idea
that the stair-case led to some secret repository where
referred to great influxes of these psychical forces rather
treasure lay buried, he descended the first few steps cau-
than to any morbid tendencies in the agent. Indeed,
abnormal manifestations were, and still are, regarded by tiously, and tried to peer in vain down into the darkness.
some authorities as foreshadowing a new type in' the progress This seemed impenetrable, but there was one object at a
of evolution whose faculties shall transcend those of man — —vast, cold distance below. Looking up to the fresh air,
just as our human faculties transcend those of the lower
animals. The soul, thus dependent for a very inadequate and seeing the star Venus the evening star shining
expression on a nervous system of limited scope, is at death suddenly like a planet, in encouraging, unexpected bril-
freed from its limitations and comes into its heritage of liancy, although the sky had still some sunset-light in it,
full consciousness. These hypotheses have been pressed
into service to explain telepathy and communication the puzzled man left the upper ground and descended
between the living and the dead, as well as hallucination,
automatism, and all the hypnotic phenomena. But the silently a fair, though a somewhat broken stair-case.
two former, even if they could be demonstrated, would Here, at an angle, as near as he could judge, of a hundred
require to be explained on other grounds, while the others,
whose existence is undisputed, are more generally regarded feet underground, he came upon a square landing-place,
as resultant from cerebral dissociation i.e., the temporary with a niche in the wall ; and then he saw a further long
dislocation of the connecting links between the various
stair-case, descending at right angles to the first stair-case,
neural systems.
and still going down into deep, cold, darkness. The man
Subterranean Crypts and Temples : Subterranean resorts,
crypts and places of worship, have ever exercised a deep cast a glance upwards, as if questioning the small segment
fascination upon the mind of man. The mysteries of the of light from the upper world which shot down whether he
Egyptian, and of other peoples were held in underground should continue his search, or desist and return. All was
stillest of the still about him but he saw no reason particu-
crypts possibly for the purposes of rendering these cere-
larly to fear. So, imagining that he would in some way
monies still more secret and mysterious to the mob. But soon penetrate the mystery, and feeling in the darkness by
also, perhaps, because it was essential to the privacy they his hands upon the wall, and by his toes first on each step,
necessitated. The caves of Elephanta, the Catacombs and he resolutely descended, and he deliberately counted two
similar subterranean edifices will also recur to the mind of hundred and twenty steps. He felt no difficulty in his
the reader. But the purpose of this article is to refer to
several lesser and perhaps more interesting underground breathing, except a certain sort of aromatic smell of
meeting-places and temples in various parts of the world.
distant incense, that he thought Egyptian, coming up now
Mr. Hargreave Jennings quoting Dr. Plot in his History and then from below, as if from another though a
of Staffordshire, written in the third quarter of the seven- —subterranean world. " Possibly," thought he for he had
teenth century, gives an interesting account of a supposed —heard of them " the world of the mining gnomes ; and
Rosicrucian crypt in that county, which, however, cannot I am breaking in upon their secrets, which is forbidden for
be found in the work alluded to. It is, however, given
man." The rustic, though courageous, was superstitious.
as an interesting imaginative effort. A countryman was But, notwithstanding some fits of fear, the countryman
employed, at the close of a certain dull summer's day, in went on, and at a much lower angle he met a wall in his
digging a trench in a field in a valley, round which the face but, making a turn to the right, with a singular
country rose into sombre, silent woods, vocal only with the
quaint cries of the infrequent magpies. It was some little ;
time after the sun had sunk, and the countryman was
just about giving over his labour for the day. In one or credit to his nerves, the explorer went down again. And
two of the last languid strokes of his pick, the rustic came now he saw at a vast distance below, at the foot of a deeper
upon something stony and hard, which struck a spark,
clearly visible in the increasing gloom. At this surprise, staircase of stone, a steady though a pale light. This
he resumed his labour, and, curiously enough, found a large, was shining up as if from a star, or coming from the centre
flat stone in the centre of the field. This field was far
away from any of the farms or " cotes," as they were — —of the earth. Cheered by this light, though absolutely
called, with which the now almost twilight country was astounded nay, frightened at thus discovering light,
sparingly dotted. In a short time, he cleared the stone whether natural or artificial, in the deep bowels of the
free of the grass and weeds which had grown over it ; and
it proved to be a large, oblong slab, with an immense iron earth, the man again descended, meeting a thin, humid
ring fixed at one end in a socket. For half an hour the
countryman essayed to stir this stone in vain. At last trail of light, as it looked, mounting up the centre line of
he bethought himself of some yards of rope which he had
lying near amongst his tools ; and these he converted, the shining though mouldering old stairs, which apparently
—being an ingenious, inquisitive, inventive man, into a had not been pressed by a human foot for very many ages.
He thought now, although it was probable only the wind
tackle by means of which, and by passing the sling in some hidden recess, or creeping down some gallery, that
he heard a murmur overhead, as if of the uncertain rumble
of horses and of heavy wagons, or lumbering wains. Next
moment, all subsided into total stillness ; but the distant
light seemed to flicker, as if in answer to the strange sound.
—Half a dozen times he paused and turned as if he would
remount almost flee for his life upwards, as he thought ;
for this might be the secret haunt of robbers, or the dread-
ful abode of evil spirits. What if, in a few moments, he
should come upon some scene to affright, or alight in the
midst of desperate ruffians, or be caught by murderers.
He listened eagerly. He now almost bitterly repented his
descent. Still the light streamed at a distance, but still
there was no sound to interpret the meaning of the light,
Subterranean Crypts 390 Subterranean Crypts
or to display the character of this mysterious place, in —ancients, though, at the moment that he displayed his
which the countryman himself was entangled hopelessly. knowledge, he took effectual means that no one should reap
The discoverer by this time stood still in fear. But at last, any advantage from it.
summoning courage, and recommending himself devoutly The Jesuit priests of the early eighteenth century have
to God, he determined to complete his discovery. Above, left descriptions of the well-known palace of Mitla in
he had been working in no strange place : the field he Central America, which leave no doubt that in their time
knew well, the woods were very familiar to him, and his
it contained many subterranean chambers and one
own hamlet and his family were only a few miles distant
He now hastily, and more in fear than through courage, especially which appears to have surpassed all others in the
dreadful uses to which it was put. Father Torquemada
noisily with his feet descended the remainder of the stairs ;
and the light grew brighter as he approached, until at says of the place. " When some monks of my order, the
last, at another turn, he came upon a square chamber Franciscan, passed, preaching and shriving through the
built up of large hewn stones. He stopped, silent and province of Zapoteca, whose capital city is Tehuantepec,
awestruck. Here was a flagged pavement and a somewhat they came to a village which was called Mictlan, that is,
underworld (hell). Besides mentioning the large number
lofty roof, gathering up into a centre ; in the groins of which of people in the village they told of buildings which were
was a rose, carved exquisitely in some dark stone, or in
prouder and more magnificent than any which they had
marble. But what was this poor man's fright when, making
hitherto seen in New Spain. Among them was the temple
another sudden turn, from between the jambs, and from
of the evil spirit and living rooms for his demoniacal
under the large archivolt of a Gothic stone portal, light servants, and among other fine things there was a hall
streamed out over him with inexpressible brilliancy, with ornamented panels, which were constructed of stone
shining over every thing, and lighting up the place with in a variety of arabesques and other very remarkable
brilliant radiance, like an intense golden sunset. He designs. There were doorways there, each one of which
started back. Then his limbs shook and bent under him was built of but three stones, two upright at the sides and
one across them, in such a manner that,- although these
as he gazed with terror at the figure of a man, whose face
doorways were very high and broad, the stone sufficed
was hidden, as he sat in a. studious attitude in a stone for their entire construction. They were so thick and
broad that we were assured there were few like them.
chair, reading in a great book, with his elbow resting on
There was another hall in these buildings, or rectangular
a table like a rectangular altar, in the light of a large, temples, which was erected entirely on round stone pillars
ancient iron lamp, suspended by a thick chain to the very high and very thick that two grown men could
scarcely encircle them with their arms, nor could one of
Amiddle of the roof. cry of alarm, which he could not
them reach the finger-tips of the other. These pillars
suppress, escaped from the scared discoverer, who involun- were all in one piece and, it was said, the whole shaft of
tarily advanced one pace, beside himself with terror. He the pillar measured 5 ells from top to bottom, and they
was now within the illuminated chamber. As his feet were very much like those of the church of Santa Maria
Maggiore in Rome, very skillfully made and polished."
fell on the stone, the figure started bolt upright from his
Father Burgo? is more explicit with regard to these
seated position as if in awful astonishment. He erected
subterranean chambers. He says, " There were four cham-
his hooded head, and showed himself as if in anger about bers above ground and four below. The latter were
arranged according to their purpose in such a way that one
to question the intruder. Doubtful if what he saw were
front chamber served as chapel and sanctuary for the
a reality, or whether he was not in some terrific dream, idols, which were placed on a great stone which served as
an altar. And for the most important feasts which they
the countryman advanced, without being aware of it, celebrated with sacrifices, or at the burial of a king or great
another audacious step. The hooded man now thrust out lord, the high priest instructed the lesser priests or the
a long arm, as if in warning, and in a moment the discoverer subordinate temple officials who served him to prepare the
perceived that his hand was aTmed with an iron baton, chapel and his vestments and a large quantity of the
and that he pointed it as if tremendously to forbid further incense used by them. And then he descended with a
approach. Now, however, the poor man, not being in a
great retinue, which none of the common people saw him
condition either to reason or to restrain himself, with a
cry, and in a passion of fear, took a third fatal step and or dared to look in his face, convinced that if they did so
they would fall dead to the earth as a punishment for their
;
boldness. And when he entered the chapel they put on
as his foot descended on the groaning stone, which seemed him a long white cotton garment made like an alb, and
over that a garment shaped like a dalmatic, which was
to give way for a moment under him, the dreadful man, or embroidered with pictures of wild beasts and birds ; and
image, raised his arm high like a machine, and with his they put a cap on his head, and on his feet a kind of shoe
woven of many-colored feathers. And when he had put
truncheon struck a prodigious blow upon the lamp, shatter- on these garments he walked with solemn mien and
measured step to the altar, bowed low before the idols,
ing it into a thousand pieces, and leaving the place in utter
renewed the incense, and then in quite unintelligible
darkness. murmurs (muy entre dientes) he began to converse with
these images, these depositories of infernal spirits, and
This was the end of this terrifying adventure. There continued in this sort of prayer with hideous grimaces and
was total silence now, far and near. Only a long, low writhings, uttering inarticulate sounds, which filled all
present with fear and terror, till he came out of that
roll of thunder, or a noise similar to thunder, seemed to diabolical trance and told those standing around the lies
and fabrications which the spirit had imparted to him or
begin from a distance, and then to move with snatches,
which he had invented himself. When human beings
as if making turns and it then rumbled sullenly to sleep
; were sacrificed the ceremonies were multiplied, and the
assistants of the high priest stretched the victim out upon
— —as if through unknown, inaccessible passages. What
these were if any passages nobody' ever found out.
