Exercise 8a

You may find it of interest to read Henry Longfellow’s epic poem Hiawatha. This is about the adventures of an Ojibway Indian and his wife Minehaha who save their people. It is based on the true story of the chief of the North American Indians, who made peace with the white man only to be condemned for doing so by the shamans of his tribe, who, in mistaken revenge, had his daughter killed. The book will be found in most libraries.

Familiars are historically helpers of witches to do dastardly deeds. These familiars were also usually animals, but sometimes insects and imps. Black cats were a common witch’s familiar and this is why cats were massacred in medieval times in Europe. In modern times familiars have a similar role to totems.

Unfortunately there are still legends that are alive today that speak of witches’ familiars which then became known as demons.

In East Anglia, a region rife in witchcraft, there are still many sightings of Old Black Shuck.

Who was old Black Shuck?

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