Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/266

234 of life; they gave their children to him. The actual name by which he was known to his worshippers varies in every district; in some, each witch of the covine called him by a special name ; in others he was known by the same name to every witch within his circle. But as the records rarely extend beyond the one trial in each county or district of a county, there is no continuity in the history of any one community, and it is not possible to say whether either custom was the rule in the place in which it was practised, nor whether the name which all the witches knew was applied to the individual or to the office; whether, for example, the witches of Aberdeen always called their chiefs "Christsonday," or whether the little crippled man, whom Christen Michell saw, was the only one known by that name.

This chief or Devil was, as God incarnate, absolutely supreme over his followers; they were bound to obey his lightest command. On his side, there were certain duties to perform; he instructed the witches in magical arts, both for curing and killing; he helped them when in difficulties if they called upon him ; he presided at the Sabbaths, where he conducted the religious service; and