It was only suspected that this hidden place referred in
some way to the Rosicrucians^ and that the mysterious
people of that famous order had there concealed some of
their scientific secrets. The place in Staffordshire became
afterwards famed as the sepulchre of one of the brother-
hood, whom, for want of a more distinct recognition or
name, the people chose to call " Rosicrucius," in general
reference to his order and from the circumstances of the
;
lamp, and its sudden extinguishment by the figure that
started up, it was supposed that some Rosicrucian had
determined to inform posterity that he had penetrated to
the secret of the making of the ever-burning lamps of the
Subterranean Crypts 391 Succubus
a large stone, bareing his breast, which they tore open with and to completely wall up this back door of hell. The
a great stone knife, while the body writhed in fearful con- four buildings above ground were the only ones which still
vulsions and they laid the heart bare, ripping it out, and remained open, and they had a court and chambers like
with it the soul, which the devil took, while they carried those underground ; and the ruins of these have lasted
the heart to the high priest that he might offer it to the even to the present day."
idols by holding it to their mouths, among other cere- The vast subterranean vaults under the temple hill at
monies and the body was thrown into the burial-place Jerusalem were probably used as a secret meeting-place
; by the Templars during their occupation of the Holy City,
of their " blessed," as they called them. And if after the
sacrifice he felt inclined to detain those who begged any and it was perhaps there that the strange Eastern rites of
favor he sent them word by the subordinate priests not to Baphomet (q.v.) which they later affected were first cele-
leave their houses till their gods were appeased, and he brated. In his Recent Discoveries on the Temple Hill the
commanded them to do penance meanwhile, to fast and to Rev. James King says, " On the occasion of a visit to the
speak with no woman, so that, until this father of sin had Noble Sanctuary, the author had an opportunity of
interceded for the absolution of the penitents and had examining the ancient masonry inside the wall at the
declared the gods appeased they did not dare to cross their south-east corner, as well as the vast subterranean vaults
threshold.
popularly known as Solomon's stables. A small doorway,
" The second (underground) chamber was the burial - under a little dome at the south-east corner, admits by a
place of these high priests, and third that of the kings of flight of steps to a small chamber known as the Mosque
Theozapotlan, whom they brought thither richly dressed of the Cradle of our Lord, from the existence of a hollowed
in their best attire, feathers, jewels, golden necklaces, and stone which somewhat resembles a cradle^ and a tradition
precious stones, placing a shield in their left hand and a that the Virgin Mary remained in this chamber for some
javelin in the right, just as they used them in war. And time after her purification in the Temple. Passing through
at their burial rites great mourning prevailed the instru- the chamber, the spacious vaults, which extend over an
;
ments which were played made mournful sounds ; and acre of ground, are reached. These subterranean sub-
with loud wailing and continuous sobbing they chanteu structures consist of one hundred square piers arranged in
the life and exploits of their lord until they laid him on the fifteen rows, each pier being five feet wide and composed
structure which they had prepared for this purpose. of large marginal drafted stones, placed singly over each
" The last (underground) chamber had a second door at other. The rows are connected by semi-circular arches,
-the rear, which led to a dark and gruesome room. This the intercolumniations of which range from ten to twenty-
was closed with a stone slab, which occupied the whole three feet. The floor of these vaults is about forty-feet
*ntrance. Through this door they threw the bodies of the below the Haram Area, and more than a hundred feet
victims and of the great lords and chieftains who had above the great foundation corner-stone. They are called
fallen in battle, and they brought them from the spot Solomon's Stables by the Franks. But the Moslems call the
where they fell, even when it was very far off, to this place, Al Masjed al Kadim, that is. The Old Mosque.
burial place ; and so great was the barbarous infatuation These vaults were used as stables by the Frank kings and
-of these Indians that, in the belief of the happy life which the Knights Templar, and holes in which rings were
awaited them, many who were oppressed by diseases or fastened can still be traced on some of the piers.
hardships begged this infamous priest to accept them as Since the floor of Solomon's Stables is upwards of a
living sacrifices and allow them to enter through that portal hundred feet above the foundation stone, it seems highly
and roam about in the dark interior of the mountains, to probable that there exists another system of vaults below,
seek the great feasting-places of their" forefathers. And for the vast space from the rock upwards is not likely to be
when anyone obtained this favour the servants of the high filled with solid earth.
priest led him thither with special ceremonies, and after Some allusion seems to be made to these vaults in the
they had allowed him to enter through the small door they writings of Procopius, a Greek historian of the sixth cen-
rolled the stone before it again took leave of him, and the tury. He was born at Caesarea, in Palestine, about 500
unhappy man, wandering in that abyss of darkness, died A.D., and as a young man went to Constantinople, where
of hunger and thirst, beginning already in life the pain his eminent talents brought him under the notice of the
of his damnation; and on account of this horrible abyss Emperor Justinian. In 529 A.D. Justinian built a splendid
they called this village Liyobaa, The Cavern of Death. church on the Temple Hill, in honour of the Virgin Mary,
and in the writings of Procopius there is a full and detailed
" When later there fell upon these people the light of the
Gospel, its servants took much trouble to instruct them to account of the edifice. The historian relates that the
find out whether this error, common to all these nations, fourth part of the ground required for the building was
still prevailed, and they learned from the stories which wanting towards the south-east ; the builders therefore
had been handed down that all were convinced that this laid their foundations on the sloping ground, and con-
damp cavern extended more than 30 leagues underground, structed a series of arched vaults, in order to raise the
and that its roof was supported by pillars. And there ground to the level of the other parts of the enclosure.
were people, zealous prelates anxious for knowledge, who, This account is eminently descriptive of the subterranean
in order to convince these ignorant people of their terror, vaults at the south-east portion of the Haram, and, accord-
went into this cave accompanied by a large number 0/ ing to Mr. Fergusson, the stone-work of these vaults
-people bearing lighted torches and firebrands, and de- certainly belongs to the age of Justinian.
scended several large steps. And they soon came upon Succubus : A demon who takes the shape of a woman. The
many buttresses which formed a kind of street. They had Rabbi Elias says that it is mentioned in certain writings
prudently brought a quantity of rope with them to use as that Adam was visited during a hundred and thirty years
a guiding line, that they might not lose themselves in this by female demons, and had intercourse with demons,
-confusing labyrinth. And the putrefaction and the bad spirits, spectres, lemurs, and phantoms. Under the reign
odour and the dampness of the earth were very great and of Roger, king of Sicily, a young man, bathing by moon-
there was also a cold wind which blew out their torches light, with several others, thought he saw someone drown-
ing, and hastened to the rescue. Having drawn from the
And after they had gone a short distance, fearing to be
-overpowered by the stench or to step on poisonous reptiles, water a beautiful woman, he became enamoured of her,
<of which some had been seen, they resolved to go out again married her, and had by her a child. Afterwards she
Sufiism 392 Swedenborg, Emanuel
disappeared mysteriously with her child, which made die on the day fixed by his innocent victim. Thus the
everyone believe that she was a succubus. Hector Boece, (Grand Master of the Templars) cited the pope and the
in his history of Scotland, relates that a very handsome king of France to appear before God on a certain date not
young man was pursued by a female demon, who would very far ahead, and the story goes on to relate that both
pass through his closed door, and offer to marry him. He died at the appointed time. Francois I., Duke of Brittany,
complained to his bishop, who enjoined him to fast, pray, hired assassins to murder his brother, in 1450. The dying
and confess himself, when the infernal visitor ceased to prince summoned his murderer before the highest of all
trouble him. Delancre says that in Egypt, an honest courts, and Francois shortly expired. Yet another instance
marechal-ferrant being' occupied in forging during the is that of Ferdinand IV., of Spain, who was summoned by
night there appeared to him a demon under the shape of a two nobles whom he had condemned unjustly, and he also
beautiful woman. He threw a hot iron in the face of the responded reluctantly at the end of thirty days.
demon, which at once took to flight. Many more examples could be quoted to show how
Sufiism : (See Assassins.) firmly-rooted was this belief in the power of the dying to
Suggestion : The sensitiveness to suggestion of the entranced avenge their death by supernatural means. Indeed, it
subject is the characteristic and invariable accompaniment would be safe to say that, by an inversion, of the usual
of the hypnotic state, and is also a distinctive feature of order of cause and effect, the popular faith in the efficacy
hysteria. Indeed, many modern scientists give to hypno- of the summons was responsible for such evidence as was
tism the name " Suggestion." An abnormal suggestibility forthcoming on its behalf. Fear, and possibly remorse,
implies some measure of cerebral dissociation. (See acting on the imagination of the guilty judge, might welt
Hypnotism.) In this state every suggestion advanced by cause him to expire at the stated time,, and authenticated
the operator, whether conveyed by word, gesture, or even accounts of death caused by these agents are not unknown.
unconscious glance, operates with abnormal force in the This is further borne out by the fact that if the condemned
brain of the subject, as being relieved from the counter-
excitement of other ideas. In the view of Professor —man was guilty that is, if the judge's conscience was
Pierre Janet all suggestibility implies a departure from —clear the summons had no effect. Sorcerers, especially,
Asummoned their judges, but in vain.
story, is told of
perfect sanity, but this, though perhaps true in the strictest Gonzalvo of Cordova, who sentenced a soldier to death for
sense, is somewhat misleading, since all are more or less sorcery. The soldier exclaimed that he was innocent, and
amenable to suggestion. In hypnotism and hysteria, summoned Gonzalvo to appear before God. "Go, then,"
however, the normal suggestibility is greatly exaggerated,
said the judge, " and hasten the proceedings. My brother
and the suggestion, meeting with no opposition from the who is in heaven, will appear for me." Needless to say,
recipient's critical or judicial faculties (because there are Gonzalvo did not die, as he believed he had dealt justly"
no other ideas with which to compare it) becomes for the and had no fear of the consequences of the summons.
time his dominant idea. The suggestion thus accepted has Sunderland, Rev. Laroy : (See Spiritualism.)
a powerful effect on both mind and body, hence the value Suth, Dr. Pietro : (See Italy.)
of suggestion in certain complaints is incalculable. The Swan, The : (See Philosopher's Stone.)
" miracles " wrought by Christian Scientists, the efficacy Swawm : Burmese Vampires : (See Burma.)
of a pilgrimage to Lourdes, the feats of " healing mediums " Swedenborg, Emanuel, 1688-1772 : One of the greatest
all testify to its powerful effect. Post-hypnotic suggestion mystics of all time, was born at Stockholm in Sweden on
is the term applied to a suggestion made while the subject the 29th January. His father was a professor of theology
is entranced, but which is to be carried out after he awakes. at Upsala, and afterwards Bishop of Scara, and in his
Sometimes an interval of months may elapse between the time was charged with possessing heterodox opinions.
utterance of a command and its fulfilment, but almost Swedenborg completed his education at the university of
invariably at the stated time the suggestion is obeyed, the Upsala in 17 10, after which he visited England, Holland,
recipient is perhaps unaware of the source of his impulse, France and Germany. Five years later he returned to his
not finding adequate logical grounds for the action he native town, and devoted much time to the study of
performs, or perhaps automatically lapses into the hypno- natural science and engineering, editing a paper entitled
tic state. Auto-suggestion does not proceed from any JPaedalus hyperboreus which dealt chiefly with mechanical
extraneous source, but arises in one's own mind, either inventions. About 1716, Charles XII. appointed him to
the Swedish Board of Mines. He appears at this time to
spontaneously or from a misconception of existing cir- have had many activities. He published various mathe-
cumstances, as in the case of a person who drinks coloured
water under the impression that it is poison, and exhibits matical and mechanical works, and even took part in the-
every symptom of poisoning. Auto-suggestion may arise siege of Friederickshall in an engineering capacity.
spontaneously in dream, the automatic obedience to such Originally known as Swedberg, he was elevated to the
suggestion often giving rise to stories of " veridical " dreams. rank of the nobility by Queen Ulrica and changed his name-
The outbreaks of religious frenzy or ecstasy which swept to Swedenborg. Sitting in the House of Nobles, his political
—Europe in the Middle Ages were examples of the results of utterances had great weight, but his tendencies were
mass-suggestion i.e., suggestion made by a crowd, and distinctly democratic. He busied himself privately in
much more potent than that made by an individual.
