Page:Ossendowski - The Shadow of the Gloomy East.djvu/72

56 naked rocks. The dowry consists of a broken cross, a jug filled with the blood of a black ram or lamb, the skin torn off a black cat which had been hanged, and a bottle of brandy.

While awaiting in dire terror the sudden apparition of the bridegroom, she cries, shouts, wails, and sobs, till at last she becomes half insane or faints, and is often attacked with epilepsy. Upon the morning, at dawn, the old witch arrives, frees the unfortunate one from her fetters, wakes her up out of the swoon by pouring brandy down her throat, and salutes her with a magic formula, no doubt as old as the Slav world. From that day the girl has become a witch, and starts her own practice. The old woman fears no longer that her young disciple will escape, as the news of her having been betrothed to the devil has already reached the village, and if the latter dared to appear there, she would find certain death at the hands of the superstitious peasant women.

From the day of betrothal the witch begins to learn to &hellip; fly.

Forensic medicine, the history of religious worship, researches of the fathers of the Christian Church, and the great Leonardo da Vinci throw light upon this matter.

It happens that the witch prepares a special ointment which is a mixture of grease and herbs, rubs her body with it before nightfall, falls quickly into a sleep, and in her dreams receives the familiar impression of fly-