scientific gropings for the explanation of the universe, and
Cases of so-called collective hallucination may be referred published at least two works dealing with the origin of
to the same cause. Suggestion is doubtless responsible to things which are of no great account, unless as foreshadow-
some extent for clairvoyant and mediumistic faculties,
ing many scientific facts and ventures of the future. Thus
and on the whole enters largely into the study of psychic his theories regarding light,, cosmic atoms, geology and
science. physics, were distinctly in advance of his time, and had
Sukias : Central American witches. (See American Indians.) they been suitably disseminated could not but have-
Summa Perfections : (See Arabs.) influenced scientific Europe. He even sketched a flying-
Summons by the Dying : It was formerly maintained by the machine, and felt confident that although it was unsuitable
theologians that if anyone who was unjustly accused or to aerial navigation, if men of science applied themselves
persecuted should summon, with his dying breath, his to the problem, it would speedily be solved. It was in
oppressor to appear before the supreme tribunal, a miracle 1734 that he published his Prodomus Philosophic Ratiocin-
would take place, and the person thus summoned would antrio de Infinite which treats of the relation of the finite
Swedenborg, Emanuel 393 Swedenborg, Emanuel
to the infinite and of the soul to the body. In this work we know it, is merely a microcosm of a spiritual sun which
he seeks to establish a definite connection between the emanates from the Creator. This spiritual sun is the
source of love and knowledge, and the natural sun is the
two as a means of overcoming the difficulty of their rela-
source of nature ; but whereas the first is alive, the second
tionship. The spiritual and the divine appear to him as is inanimate. There is no connection between the two-
worlds of nature and spirit unless in similarity of con-
the supreme study of man. He ransacked the countries struction. Love, wisdom, use ; or end, cause and effect,
of Europe in quest of the most eminent teachers and the are the three infinite and uncreated degrees of being in God
and man respectively. The causes of all things exist in
best books dealing with anatomy, for he considered that
the spiritual sphere and their effects in the natural sphere,
in that science lay the germ of the knowledge of soul and
and the end of all creation is that man may become the
spirit. Through his anatomical studies he anticipated
image of his Creator, and of the cosmos as a whole. This
certain modern views dealing with the functions of the is to be effected by a love of the degrees above enumerated.
brain, which are most remarkable. —Man possesses two vessels or receptacles for the contain-
About the age of fifty-five a profound change overtook ment of God the Will for divine love, and the Under-
the character of Swedenborg. Up to this time he had been standing for divine wisdom. Before the Fall, the flow
a scientist, legislator, and man of affairs ; but now his of these virtues into the human spirit was perfect, but
enquiries into the region of spiritual things were to divorce through the intervention of the forces of evil, and the sins
him entirely from practical matters. His introduction of man himself, it was much interrupted. Seeking to-
into the spiritual world, his illumination, was commenced restore the connection between Himself and man, God
came into the world as Man ; for if He had ventured on
by dreams and extraordinary visions. He heard wonder-
earth in His unveiled splendour, he would have destroyed
ful conversations and felt impelled to found a new church.
He says that the eyes of his spirit were so opened that he the hells through which he must proceed to redeem man,
could see heavens and hells, and converse with angels and and this He did not wish to do, merely to conquer them.
The unity of God is an essential of the Swedenborgian
spirits : but all his doctrines relating to the New Church
theology, and he thoroughly believes that God did not
came directly from God alone, while he was reading the return to His own place without leaving behind Him a
gospels. He claimed that God revealed Himself to him visible representative of Himself in the word of scripture,
and told him that He had chosen him to unveil the spiritual which is an eternal incarnation, in a three-fold sense
sense of the whole scriptures to man. From that moment natural, spiritual, and celestial. Of this Swedenborg is
the apostle ; nothing was hidden from him ; he was aware
worldly knowledge was eschewed by Swedenborg and he
of the appearance and conditions of other worlds, good and
worked for spiritual ends alone. He resigned his several
evil, heaven and hell, and of the planets. " The life of
appointments and retired upon half pay. Refreshing his religion," he says, " is to accomplish good." " The kingdom
of heaven is a kingdom of uses." One of the central ideas
knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, he commenced his great of his system is known as the Doctrine of Correspondences.
works on the interpretation of the scriptures. After the Everything visible has belonging to it an appropriate
spiritual reality. Regarding this Vaughan says : " The
year 1747 he lived in Sweden, Holland and London, in
history of man is an acted parable ; the universe, a temple
which city he died on the 29th of March 1772. He was
covered with hieroglyphics. Behmen, from the light which
buried in the Swedish Church in Prince's Square, in the
—flashes on certain exalted moments, imagines that he
parish of St. George's in the East, and in April, 1908 his
receives the key to these hidden significances that he can
bones were removed, at the request of the Swedish govern- interpret the Signatura Rerum. But he does not see
ment, to Stockholm. spirits, or talk with angels. According to him, such
There can be no question as to the intrinsic honesty of communications would be less reliable than the intuition
Swedenborg' s mind and character. He was neither pre- he enjoyed. Swedenborg takes opposite ground. ' What
sumptuous nor overbearing as regards his doctrines, but I relate,' he would say, ' comes from no such mere inward
Agentle and reasonable. man of few wants, his life was persuasion. I recount the things I have seen. I do not
—simplicity itself his food consisting for the most part of
labour to recall and to express the manifestation made me
bread, milk and coffee. He was in the habit of lying in a in some moment of ecstatic exaltation. I write you down
trance for days together, and day and night had no dis- a plain statement of journeys and conversations in the
tinctions for him. His mighty wrestlings with evil spirits spiritual world, which have made the greater part of my
daily history for many years together. I take my stand,
at times so terrified his servants, that they would seek
upon experience. I have proceeded by observation and
the most distant part of the house in refuge. But again
induction as strict as that of any man of science among
he would converse with benignant angels in broad day-
Welight. —you. Only it has been given me to enjoy an experience
are badly hampered regarding first-hand
—evidence of his spiritual life and adventures most of reaching into two worlds that of spirit, as well as that
our knowledge being gleaned from other than original of matter.'
sources. " According to Swedenborg, all the mythology and the
So far from attempting to found a new church, or other- —symbolisms of ancient times were so many refracted or
wise tamper or interfere with existing religious systems, fragmentary correspondences relics of that better day
when every outward object suggested to man's mind its
Swedenborg was of the opinion that the members of all
appropriate divine truth. Such desultory and uncertain
churches could belong to his New Church in a spiritual
links between the seen and the unseen are so many imper-
sense. His works may be divided into : expository fect attempts toward that harmony of the two worlds
which he believed himself commissioned to reveal. The
volumes, notably The Apocalypse Revealed, The Apocalypse happy thoughts of the artist, the imaginative analogies of
Explained, and Arcana Celestia ; books of spiritual phil- the poet, are exchanged with Swedenborg for an elaborate
osophy, such as Intercourse between the Soul and the Body system. All the terms and objects in the natural and
spiritual worlds are catalogued in pairs. This method
Divine Providence, and Divine Love and Wisdom ; books
dealing with the hierarchy of supernatural spheres such as
Heaven and Hell and The Last Judgment and those which
;
are purely doctrinal, such as The New Jerusalem, The
True Christian Religion, and Canons of the New Church.
Of these his Divine Love and Wisdom is the volume which
most succinctly presents his entire religious systems.
God he regards as the Divine Man. Spiritually He consists
of infinite love, and corporeally of infinite wisdom. From
the divine love all things draw nourishment. The sun, as
Swedenborg, Emanuel 394 Swedenborg, Emanuel
appears so much formal pedantry. Our fancies will not exercised by spiritual affairs ; and it is only when he had
work to order. The meaning and the life with which we passed the meridian of human days that he seriously
—continually inform outward objects those suggestions began to consider matters supernatural. The change to
—from sight and sound, which make almost every man at
the life of a mystic, if not rapid was certainly not pro-
times a poet are our own creations, are determined by
the mood of the hour, cannot be imposed from without, longed : what then caused it ? We can only suspect that
cannot be arranged like the nomenclature of a science. As
his whole tendency was essentially mystical from the
regards the inner sense of scripture, at all events, Sweden-
borg introduces some such yoke. In that province, how- first, and that he was a scientist by force of circumstance
ever, it is perhaps as well that those who are not satisfied rather than because of any other reason. The spiritual
with the obvious sense should find some restraint for their
imagination, some method for their ingenuity, some guid- was constantly simmering within his brain, but, as the
ance in a curiosity irresistible to a certain class of minds. world is ever with us, he found it difficult to throw off the
If an objector say, ' I do not see why the ass should corres- superincumbent mass of affairs, which probably tram-
pond to scientific truth, and the horse to intellectual
melled him for years. At length the fountains of his spirit
truth,' Swedenborg will reply, ' This analogy rests on no
fancy of mine, but on actual experience and observation welled up so fiercely that they could no longer be kept
in the spiritual world. I have always seen horses and asses
-present and circumstanced, when, and according as, those back ; and throwing aside his scientific oars, he leaped into
inward qualities were central.' But I do not believe that the spiritual ocean which afterwards speedily engulfed
it was the design of Swedenborg rigidly to determine the
relationships by which men are continually uniting the him. There is perhaps no analogy to be found to his case
seen and unseen worlds. He probably conceived it his
mission to disclose to men the divinely-ordered corres- ' Wein the biography of science. cannot altogether unveil
pondences of scripture, the close relationship of man's the springs of the man's spirituality, but we know that they
several states of being, and to make mankind more fully existed deep down in him. It has often been said that he
aware that matter and spirit were associated, not only in
was a mere visionary, and not a mystic, in the proper sense
the varying analogies of imagination, but by the deeper
affinity of eternal law. In this way, he sought to impart of the word ; but the terms of his philosophy dispose of
an impulse rather than to prescribe a scheme. His con- this contention ; although in many ways it does not square
sistent followers will acknowledge that had he lived to
with the generally-accepted doctrines of mysticism, it is
another age, and occupied a different social position, the
forms under which the spiritual world presented itself in undoubtedly one of the most striking and pregnant' con-
him would have been different. To a large extent, there-
tributions to it. He is the apostle of the divine humanity,
Mm —fore, his Memorable Relations must be regarded as true for and the '" Grand Man " is with him the beginning and
only for such a character, in such a day, though
end of the creative purpose. The originality of his system
•containing principles independent of personal peculiarity
is marked, and the detail with which he surrounded it
and local colouring. It would have been indeed inconsis- provides his followers of the present day with a greater
tent, had the Protestant who (as himself a Reformer)
body of teaching than that of probably any other mystical
—essayed to supply the defects and correct the errors of the
master.
Reformation had he designed to prohibit all advance
beyond his own position." The following extracts from Swedenborg' s works will
The style of Swedenborg is clear-cut and incisive. He is assist the reader in gaining some idea of his eschatology
never overpowered by manifestations from the unseen.
Whereas o'ther mystics are seized by fear or joy by these and general doctrine :
and become incomprehensible, he is in his element, and " The universe is an image of God, and was made for use.
when on the very pinnacles of ecstasy can observe the
Providence is the government of the Lord in heaven and on
smallest details with a scientific eye. We know nowadays
earth. It extends itself over all things, because there is
that a great many of his visions do not square with scien-
only one fountain of life, namely, the Lord, whose power
tific probabilities. Thus those which detail his journeys
among the planets and describe the flora and fauna, let supports all that exists.
us say, of Mars, can be totally disproved, as we are aware
=that such forms of life as he claims to have seen could not '' The influence of the Lord is according to a plan, and
-possibly exist upon that planet. The question arises : is invisible, as is Providence, by which men are not con-
Did the vast amount of work accomplished by Swedenborg
in the first half of his life lead to more or less serious mental strained to believe, and thus to lose their freedom. The
derangement ? There have been numerous cases of
similar injury through similar causes. But the scientific influence of the Lord passes over from the spiritual to the
•exactness and clarity of his mind survived to the last. So
far as he knew science he applied it admirably and with natural, and from the inward to the outward. The Lord
minute exactness to his system ; but just as the science of
Dante raises a smile, so we feel slightly intolerant of confers his influence on the good and the bad, but the latter
Swedeaborg's scientific application to things spiritual. He converts the good into evil, and the true into the false
;
was probably the only mystic with a real scientific training
others had been adepts in chemistry and kindred studies, for so is the creature of its will fashioned.
but no mystic ever experienced such a long and arduous " In order to comprehend the origin and progress of this
scientific apprenticeship as Swedenborg. It colours the influence, we must first know that that which proceeds
whole of his system. It would be exceedingly difficult to
:say whether he was more naturally a mystic or a scientist. from the Lord is the divine sphere which surrounds us,
In the first part of his life we do not find him greatly and fills the spiritual and natural world. All that pro-
ceeds from an object, and surrounds and clothes it, is
called its sphere.
" As all that is. spiritual knows neither time nor space,
it therefore follows that the general sphere or the divine
one has extended itself from the first moment of creation
to the last. This divine emanation, which passed over
from the spiritual to the natural, penetrates actively and
rapidly through the whole created world, to the last grade
of it, where it is yet to be found, and produces and main-
tains all that is animal, vegetable, and mineral. Man is
continually surrounded by a sphere of his favourite pro-
pensities ; these unite themselves to the natural sphere of
his body, so that together they form one. The natural
sphere surrounds every body of nature, and all the objects
of the three kingdoms. Thus it allies itself to the spiritual
world. This is the foundation of sympathy and antipathy,
of union and separation, according to which there are
amongst spirits presence and absence.
" The angel said to me that the sphere surrounded.
Swedenborg, Emanuel 395 Switzerland
men more lightly on the back than on the breast, where heaven, they speak just as intelligently as the man by
it was thicker and stronger. This sphere of influence, my side. But if they turn away from man, he hears
peculiar to man, operates also in general and in particular nothing more whatever, even if they speak close to his
around him by means of the will, the understanding, and ear. It is also remarkable that several angels can speak
the practice, to a man ; they send down a spirit inclined to man, and
" The sphere proceeding from God, which surrounds man —he thus hears them united."
In another place he says : " There are also spirits
and constitutes his strength, while it thereby operates
on his neighbour and on the whole creation, is a sphere called natural or corporeal spirits ; these have no con-
of peace and innocence ; for the Lord is peace and inno- nection with thought, like the others, but they enter
the body, possess all the senses, speak with the mouth,
cence. Then only is man consequently able to make his
influence effectual on his fellow man, when peace and and act with the limbs, for they know not but that every-
innocence rule in his heart, and he himself is in union thing in that man is their own. These are the spirits
with heaven. This spiritual union is connected with the by which men are possessed. They were, however, sent by
natural by a benevolent man through the touch and the the Lord to hell ; whence in our days there are no more
laying on of hands, by which the influence of the inner such possessed ones in existence."
Swedenborg's further doctrines and visions of Har-
man is quickened, prepared, and imparted. The body
communicates with others which are about it through the monies, that is to say, of heaven with men, and with
body, and the spiritual influence diffuses itself chiefly all objects of nature ; of the harmony and correspondence
through the hands, because these are the most outward or of all thing with each other of Heaven, of Hell, and
;
ultimum of man and through him, as in the whole of —of the world of spirits ; of the various states of man
;
after death, etc. are very characteristic, important, and
nature, the first is contained in the last, as the cause in
the effect. The whole soul and the whole body are con- powerful. " His contemplations of the enlightened inward
tained in the hands as a medium of influence. Thus our eye refer less to everyday associations and objects of
Lord healed the sick by laying on of hands, on which life (although he not unfrequently predicted future occur-
account so many were healed by the touch ; and thence rences), because his mind was only directed to the highest
from the remotest times the consecration of priests and spiritual subjects, in which indeed he had attained an
of all holy things was effected by laying on of hand. uncommon degree of inward wakefulness, but is there-
According to the etymology of the word, hands denote fore not understood or known, because he described his
power. Man believes that his thoughts and his will sights so spiritually and unusually by language. His
proceed from within him, whereas all this flows into him. chapter on the immensity of heaven attracts more especially
If he considered things in their true form, he would ascribe because it contains a conversation of spirits and angels
evil to hell, and good to the Lord ; he would by the Lord's about the planetary system. The planets are naturally
grace recognise good and evil within himself, and be happy. inhabited as well as the planet Earth, but the inhabitants
Pride alone has denied the influence of God, and destroyed differ according to the various individual formation of the
the human race." planets. These visions on the inhabitants of the planets
—In his work Heaven and Hell, Swedenborg speaks of in- agree most remarkably, and almost without exception
fluence and reciprocities Correspondences. The action with the indications of a clairvoyant whom I treated
of correspondence is perceptible in a man's counntenance. magnetically. I do not think that she knew Swedenborg ;
In a countenance that has not learned hypocrisy, all to which, however, I attach little importance. The two
emotions are represented naturally according to their seers perceived Mars in quite a different manner. The
true form ; whence the face is called the mirror of the soul. magnetic seer only found images of fright and horror.
In the same way, what belongs to the understanding is Swedenborg, on the other hand, describes them as the best
represented in the speech, and what belongs to the will in the of all spirits of the planetary system. Their gentle, tender,
movements. Every expression in the face, in the speech, zephyr-like language, is more perfect, purer and richer in
in the movements, is called correspondence. By corres- thought, and nearer to the language of the angels, than
pondence man communicates with heaven, and he can others. These people associate together, and judge each
thus communicate with the angels if he possess the science other by the physiognomy, which amongst them is always
of correspondence by means of thought. In order that the expression of the thoughts. They honour the Lord
communication may exist between heaven and man, —as sole God, who appears sometimes on their earth."
" Of the inhabitants of Venus he says : ' They are of
the word is composed of nothing but correspondences, for
everything in the word is correspondent, the whole and two kinds ; some are gentle and benevolent, others wild,
the parts ; therefore he can learn secrets, of which he cruel and of gigantic stature. The latter rob and plunder,
perceives nothing in the literal sense ; for in the word, there and live by this means ; the former have so great a degree
of gentleness and kindness that they are alwa3rs beloved by
—is, besides the literal meaning, a spiritual meaning one
of the world, the other of heaven. Swedenborg had his the good ; thus they often see the Lord appear in their
visions and communications with the angels and spirits by
own form on their earth.' It is remarkable that this
means of correspondence in the spiritual sense. " Angels description of Venus agrees so well with the old fable, and
speak from the spiritual world, according to inward thought; with the opinions and experience we have of Venus.
—from wisdom, their speech flows in a tranquil stream, " The inhabitants of the Moon are small, like children
of six or seven years old ; at the same time they have the
gently and uninterruptedly, they speak only in ' vowels strength of men like ourselves. Their voice rolls like
the heavenly angels in A and O, the spiritual ones in E and
I, for the vowels give tone to the speech, and by the tone thunder, and the sound proceeds from the belly, because
the emotion is expressed the interruptions, on the other the moon is in quite a different atmosphere from the other
hand, corresponds with creations of the mind ; therefore planets."
we prefer, if the subject is lofty, for instance of heaven or Swedish Exegetical and Philanthropieal Society : {See
UGod, even in human speech, the vowels and O, etc. Spiritualism.)
Man, however, is united with heaven by means of the Switzerland : For ancient matter see Teutons.
—word, and forms thus the link between heaven and earth.
Spiritualism. Two cases of spiritual visitation occurred
between the divine and the natural." in the Swiss Cantons during last century, of so startling a
" But when angels speak spiritually with me from nature, as to attract the eyes of all Europe. The following
Switzerland Switzerland
brief summary of the Morzine epidemic is collated from of the French, the late Louis Napoleon, under whose pro-
the pages of the Cornhill Magazine, two or three of the tectorate Morzine was then governed, yielding to the
London daily journals, the Reveu Spirile, and Mr. William
Howitt's magazine article entitled, " The Devils of Morzine." representations of his advisers, actually sent out three
The period of the occurrence was about i860 ; the scene,
military companies to Morzine, charged with strict orders
the parish of Morzine, a beautiful valley of the Savoy, not to quell the disturbances " on the authority of the Emperor,
more than half a day's journey from the Lake of Geneva.
The place is quite, remote, and had been seldom visited or by force if necessary." The result of this high-handed
by tourists before the period named above. Being more- policy was to increase tenfold the violence of the disease,
over shut in by high mountains, and inhabited by a simple, and to augment the number of the afflicted, in the persons
industrious, and pious class of peasantry, Morzine might
have appeared to a casual visitor the very centre of health, of many of the very soldiers who sank under the contagion
peace, and good order. The first appearance of an abnor-
mal visitation was the conduct of a young girl, who, from which they were expected to quench. The next move of
being quiet, modest, and well-conducted, suddenly began
to exhibit what her distressed family and friends supposed the baffled French Government, was, a spiritual one ; an
to be the symptoms of insanity. She ran about in the army of priests, headed by a venerable Bishop, much
most singular and aimless way ; climbed high trees, scaled
walls, and was found perched on roofs and cornices, which beloved in his diocese, being despatched in the quality of
it seemed impossible for any creature but a squirrel to
reach; She soon became wholly intractable ; was given to exorcists, at the suggestion of the Archbishop of Paris.
fits of hysteria, violent laughter, passionate weeping, and
general aberration from her customary modest behaviour. Unhappily this second experiment worked no better than
Whilst her parents were anxiously seeking advice in the first. Respectable looking groups of well-dressed
this dilemma, another and still another of the young
girl's ordinary companions were seized with the same men, women, and children, would pass into the churches in
malady. In the course of ten days the report prevailed, —reverent silence, and with all the appearance of health and
—that over fifty females ranging from seven years of age to piety but no sooner was the sound of the priest's voice,
—fifty had been seized, and were exhibiting symptoms of the
or the notes of the organ heard, than shrieks, execrations,
most bewildering mental aberration. The crawling, climb-
ing, leaping, wild singing, furious swearing, and frantic sobbings, and frenzied cries, resounded from different
behaviour of these unfortunates, soon found crowds of
parts of the assembly. Anxious fathers and husbands
imitators. Before the tidings of this frightful affliction,
were busy in carrying their distracted relatives into the
had passed beyond the district in which it originated
open air, and whether in the church or the home, every
several hundreds of women and children, and scores of young
men, were writhing under the contagion. The seizures attempt of a sacerdotal character, was sure to arouse the
were sudden, like the attacks ; they seldom lasted long, mania to heights of fury unknown before. The time
yet they never seemed to yield to any form of treatment,
came at length, when the good old Bishop thought of a
whether harsh or kind, medical, religious or persuasive.
The first symptoms of this malady do not seem to have coup de grace to achieve a general victory over the adver-
been noted with sufficient attention to justify one in giving sary. He commanded that as many as possible of the
details which could be considered accurate. It was only
afflicted should be gathered together to hear high mass,
when the number of the possessed exceeded two thousand
persons, and the case was attracting multitudes of curious when he trusted that the solemnity of the occasion would
enquirers from all parts of the Continent, that the medical be sufficient to defeat what he evidently believed to be
men, priests, and journalists of the day, began to keep the combined forces of Satan.
and publish constant records of the progress of the epidemic According to the description cited by William Howitt
One of the strangest features of the case, and one which
most constantly baffled the faculty, was the appearance in his paper on " The Devils of Morzine," the assemblage in
of rugged health, and freedom from all physical disease,
which distinguished this malady. As a general rule, the question, including at least two thousand of the possessed,
victims spoke in hoarse, rough tones unlike their own, and a number of spectators, must have far more faithfully
used profane language, such as few of them could ever have
illustrated Milton's description of Pandemonium than any
heard, and imitated the actions of crawling, leaping, climb-
ing animals with ghastly fidelity. Sometimes they would mortal scene before enacted. Children and women were
roll their bodies up into balls and distort their limbs beyond leaping over the seats and benches ; clambering up the
- pillars, and shrieking defiance from pinnacles which
the power of the attendant physicians to account for, or
scarcely admitted of a foothold for a bird. The Bishop's
disentangle. Many amongst them were levitated in the air,
and in a few instances, the women spoke in foreign tongues, letter contains but one remark which seems to offer a
manifested high conditions of exaltation, described glorious clue to these scenes of horror and madness. He says :
" When in my distress and confusion I accidentally laid
visions, prophesied, gave clairvoyant descriptions of absent
my hand on the heads of these unfortunates, I found that
persons and distant places, sang hymns, and preached in
the paroxysm instantly subsided, and that however wild
strains of sublime inspiration. It must be added, that
and clamorous they may have been before, the parties so
these instances were very rare, and were only noticeable
touched generally sunk down as it were into a swoon, or
in the earlier stages of the obsession. It is almost needless
deep sleep, and woke up most commonly restored to sanity,
to say that the tidings of this horrible obsession attracted
and a sense of propriety." The complete failure of epis-
immense multitudes of witnesses, no less than the attention
copal influence threw the Government back on the help of
of the learned and philosophic. When the attempts of
medical science. Dr. Constans had, since his first visit, pub-
the medical faculty, the church, and the law, had been
lished a report, in which he held out hopes of cure if his
tried again and again, and all had utterly failed to modify
the ever-increasing horrors of this malady, the Emperor advice were strictly followed. He was again commissioned
to do what he could for Morzine. Armed with the powers
of a dictator he returned there, and backed by a fresh
detachment of sixty soldiers, a brigade of gendarmes and a
fresh cure, he issued despotic decrees, and threatened
lunatic asylums, and in any case deportation for the con-
vulsed. He fined any person who accused others of magic,
or in any way encouraged the prevalent idea of supernatural
evil. He desired the cure to preach sermons against the
possibility of demoniacal possession, but this order could
not be carried out by even the most obedient priest. The
persons affected with fits were dispersed in every direction.
Some were sent to asylums and hospitals, and many were
simply exiled from Chablais. They were not allowed to
revisit except by very special favour. Mr. William Howitt,
Wewriting in the London Spiritual Magazine says : "' need
not point to the salient facts of our narrative, or discuss
Sword, Magical 397 Symbolism in Art
the various theories that have been invented to account for throughout the centuries into the form above-named.
The art of the Hindoos is likewise permeated with
them It is impossible not to see the resemblance of
symbolism, much of it quite incomprehensible to Euro-
the Morzine epidemic with the demonopathy of the six-
peans ; while the ancient Greek masters also traded in
teenth century, and the history of the Jansenist and Ceven- symbols, one which occurs repeatedly in their output being
the fig-leaf, which represented simply amorousness, and
nes convulsionnaires Some of the facts we have
was a direct reference to the story of the fall of man as
related were often observed in the state of hypnotism, or
detailed in the book of Genesis. This same symbol is
nervous sleep, with which physicians are familiar. The found occasionally in early Italian works of art and it is
in these, really, that we find symbolism at its apogee ; for
hallucinations of which we have given instances are too in Italy, more essentially than in any other country, art
was long the handmaiden of the Church, and thus early
common to astonish us. But the likeness of this epidemic Italian painting and sculpture is replete with emblems
referring to the Christian faith. The frequent allusions
to others that have been observed does not account for in the Old Testament to the hand of God, as the instrument
its symptoms." of his sovereign power, naturally inspired pristine artists
Sword, Magical : (See Magic.) to symbolise the deity's omnipotence by drawing a hand,
Sycomancy : Divination by the leaves of the fig tree. sometimes with a cross behind it, sometimes emerging
Questions or propositions on which one wished to be from clouds ; while equally common among the primitives
was the practice of expressing the name of Christ by the
enlightened were written on these leaves. If the leaf first two letters of his name in Greek, and this emblem
dried quickly after the appeal to the diviner, it was an evolved betimes, assuming divine and intricate forms.
Another familiar Christian symbol, figuring in numerous
evil omen ; but a good augury if the leaf dried slowly. sarcophagi and mosaics, is a small picture of a fish ; and
Symbolism in Art : " It is in and through symbols," says this refers indirectly to baptism but most directly to
Christ, for those who first used this sign observed that the
Carlyle, " that man, consciously or unconsciously lives,
letters forming the word fish in Greek, IXOYE, when
works, and has his being " ; and his words apply very
separated supplied the initials for the five words, Jesus
pertinently to art in all its branches, for every one of these Christ, Son of God, Saviour. Christ is also represented
represents, in the first place, an attempt to reincarnate sometimes by a picture of a lion, this referring to the phrase
in the Scriptures, " The lion of the tribe of Judah " ; while
something in nature, and this attempt cannot be made the Passion is frequently symbolised by a drawing of a
pelican, tearing open her breast to feed her young. Then
save with the assistance of some manner of symbolism. the Holy Ghost is invariably suggested by a presentment
of a dove, while the phoenix and the peacock were both
The author uses the arbitrary and sadly restricted symbol employed as symbols of the Resurrection ; nor does the
symbolism in the art of Italy end here, for an early artist
of language whereby to state his conception of life, the of that country, doing a picture of a saint, would usually
add some sign having reference to an event in the subject's
composer employs notes wherewith to body forth his im- career, or to some particular predilection on his part.
Thus, if the saint was famous as a devotee of pilgrimage,
pressions and emotions while the painter must needs a shell was drawn at his feet ; or, if the doing of penance
; was his particular virtue, a skull was figured on some part
be still more symbolical, his art consisting as it does in of the picture ; while finally, if his life culminated in the
glory of martyrdom, this was hinted at by a sketch of an
expressing distance on a flat surface, and in suggesting
axe, a lance or a club.
bulk by the practice known technically as modelling. The
Mystic symbolism waned in Italy before the eleventh
sculptor is also a symbolist, for, while he has at his disposal century was over. Some of the anonymous early Floren-
tines had symbolised love by a great, flaring lamp ; but
a third dimension not vouchsafed to the painter, he tries to with the advent of Titian and Veronese all this sort of
thing was discontinued, and amorous scenes were painted
delineate coloured things in a mono-chromatic material in realistic fashion. The great mediaeval masters of
while again, it is impossible for him to convey motion or —religious art, moreover men like Ghibert and Raphael,
—Pintunichio and Michelangelo scorned to deal in mere
action as the writer can, and he can only suggest this by
emblems, and strove to depict biblical scenes with a
moulding a figure wherein an ephemeral gesture is per-
ruthless veracity to nature, Ghibert going so far as to try
petrated. Some kind of symbolism, then, is the technical and introduce a species of perspective into bas-relief. But
meanwhile the practice of the fathers of Italian art had been
basis of all the arts ; yet another kind of symbolic signifi- taken up in France and in Spain, and more especially in
cance, a deeper and more mysterious one, transpires in them Germany by Altdorfer and Albrecht Durer ; while in
in many cases. As Coleridge observes, " An idea in the England, too, symbolism of various kinds began to become
very manifest in ecclesiastical architecture and crafts-
highest sense of the word, cannot be expressed but by a manship. The beautiful Norman Church with its square
tower gave place to a Gothic one with a spire, symbol of
symbol " ; and from time immemorial painters and
—aspiration ; while the wood-work was garnished at places
sculptors have realised this, and have tried to crystalise
with emblems of the passion three nails and a hammer,
abstract ideas by the aid of certain signs, some of them pincers, ladder, sponge, reed and spear. Besides, gargoyles
having quite an obvious meaning, but others being cryptic. commenced to appear on the outsides of Churches, the idea
being that, when the building Was consecrated, the devils
Among the Japanese masters of the Akiyoe school, Fuji-no- took flight from the interior, and perched themselves on
Yama was a favourite topic, one which many of them
figured scores of times ; and to Occidental eyes a picture of
this sort is just a picture of a mountain, but to the Japanese
it meant something deeper, Fuji being almost sacred to
them, and its representation in line and colour being a sort
of symbol of patriotic devotion. Then Hokusai, commonly
accounted the greatest master of the school aforesaid,
loved to draw a pot-bellied man reclining at his ease against
cushions and this too means little in the East but much
;
in the West, for in reality it is more than a study in volup-
tuousness, it represents Hotei, the god of peace and plenty.
—And poor people in the Land of the Rising Sun would buy
a copy of this picture for those woodcuts which are so
priceless now were mostly sold for a few pence originally,
and were within the reach of the humblest. And they
would hang it on the wall, trusting thus to win the favour
of the deity it personified. Other Japanese, more religious-
ly minded, preferred a picture of a curious male figure
emanating from a plant, and this symbolised the legend
that Buddha rose originally from a lotus ; while further,
in many Japanese draperies and the like we find a strange
decoration not unlike &fleur-de-lys, and this was originally
a drawing of the foot of Buddha, a drawing which evolved
Symbolism in Art 398 Table-turnings
the roof, and this species of symbolism did not pass away close of the eighteenth century in engraving, the engraver
with the middle ages, but was carried on for long afterwards, of a portrait almost always thinking it necessary to surround
as also was the " rose window," symbol of the crown of his sitter with allegorical accessories ; and to choose a
thorns. good example, in many prints of La Fontaine we find a
The churches' suzerainty over art was virtually dead by scene from one of his fables introduced beneath the sub-
the end of the fifteenth century, and thenceforth, during
ject's visage. A few modern engravers have essayed
fully a hundred years, painting found its chief patrons in something analogous, Mr. William Strange, for example,,
various enlightened kings and noblemen. But symbolism engraving a tiny portrait of a soldier in the corner of his
was not altogether ousted accordingly, for the new patrons familiar plate of Mr. Rudyard Kipling while reverting
;
were hardly collectors in the usual sense of the term, they to painting many of the great English masters of portraiture-
—did not buy landscapes to decorate their dwellings very saw fit to figure, almost in juxtaposition to the sitter,
—few bona fide landscapes were done before the time of various items symbolising his tastes' or action. Raeburn
was among the last to do this, several of his pictures of great
Claude, born in 1600 and it was mainly portraits of
themselves and their families which they sought. So now, lawyers being only embellished with bundles of briefs tied'
in consequence of this, a new form of symbolism became up with red tape ; and, though this form of symbolism is
very manifest in painting, the artist being almost invariably practically dead now, the fact remains that most good
charged to introduce his patron's coat-of-arms into some portrait-painters still choose their repoussoir with a view
part of the canvas or panel ; and, though this practice to its aiding them, in adumbrating more completely the
—began to wane with the advent of the seventeenth century sentiment of the subject in hand. Thus, doing a picture
when collecting in the real sense began painters still of a child, an artist will usually employ a high-pitched
continued to trade in emblems of one kind and another. background, this being in some degree emblematic of
Even Antoine Watteau (born in 1684), doing a portrait of youth ; while delineating an old man, he will almost cer-
the divine Venetian pastellist, Rosalba Canicra, showed tainly place him in sombre surroundings. And so we see-
her with white roses in her lap ! and anon this rather obvious again, as we saw at the outset, that all art is in a sense-
symbolism was deepened by the engraver Liotard, for symbolical and that it is through symbols that it " Lives^
;
beneath his print after Watteau he inscribed the beautiful works, and has its being." (See also Magical Diagrams.)
if sentimental phrase, " La plus belle des fleurs ne dure W. G. B. M.
Aqu'un matin." practice akin to this lingered till the Sympathetic Magic : (See Magic.)
Table-turning : A form of psychic phenomena in which a two thin wooden boards with little glass rollers between,,
the whole bound together with rubber bands, and so con-
table is made to rotate, tilt, or rise completely off the
ground by the mere contact of the operator's finger-tips, trived that the slightest lateral pressure on the upper
and without the conscious exercise of muscular force. The
modus operandi is exceedingly simple. The sitters take Aboard would cause it to slip a little way over the other.
their places round a table, on which they lightly rest their
finger-tips, thus forming a " chain." In a few moments haystalk or a scrap of paper served to indicate any motion
the table begins to rotate, and may even move about the of the upper board over the lower. The conclusion drawn
from these experiments was that when the sitters believed
room, seemingly carrying the experimenters with it. It
themselves to be pressing downwards, they were really
was, and is, in high favour among spiritualists as a means
of communicating with the spiritual world. The alphabet pressing obliquely, in the direction they expected the table
was slowly repeated, or a pencil was run down the printed
alphabet, the table tilting at the letter which the spirits to rotate. Other investigators also held that the expecta-
desired to indicate. Thus were dictated sermons, poems, tion of the operators had a good deal to do with the motions
information regarding the spirit-world, arid answers to' of the table. Braid pointed out in the appendix to his
Hypnotic Therapeutics that some one generally announced
questions put by the sitters. Table-turning, in common beforehand the direction in which the table would rotate,
with most spiritualistic phenomena, originated in America. and so encouraged the expectation of the operators.
It rapidly spread to Europe, and early in 1853 reached
Britain, where it soon became immensely popular, and Another authority, Dr. W. B. Carpenter, shared the same
for the time replaced the earlier method of communication view, as did a committee of four medical men who pub-
by means of raps. It commended itself to the public
mainly because the services of an expensive professional lished their experiences of table-turning in the Medical
medium were not required. In all parts of the country
and in every grade of society the popular craze was practised Times and Gazette Among the earliest investigators of the
with enthusiasm, and in this case as in others the results phenomena of table-turning were count de Gasparin and
Professor Thury of Geneva, who held seances, and were
increased proportionately with the credibility of the sitters. satisfied that the movements resulted from a force radiating
from the operators, to which they gave the name of " ectenic
In these earlier stages of the proceedings the gyrations of force." There were others, however, who were less rational
the table were attributed entirely to spirit agencies. So
in their attempts to explain the phenomenon. The public
serious did matters become at last that men of science
could no longer ignore the " manifestations," and were were on the whole indisposed to accept the conclusions of
Faraday and the rest. They preferred the more popular
forced to turn the light of scientific knowledge on the
phenomenon of table-turning and endeavour to explain it on spiritualistic explanations or the pseudo-scientific theories
rational grounds. Foremost among these distinguished
of such men as Dr. Koch, who believed that the " chain "
investigators was the chemist Faraday, who showed by
means of simple apparatus of his own devising that the of operators formed a sort of electric battery which supplied
movements of the table were due to unconscious muscular the table with vital energy or, as it was called, " electro-
action on the part of the sitters, who were thus themselves
odyllic " force, and made it respond to the will as though
the automatic authors of the messages purporting to come it were a part of the human body. Other explanations
from the spirit world. Faraday's apparatus consisted of
offered were odic force, galvanism, animal magnetism,
and, strangest notion of all, the rotation of the earth ! In
an anonymous pamphlet published during the table-
turning epidemic and entitled Table-talking considered in
connection with the dictates of reason and common sense, the
conclusions of Faraday are ridiculed, and an electrical
Table-turning 399 Taigheirm
theory advanced, in such a way, however, as to show that individuals ; against danger incurred by handling or
the writer is quite ignorant of his subject. Another pamph-
let, also anonymous, entitled Table-turning by Animal coming in contact with corpses or eating certain foods ;
Magnetism demonstrated ascribes the phenomenon to mag- ;
netism, and bases its suppositions on the results of some
experiments in which the table was isolated by glass or and the securing of human beings against the power of
gutta-percha. Dr. Elliotson and the other believers in a
mesmeric " fluid " which would affect inanimate objects supernatural agencies, or the depredations of thieves.
as well as living beings, saw in table-turning a support for
their views. The Rev. G. Sandby and the Rev. C. H. Taboo may also be sanctioned by social use or instinct.
Townshend, claimed to have experienced a feeling of The violation of a taboo makes the offender himself taboor
fatigue after a table-turning seance as though they had been
hypnotising someone. They also felt a tingling sensation for it is characteristic of the taboo that it is transmissible,
in their finger-tips, and Townshend suggested that spirit
rappings may be caused by a " disengagement of Zoogen but can be thrown off by magical or purificatory cere-
from the System." Dr. Elliotson himself followed with an
admission that the phenomenon was not explicable within monies. It may last for a short period, or be imposed in
the bounds of muscular force. There was another set, perpetuity. It may be said, generally speaking, that
mainly composed of Evangelical clergymen, who credited the practice of taboo was instituted through human instinct
the whole business to Satanic agency. The Rev. N. S. for human convenience. This applies of course merely to
Godfrey, the Rev. E. Gillson, and others held seances in the most simple type of taboo. It is, for example, for-
which the " spirits " confessed themeslves to be either
bidden to reap or steal the patch of corn dedicated to an
the spirits of worthless persons of evil inclination, or
agricultural deity, for the simple reason that his wrath
devils, both of which confessions caused the reverend
would be incurred by so doing. Similarly it is taboo to
gentlemen to denounce the whole practice of table-turning.
One of them remarks, apropos of Faraday's experiments, devour the flesh of the totem animal of the tribe, except
that the phenomena " appear to be whatever the investi-
gator supposes them to be," a saying which aptly charac- in special circumstances with the object of achieving
terises their own attitude. communion with him. It is taboo to interfere in any
Camille Flammarion, whose exhaustive experiments and manner with the affairs of the shamans or medicine-men :
scientific attainments give to his opinion considerable this again is a type of the imposed taboo for the convenience
weight, has offered an explanation of the various phases of a certain caste. It is prohibited to marry a woman of
of table-turning phenomena. Simple rotation of the table
he ascribes to an unconscious impulse given by the operators the same totem as oneself, as all the members of a totemic
and other movements of the table while the fingers of the
sitters rest upon it are ascribed to similar causes. The band are supposed to be consanguineous, and such a union
tilting of the table on the side furthest away from the
operator can also be explained by muscular action. But Amight incur the wrath of the patron deity. very strict
vibrations in the wood of the table, or its levitation under
taboo is put upon the beholding of certain ritual instru-
the fingers, or, to a still greater extent, its rotation without
ments belonging to some barbarian tribes, but this only
contact of the operator's hands, he attributes to a force
emanating from the body, and, in the latter case, capable applies to women and uninitiated men : the reason for
of acting at a distance by means of ether-waves. This
such taboo would be that it was considered degradation for
force, the result of a cerebral disturbance, is greater than
that of the muscles, as is seen by the levitation of tables women to behold sacred implements. Taboo, if it does not
so weighted tnat the combined muscular strength of the
—spring directly from the system known as totemism, was
operators would not suffice to lift it. To the dictating of
messages and other intelligent manifestations he would strongly influenced by it that is, many intricate taboos
also give an origin in this psychic force, which is perhaps Wearose from the totemic system.
have also the taboo
identical with Thury's " ectenic " force, or " psychode,"
and which is obedient to the will and desires, or even, in of the sorcerer, which in effect is merely a spell placed upon,
some cases, the sub-conscious will of the operator. The
hypothesis of spirits he does not consider necessary. It a certain object, which makes it become useless to others.
is possible, however, that fraud may have crept into the Taboo, or its remains, is still to be found in strong force
stances of M. Flammarion, as it has done in so many other
cases. And there are those among the most profound even in the most civilised communities, and from its use
' students of psychic research who find in unconscious
the feeling of reverence for ancient institutions and those
muscular action and deliberate fraud a satisfactory explana- who represent them is undoubtedly derived.
tion of the phenomena.
Tadebtsois : Spirits believed in by the Samoyeds. (See
Taboo, Tabu or Tapu : A Polynesian word meaning " pro-
Siberia.)
hibited " and signifying a prohibition enforced by religious
or magical power, which has come to be applied to similar Tadibe : The name for a Samoyed magician. (See Siberia.)
usages among savage peoples all over the world. Taboo, or
ATaigheirm : magical sacrifice of cats to the infernal spirits,
prohibition is enforced in the cases of sacred things and
unclean things. In the first instance, the taboo is placed formerly practised in the Highlands and Islands of Scot-
on the object because of the possession by it of inherent
land. It is believed to have been originally a ceremony of
mysterious power. But, taboo may be imposed by a chief
sacrifice to the subterranean gods, imported from more
or priest. It aims at the protection of important individ-
uals ; the safeguarding of the weak, women, children and northern lands, which became in Christian times an invoca-
slaves from the magical influence of more highly-placed tion of infernal spirits. The word " Taigheirm " signifies
either an armoury, or the cry of a cat, according to the
Asense in which it is used. description of the ceremony,
which must be performed with black cats, is given in
Horst's Deuteroscopy : " After the cats were dedicated tc*
all the devils, and put into a magico-sympathetic con-
dition by the shameful things done to them, and the
agony occasioned them, one of them was at once put upon
the spit, and, amid terrific howlings, roasted before a slow
fire. The moment that the howls of one tortured cat
ceased in death, another was put upon the spit, for a
minute of interval must not take place if they would control
hell ; and this continued for the four entire days and nights.
If the exorcist could hold it out still longer, and even till
his physical powers were absolutely exhausted, he must
do so." When the horrible rites had been continued for a
time the demons began to appear in the shape of black
cats, who mingled their dismal cries with those of the
unfortunate sacrifices. At length a cat appeared Tof
larger size and more frightful aspect than the others, and
the time had come for the exorcist to make known his
demands. Usually he asked for the gift of second sight,
but other rewards might be asked for and received. The
Tales of Terror 400 Talisman
last Taigheirm was said to have been held in Mull about pure and fine gold, fashioned into a circular plate, and
the middle of the seventeenth century. The exorcists were Awell polished on either side.
serpentine circle, enclosed
Allan Maclean and his assistant Lachlain Maclean, both by a pentagram must be engraved on the obverse side with
of whom received the second sight. Of this particular a diamond-pointed graving tool. The reverse must bear
ceremony Horst says : " The infernal spirits appeared a human head in the centre of the six-pointed star of
some in the early progress of the sacrifices, in the shape of Solomon, which shall itself be surrounded with the name
black cats. The first who appeared during the sacrifice,
of the solar intelligence Pi-Rhe, written in the characters
after they had cast a furious glance at the sacrifices, said of the Magi. This talisman is supposed to insure to its
Lachlain Oer, that is, ' Injurer of Cats.' Allan, the chief bearer the goodwill of influential persons. It is a pre-
operator, warned Lachlain, whatever he might see or hear, servative against death by heart disease, syncope, aneurism,
not to waver, but to keep the spit incessantly turning. and epidemic complaints. It must be composed on a
Sunday during the passage of the moon through Leo, and
At length the cat of monstrous size appeared ; and after when that luminary is in a favourable aspect with Saturn
it had set up a horrible howl, said to Lachlain Oer, that if and the Sun. The consecration consists in the exposure
he did not cease before their largest brother came he would
never see the face of God. Lachlain answered that he of the talisman to the smoke of a perfume composed of
cinnamon, incense, saffron, and red sandal, burnt with
would not cease till he had finished his work if all the
devils in hell came. At the end of the fourth day, there laurel-wood, and twigs of dessicated heliotrope, in a new
sat on the end of the beam in the roof of the barn a black
chafing-dish, which must be ground into powder and buried
cat with fire-flaming eyes, and there was heard a terrific in an isolated spot, after the operation is finished. The
howl quite across the straits of Mull into Mowen." By talisman must be afterwards encased in a satchel of bright
this time the elder of the two men was quite exhausted,
yellow silk, which must be fastened on the breast by an
and sank down in a swoon, but the younger was sufficiently interlaced ribbon of the same material, tied in the form
self-possessed to ask for wealth and prosperity, which both of a cross. In all cases the ceremony should be preceded
by the conjuration of the Four, to which the reader has
received throughout their life-time. Shortly before this,
Cameron of Lochiel received at a Taigheirm a small silver already been referred. The form of consecration, accom-
shoe which, put on the foot of a new-born son of his family, panied by sprinkling with holy water, may be rendered in
the following manner :—
would give courage and fortitude to the child. One boy,
however, had at his birth, a foot too large for the shoe, " In the name of Elohim, and by the spirit of the living
a defect inherited from his mother, who was not a Cameron.
—waters, be thou unto me as a sign of light and a seal of will.
His lack of the magically bestowed courage was apparent at " Presenting it to the smoke of the perfumes : By
Sheriffmuir, where he fled before the enemy. the brazen serpent before which fell the serpents of fire,
Tales of Terror, by Matthew Lewis. (See Fiction, Occult —be thou unto me as a sign of light and a seal of will.
" Breathing seven times upon the talisman : By the
English.) firmament and the spirit of the voice, be thou unto me as a
Talisman : An inanimate object which is supposed to possess
a supernatural capacity of conferring benefits or powers sign of light and a seal of will.
in contradistinction to the amulet (q.v.), the purpose of —" Lastly, when placing some grains of purified earth or
which is to ward off evil. It was usually a disc of metal salt upon the pentacle : In the name of the salt of the
earth and by virtue of the life eternal, be thou unto me
or stone engraved with astrological or magical figures.
as a sign of light and a seal of will.
Talismans were common in ancient Egypt and Babylon.
" II. The Talisman of the Moon should be composed of
The virtues of astrological talismans were as follows : The
astrological figure of Mercury, engraven upon silver, which a circular and well-polished plate of the purest silver, being
is the corresponding metal, and according to the pre- of the dimensions of an ordinary medal. The image of a
scribed rites, gave success in Merchandise that of Mars crescent, enclosed in a pentagram, should be graven on the
;
obverse side. On the reverse side, a chalice must be
gave victory to the soldier ; that of Venus, beauty, and
so of the rest. All such talismans likewise are more power- encircled by the duadic seal of Solomon, encompassed by
ful in the hour of their planet's ascendency. There are the letters of the lunar genius Pi-Job. This talisman is
three general varieties of these potent charms : I. The considered a protection to travellers, and to sojourners in
astronomical, having the characters of the heavenly signs strange lands. It preserves from death by drowning, by
or constellations. 2. The magical, with extraordinary epilepsy, by dropsy, by apoplexy, and madness. The
figures, superstitious words, or the names of angels. 3. The dangers of a violent end which is predicted by Saturnian
mixed, engraven with celestial signs and barbarous words.
To these, Fosbrook, in his Encycloptsdia of Antiquities, aspects in horoscopes of nativity, may be removed by its
means. It should be composed on a Monday, when the
—adds two others : 4. The sigilla planetarum, composed of moon is passing through the first ten degrees of Capricornus
Hebrew numeral letters, used by astrologers and fortune- or Virgo, and is also well aspected with Saturn. Its con-
tellers ; and 5. Hebrew names and characters. As an secration consists in exposure to a perfume composed of
example of the most powerful of the latter, may be men-
tioned the sacred name of Jehovah. The famous tephillin jwhite sandal, camphor, aloes, amber, and pulverised seed
of cucumber, burnt with dessicated stalks of mugwort,
or phylacteries, used in Jewish devotion, and which were moonwort, and ranunculus, in a new earthen chafing-dish,
bound on the head, the arm, and the hand, may be regarded which must be reduced, after the operation, into powder,
as talismans, and they were the subject of many traditional
and buried in a deserted spot. The talisman must be
ceremonies. We may also mention the mezuzoth or
sewn up in a satchel of white silk, and fixed on the breast by
schedules for door-posts, and another article of this des- a ribbon of the same colour, interlaced and tied in the form
—cription mentioned in the following quotation from the of a cross.
Talmud : " Whoever has the telphillin bound to his " III. The Talisman of Mars must be composed of a
head and arm, and the tsitsith thrown over his garments, well-polished circular plate of the finest iron, and of the
and the mezuza fixed on his door-post, is protected from dimensions of an ordinary medal. The symbol of a sword
sin." in the centre of a pentagram must be engraved on the
Writing of talismans in his Occult Sciences, Mr. A. E. Aobverse side. lion's head surrounded by a six-pointed
Waite says :
star must appear on the reverse face, with the letters of the
" I. The Talisman of the Sun must be composed of a
name Erotosi, the planetary genius of Mars, above the
Talisman 401 Talisman
outer angles. This talisman passes as a preservative "The Talisman of Jupiter is held to attract to the wearer
the benevolence and sympathy of everyone. It averts
against all combinations of enemies. It averts the chance
of death in brawls and battles, in epidemics and fevers, anxieties, favours honourable enterprises, and augments
and by corroding ulcers. It also neutralizes the peril of a
well-being in proportion to social condition. It is a pro-
violent end as a punishment for crime when it is foretold
tection against unforeseen accidents, and the perils of a
in the horoscope of the nativity.
" This talisman must be composed on a Tuesday, during violent death when it is threatened by Saturn in the horo-
scope of nativity. It also preserves from death by affec-
the passage of the moon through the ten first degrees of tions of the liver, by inflammation of the lungs, and by that
cruel affection of the spinal marrow, which is termed tabes
Aries or Sagittarius, and when, moreover, it is favourably
aspected with Saturn and Mars. The consecration consists dorsalis in medicine.
in its exposure to the smoke of a perfume composed of dried
absinth and rue, burnt in an earthen vessel which has "VI. The Talisman of Venus must be formed of a
never been previously used, and which must be broken into circular plate of purified and well-polished copper. It
powder, and buried in a secluded place, when the operation
is completed. Finally, the talisman must be sewn up in a must be of the ordinary dimensions of a medal, perfectly
satchel of red silk, and fastened on the breast with ribbons polished on both its sides. It must bear on the obverse
of the same material folded and knotted in the form of a
Gface the letter inscribed in the alphabet of the Magi, and
cross. enclosed in a pentagram. A dove must be engraved on
" IV. The Talisman of Mercury must be formed of a the reverse, in the centre of the six-pointed star, which
must be surrounded by the letters which compose the
circular plate of fixed quicksilver, or according to another
name of the planetary Genius Suroth. This talisman must
account of an amalgam of silver, mercury, and pewter, of be composed on a Friday, during the passage of the moon
the dimensions of an ordinary medal, well-polished on both through the first ten degrees of Taurus or Virgo, and when
sides. A winged caduceus, having two serpents twining that luminary is well aspected with Saturn and Venus. Its
consecration consists in its exposure to the smoke of a
about it, must be engraved in the centre of a pentagram perfume composed of violets and roses, burnt with olive
on the obverse side. The other must bear a dog's head wood in a new earthen chafing-dish, which must be ground
within the star of Solomon, the latter being surrounded into powder at the end of the operation and buried in a
with the name of the planetary genius, Pi-Hermes, written in solitary spot. The talisman must, finally, be sewn up in a
the alphabet of the Magi. This talisman must be composed satchel of green or rose-coloured silk, which must be
on a Wednesday, when the moon is passing through the fastened on the breast by a band of the same material,
ten first degrees of Gemini or Scorpio, and is well aspected
with Saturn and Mercury. The consecration consists in folded and tied in the form of a cross.
its exposure to the smoke of a perfume composed of ben- The Talisman of Venus is accredited with extraordinary
zoin, macis, and storax, burnt with the dried stalks of the
lily, the narcissus, fumitory, and marjolane, placed in a power in cementing the bonds of love and harmony between
clay chafing-dish which has never been devoted to any husbands and wives. It averts irom those who wear it the
other purpose, and which must, .after the completion of spite and machinations of hatred. It preserves women
from the terrible and fatal diseases which are known as
the task, be reduced to powder and buried in an undisturbed cancer. It averts from both men and women all danger
place. The Talisman of Mercury is judged to be a defence
in all species of commerce and business industry. Buried of death, to which they may be accidentally or purposely
under the ground in a house of commerce, it will draw
customers and prosperity. It preserves all who wear it exposed. It counterbalances the unfortunate presages
from epilepsy and madness. It averts death by murder
and poison ; it is a safeguard against the schemes of treason which may appear in the horoscope of nativity. Its last
and it procures prophetic dreams when it is worn on the
head during s'eep. It is fastened on the breast by a ribbon and most singular quality is its power to change the ani-
of purple silk folded and tied in the form of a cross, and mosity of an enemy into a love and devotion which will be
the talisman is itself enclosed in a satchel of the same proof against every temptation, and it rests on the sole
condition that such a person should be persuaded to
material.
partake of a liquid in which the talisman has been dipped.
" V. The Talisman of Jupiter must be formed of a " VII. The Talisman of Saturn must be composed of a
circular plate of the purest English pewter, having the circular plate of refined and purified lead, being of the
dimensions of an ordinary medal, and being highly polished
on either side. The image of a four-pointed crown in the dimensions of an ordinary medal, elaborately polished.
centre of a pentagram must be engraved on the obverse
On the obverse side must be engraven with the diamond-
side. On the other must be the head of an eagle in the
pointed tool which is requisite in all these talismanic
centre of the six-pointed star of Solomon, which must be operations, the image of a sickle enclosed in a pentagram.
surrounded by the name of the planetary genius Pi-Zeous,
The reverse side must bear a bull's head, enclosed in the
written in the arcane alphabet. star of Solomon, and surrounded by the mysterious letters
" This talisman must be composed on a Thursday, which compose, in the alphabet of the Magi, the name
of the planetary Genius Tempha. The person who is
during the passage of the moon through the first ten intended to 'wear this talisman must engrave it himself,
degrees of Libra, and when it is also in a favourable aspect without witnesses, and without taking any one into his
with Saturn and Jupiter. The consecration consists in
its exposure to the smoke of a perfume composed of incense, confidence.
ambergris, balm, grain of Paradise, saffron, and macis, " This talisman must be composed on a Saturday when
which is the second coat of the nutmeg. These must be the moon is passing through the first ten degrees of Taurus
burnt with wood of the oak.poplar, fig tree, and pomegranate, or Capricorn, and is favourably aspected with Saturn. It
and placed in a new earthen dish, which must be ground must be consecrated by exposure to the smoke of a perfume
into powder, and buried in a quiet spot, at the end of the composed of alum, assa-foetida, cammonee, and sulphur,
ceremony. The talisman must be wrapped in a satchel of which must be burnt with cypress, the wood of the ash
sky-blue silk, suspended on the breast by a ribbon of the tree, and sprays of black hellebore, in a new earthen
same material, folded and fastened in the form of a cross. chafing-dish, which must be reduced into powder at the
end of the performance, and buried in a' deserted place.
The talisman must, finally, be sewn up in a satchel of
black silk and fastened on the breast with a ribbon of the
same material, folded and tied in the form of a cross. The
Talisman of Saturn was affirmed to be a safeguard against
BB
Talmud 402 Tarot
death by apoplexy and cancer, decay in the bones, con- to praise God and to be guardians of man. In their
sumption, dropsy, paralysis, and decline ; it was also a first capacity they are daily created by God's breath out
preservative against the possibility of being entombed in a of a stream of fire that rolls its waves under the supernal
trance, against the danger of violent death by secret crime, throne. In their second, two of them accompany every
poison, or ambush. If the head of the army in war-time man, and for every new good deed man acquires a new
were to bury the Talisman of Saturn in a place which it was guardian angel, who always watches over his steps. When
feared might fall into the hands of the enemy, the limit a righteous man died, three hosts of angels descend from
assigned by the presence of the talisman could not be over- the celestial battlements to meet him. One says (in
stepped by the opposing host, which would speedily with- the words of Scripture), ' He shall go in peace ' ; the
draw in discouragement, or in the face of a determined second takes up the strain and says, ; Who has walked in
assault." (See Ceremonial Magic.) righteousness ' ; and the third concludes, ' Let him come
in peace and rest upon his bed.' In like manner, when the
Talmud, The : From the Hebrew lamad, to learn ; the wicked man passes away, three hosts of wicked angels are
name of the great code of Jewish civil and canonical law.
It is divided into two portions^the Mishna and the ready to escort him, but their address is not couched in any
Gernara ; the former constituted the text and the latter spirit of consolation or encouragement."
was a commentary and supplement. But besides being It would be. impossible in this place to give a resume
the basis of a legal code, it is also a collection of Jewish of the traditional matter contained in the Talmud. Suffice
poetry and legend. The Mishna is a development of the it to say that it is of great extent. It has been considered
laws contained in the Pentateuch. It is divided into six by some authorities that a great many of the traditional
sedarim or orders, each containing a number of tractates, tales have a magical basis, and that magical secrets are
which are again divided into peraqim or chapters. The contained in them but this depends entirely upon the
;
sedarim are : (i) Zeraim, which deals with agriculture interpretation put upon them, and the subject is one which
;
(2) Moed, with festivals and sacrifices (3) Nashim, with necessitates the closest possible study.
;
the law regarding women (4) Nezaqin, with civil law Tam 0' Shanter : (See Scotland.)
; ;
(5) Qodashim, with the sacrificial law and (6) Tohoroth ATannhauser : mediaeval German legend which relates
;
or Tah, with purifications. The Mishna was supposed to how a minstrel and knight of that name, passing by the
have been handed down by Ezra and to be in part Horselberg, or Hill of Venus, entered therein in answer to a
the work of Joshua, David or Solomon, and originally call, and remained there with the enchantress, living an
—communicated orally by the Deity in the time of Moses. unholy life. After a time he grew weary of sin, and
longing to return to clean living, he forswore the worship
There are two recensions the Talmud of Jerusalem, and
the Talmud of Babylon ; which latter besides the sedarim of Venus and left her. He then made a pilgrimage to
mentioned contains seven additional treatises which are Rome, to ask pardon of the Pope, 'but when he was told
regarded as extra-canonical. The first is supposed to have by Urban IV., himself that the papal staff would as soon
been finally edited towards the close of the fourth century blossom as such a sinner as Tannhauser be forgiven, he
A.D., and the second by Rabbi Ashi, President of the returned to Venus. Three days later, the Pope's staff did
Academy of Syro in Babylon, somewhere in the fourth actually blossom, and he sent messengers into every country
century. Though revised from time to time before then, to find the despairing minstrel, but to no purpose, Tann-
both versions have been greatly corrupted through the hauser had disappeared. The story has a mythological
interpolation of gross traditions. The rabbinical decisions basis which has been laid over by mediaeval Christian
in the Mishna are entitled helacoth and the traditional thought, and the original hero of which has been displaced
narratives haggadah. The cosmogony of the Talmud by a more modern personage, just as the Venus of the
assumes that the universe has been developed by means existing legend is the mythological Venus only in name.
of a series of cataclysms : world after world was destroyed She is really the Lady Holda, a German earth-goddess.
until the Creator made the present globe and saw that itwas Tannhauser was a " minnesinger " or love-minstrel of the
good. In 1,he wonderful treatise on the subject by Deutsch middle of the thirteenth century. He was very popular
which first appeared in the Quarterly Review in 1867, and among the minnesingers of that time and the restless and
is reprinted in his Literary Remains, the following passage intemperate life he led probably marked him out as the
appears : hero of such a legend as has been recounted. He was the
" The hoiv of the creation was not mere matter of specu- author of many ballads of considerable excellence, which
lation. The co-operation of angels, whose existence was
are published in the second part of the " Minnesinger "
warranted by Scripture, and a whole hierarchy of whom (Von der Hagen, Leipsic, 1838) and in the sixth volume of
had been built up under Persian influences, was Haupt's Zeitschrift fur deutsches Althertum. The most
distinctly denied. In a discussion about the day of their authentic version of this legend is given in Uhland's
creation, it is agreed on all hands that there were no angels Alte hock und niederdeutsche Volkslieder (Stuttgart, 1845).
at first, lest men might say, ' Michael spanned out the Tappan-Richmond, Mrs. Cora L. V. : Perhaps the best known
firmament on the south, and Gabriel to the north.' There of all the inspirational speakers who have appeared since
—is a distinct foreshadowing of the Gnostic Demiurgos — —the beginning of the spiritualistic movement. As a child
—that antique link between the Divine Spirit and the world Mrs. Tappan-Richmond then Miss Scott spent some
time in the Hopedale Community (q.v.), so that she was
of matter to be found in the Talmud. What with Plato
were the Ideas, with Philo the Logos, with the Kabalists early initiated into the mysteries of spiritualism. At the
the ' World of Aziluth,' what the Gnostics called more age of sixteen she went to New York, and became an
emphatically the wisdom (sophi :), or power (dunamis), and " inspired " lecturer on spiritualism, in which capacity
Plotinus the nous, that the Talmudical authors call Meta- she soon became famous throughout America. Coming
tion. There is a good deal, in the post-captivity Talmud, to Britain in 1873 she was warmly received by the spiritual-
about the Angels, borrowed from the Persian. The ists in this country, and for a number of years gave freqeunt
Archangels or Angelic princes are seven in number, and trance discourses, characterised by their rhythm and fluency,
their Hebrew names and functions correspond almost and the comparative clarity of their ideas-.
exactly to those of their Persian prototypes. There are Tarot, or Tarots, is the French name for a species of playing-
also hosts of ministering angels, the Persian Yazatas, whose cards, originally used for the purpose of divination, and
functions, besides that of being messengers, were two-fold still employed by fortune-tellers. Tarot cards, however,
Tarot 403 Tears on Shutters
form part of an ordinary pack in certain countries of country where the orthodox Eastern Church predominated
southern Europe, whence the name of tarocchi given to an ;
and the form of head-dress of the king, together with the
Italian game. The derivation of the word is uncertain. shape of the eagle on the shield, shows that this was governed
One suggestion is that these cards were so called because by Russian Grand Dukes, who had not yet assumed the
they were tarolees on the back ; that is, marked with plain Imperial insignia. This seems to me confirmatory of the
widespread belief that it is to the Gypsies we are indebted
or dotted lines crossing diagonally. Confirmation of this
for our knowledge of playing-cards." It will be seen that
theory may be found in the German form of the word ;
this conclusion is based upon independent judgment.
a tarock-karte being a card chequered on the back. Not
improbably, however, there is here a confusion between —As early, however, as 1865 two years after the appearance
—of Vaillant's last book E, S. Taylor supported the same
cause and effect.
hypothesis in his History of Playing Cards. Willshire
De 1' Hoste Ranking, who dismisses as " obviously (Descriptive Catalogues of Cards in the British Museum, 1877)
controverts Taylor's conclusion, on the ground that
worthless " the explanations of Count de Gebelin, Vaillant
and Mathers, refers the name to the Hungarian Gipsy tar, a
pack of cards, and thence to the Hindustani taru. The figures " whether the Zingari be of-JEgyptian or Indian origin,
on these cards are emblematic, and are believed by many they did not appear in Europe before 14 17, when cards
to embody the esoteric religion of ancient Egypt and India had been known for some time." But this objection is
; nullified by trJe fact that the presence of Gypsies, in Europe
but on this subject there is much difference of opinion.
" The tarot pack most in use," observes Ranking, "' con- is now placed at a date considerably anterior to 1417.
sists of seventy-eight cards, of which twenty-two are more There was, for example, a well-established feudum Acin-
properly known as the tarots, and are considered as the ganorum, or Gypsy barony, in the island of Corfu in the
' keys ' of the tarot these correspond with the twenty- fourteenth century.
;
To examine in detail the various emblematic figures of the
two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, or, according to
Falconnier and to Margiotta, with the ' alphabet of the tarot would demand a disproportionate amount of space.
Magi.' The suits are four : wands, sceptres, or clubs, Ranking's reference to the Pope and the King points to
answering to diamonds ; cups, chalices, or goblets, answering two of these twenty-two figures. The others are : the
to hearts ; swords, answering to spades ; money, circles, Female Pope, the Queen, Osiris Triumphant, The Wheel
or pentacles, answering to clubs. Each suit consists of of Fortune, Justice, Prudence, Temperance, Strength,
fourteen cards, the ace, and nine others, and four court Marriage, The Philosopher, The Juggler, Death, The Devil,
cards : king, queen, knight, and knave. The four aces The Fool, The Lightning-struck Tower, The Sun, The
form the keys of their respective suits." As already Moon, The Star, The Universe, The Last Judgment. There
indicated, the twenty-two " keys of the tarot," which is great diversity of opinion, even among '" initiates," as
consist of various emblematic figures, are assumed to be to the meaning of these symbols. They are very fully
hieroglyphic symbols of the occult meanings of the letters discussed in the work of "Papus" already cited; to
of the Hebrew alphabet ; or, alternatively, " the alphabet which the reader is specially referred. On the whole,
of the Magi." " Immense antiquity is claimed for these there is much to be said in favour of the theory that the
symbols," observes Ranking. " AUiette or (by trans- origin of the tarot is traceable to the esoteric philosophy of
position) Etteilla, a French mystic of the beginning of the the schools of ancient Egypt and Chaldea, by whatever
nineteenth century, ascribed their origin to Hermes Trisme- means it has found its way into Europe.
gistus, under the name of The Book of Thoth, or The Golden In addition to the works already cited, see Le Monde
Book of Hermes. Others have sought to identify the tarot Primitif, by Count de Gebelin, Vol. VIII., Paris, 1781 ;
with the sibylline leaves." Raymond Lully (1235-1315)
is said to have based his great work, Ars Generalis sive Les Origines des Cartes a Jouer, by Merlin, Paris, 1869
;
Magna, on the application of the occult philosophy con-
The Tarot, by Mathers, London, 1888 ; L' Art de Tirer les
Cartes, by Magus, Paris, 1895 ; Le walladisme, by Margistta,
tained in the tarot. Grenoble, 1895 ; Magie, by Bourgeat, Paris, 1895 ;
Les XXII. Lames HermHiques du Tarot, by Falconnier,
The idea tiiat the tarot was introduced into Europe by the
Gypsies appears to have been first broached by Vaillant, Paris, 1896; A. E. Waite, Key to the Tarot, 1910 ; and J.
who had lived for many years among the Gypsies, by W. Brodie-Innes, The Tarot Cards, in the " Occult Review"
whom he was instructed in their traditional lore. Much of
for February, 1919. David MacRitchie.
the information thus obtained is incorporated in Les
Tatwic Yoga : meaning " The Science of Breath." The
R6mes, histoire vraie des vrais Bohemiens (c. 1853), La
Bible des Bohemiens (i860), and La Clef Magique de la title of a little book translated from the Sanscrit some
years ago by the Pandit Rama Prasad. The " breath "
Fiction et du Fait (1863). Vaillant's theory has been fully referred to is the life-giving breath of Brahman, and in it
are contained the five elementary principles of nature,
accepted by a French writer, " Papus," who published in
1889 Le Tarot des Bohemiens : Le Plus Ancien Livre du corresponding to the five senses of man. These principles
Monde ;describing it as " la clef absolue de la science occulte." are know as Tatwas, and of them the body is composed.
" The Gypsies possess a Bible," he asserts ; " yes, this The knowledge of the Tatwas is believed to confer wonder-
card game called the Tarot which the Gypsies possess is ful power ; and to this end all undertakings must be com-
menced at times which are known to be propitious from
the Bible of Bibles. It is a marvellous book, as Count
de Gebelin and especially Vaillant have realized. Under the movements of the Tatwas in the body. An important
the names of Tarot, Thora, Rota, this game has formed method of yoga practice is given in the book, which will
successively the basis of the synthetic teaching of all the certainly assure marvellous results.
ancient peoples." Taurabolmin : (See Mithraic Mysteries.)
Although it may not be possible to accept this dictum Taxil, Leo : The pseudonum of M. Gabriel Jogaud-Pages, who
in his works The Brethren of the Three Points and Are
in its entirety, it is of interest to note that Ranking con- there Women in Freemasonry ? has accused the Masonic
cludes that these and all other playing-cards' were intro-
duced into Europe by the Gypsies. " I would submit,' Fraternity of the practice of Satanism and sorcery. His
he says, writing in 1908, " that from internal evidence we assertions are of the most debatable description.
may deduce that the tarots were introduced by a race Tears on Shutters : It is mentioned in Pennant's Tour that
speaking an Indian dialect that the form of the Pope in some parts of Scotland it was the custom, on the death of
; any person of distinction, to paint on the doors and window-
(as portrayed in the tarots) shows they had been long in a
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