Post by whitetiger on Feb 10, 2005 13:16:14 GMT -5
An ancient method for summoning a spirit or force, probably predating Christianity, involves moving round certain sacred spots in a certain manner. The most famous of these places in Sussex is also one of the most haunted, Chanctonbury Ring. It is said that if you run or walk forwards/backwards at a certain date/time or not the Devil will appear and offer you soup or porridge or steal your soul or both. A similar, though less complicated peramulation can be used to summon the Devil at the group of barrows on Bow Hill known as the Devil's Humps or King's Graves. The relatively simple task of running around the barrows six or seven times without further restriction is enough to perform the summoning. Other sites of summoning include a tree by the old Rectory at Kingston Buci, an old Unitarian Chapel and various old tombs such as the oldest tomb in Broadwater Churchyard in Worthing, perhaps a smugglers stash, the story invented to keep people away. Another site of supposed smuggling involvement was the Miller's Tomb on Highdown hill. If you run around the tomb 12 times backwards at midnight you will raise the Devil who will jump out and chase you, though running 7 times forwards will summon the ghost of the miller who will promptly do the same as the Devil would. A similar story is told of the pyramidal tomb of Mad Jack Fuller, the eccentric Georgian squire who lived at Brightling. If you run backwards around his tomb seven times, you will summon the Devil or the ghost of the squire himself. This is despite the squires efforts to keep the Devil away from his tomb by having broken glass sprinkled on the floor inside.
A more occult form of raising the Devil was performed by a "Cunning Man" near Crowborough Green. Once the Devil was raised and his task performed, the man had trouble getting rid of him, but his son scattered a sackful of clover seeds on the floor and set the Devil the task of picking the seeds up one by one. By means of this distraction, they found the time to find the right spell to send the Devil away again.
As well as Summoning, it is well to keep the Devil away. One author links the removal of the Devil with the Howling of the apple trees at new year. It is said that the minions of the Devil made their homes in the uppermost branches of apple trees and would blight crops around. The wasailing ceremony not only removed these demons but encouraged good spirits to move into the tree.
The Devil Likes . . . The Devil Hates
If you cut your nails on Sunday, the Devil is sure to chase you all week and having horse brasses in your house will also attract him. Salt and sunlight are means to keep away the Devil, who is also said to dislike a plant that goes by the name of Blue Scabious because of it's healing properties. It is said "The greater part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastick charmers report that the Devil did bite it for Envie, because it is an herb that hath so many good virtues and is so beneficial to mankinde". Other plants that have a nickname relating to the Devil are the Puff-Ball Fungus which is known as the "Devil's Snuff Box", the nettle which is known as the "Naughty Man's Plaything" and Field Concolvulus which is known as the "Devil's Weed" due to the difficulty in eradicating it. On Easter Sunday morning in Sussex, it is said that the sun dances, but the Devil always manages to put a hill, some trees or a cloud in the way. The Devil's dislike for the housewife of a Sussex farmer is recorded in a folk song sung to the tune of "Lilliburlero", ascribed to Purcell. The chorus consists of whistling a short tune, giving the song its name of "The Whistling Song". The words of the song were unfortunately edited for coarseness, but are recorded as follows :
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,
(Chorus of whistlers)
And he had a bad wife, as many know well.
(Chorus of whistlers)
Then Satan came to the old man at the plough,
'One of your family I must have now.
It is not your eldest son that I do crave,
But 'tis your old wife, and she I will have.'
'O welcome! good Satan, with all my heart;
I hope you and she will never more part!'
Now Satan he got the old wife on his back,
And he lugged her along like a pedlar's pack.
He trudged away till he came to his gate,
Says he, 'Here, take an old Sussex man's mate.'
Oh! then she did kick all the young imps about;
Says one to the other, 'Let's try turn her out!'
She spied seven devils, all dancing in chains,
She up with her patterns and knocked out their brains.
She knocked old Satan against the wall,
'Let's try turn her out, or she'll murder us all!'
Now he's bundled her up on his back again,
And to her old husband he's took her again :
'I've been a tormentor the whole of my life,
But I ne'er was tormented till I took you wife!'
The Devil And Buried Treasure
The Devil is referred to as 'He' with a special emphasis in a story relating to Buried Treasure at the Trundle hillfort near Goodwood, the story goes thus :
"In the Downs there's a golden calf buried; people know very well where it is - I could show you the place any day. Then why doant they dig it up? Oh, it is not allowed; he would not let them. Has anyone ever tried? Oh, yes, but it's never there when you look, he moves it away."
Another tale tells of someone actually trying to dig it up :
"You know, there's many a one that tried... My dad used to say as his grandfather got up early on Holy Sunday an' went along to the place an' started digging. An' he actually ketched sight of a lump o' gold, an' then he was almost deafed by a clap o' thunder, an' when he looked again, the gold was gone."
A similar story is told of Clayton Hill, which has barrows rather than a Hillfort and is also protected by The Devil.
A more occult form of raising the Devil was performed by a "Cunning Man" near Crowborough Green. Once the Devil was raised and his task performed, the man had trouble getting rid of him, but his son scattered a sackful of clover seeds on the floor and set the Devil the task of picking the seeds up one by one. By means of this distraction, they found the time to find the right spell to send the Devil away again.
As well as Summoning, it is well to keep the Devil away. One author links the removal of the Devil with the Howling of the apple trees at new year. It is said that the minions of the Devil made their homes in the uppermost branches of apple trees and would blight crops around. The wasailing ceremony not only removed these demons but encouraged good spirits to move into the tree.
The Devil Likes . . . The Devil Hates
If you cut your nails on Sunday, the Devil is sure to chase you all week and having horse brasses in your house will also attract him. Salt and sunlight are means to keep away the Devil, who is also said to dislike a plant that goes by the name of Blue Scabious because of it's healing properties. It is said "The greater part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastick charmers report that the Devil did bite it for Envie, because it is an herb that hath so many good virtues and is so beneficial to mankinde". Other plants that have a nickname relating to the Devil are the Puff-Ball Fungus which is known as the "Devil's Snuff Box", the nettle which is known as the "Naughty Man's Plaything" and Field Concolvulus which is known as the "Devil's Weed" due to the difficulty in eradicating it. On Easter Sunday morning in Sussex, it is said that the sun dances, but the Devil always manages to put a hill, some trees or a cloud in the way. The Devil's dislike for the housewife of a Sussex farmer is recorded in a folk song sung to the tune of "Lilliburlero", ascribed to Purcell. The chorus consists of whistling a short tune, giving the song its name of "The Whistling Song". The words of the song were unfortunately edited for coarseness, but are recorded as follows :
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,
(Chorus of whistlers)
And he had a bad wife, as many know well.
(Chorus of whistlers)
Then Satan came to the old man at the plough,
'One of your family I must have now.
It is not your eldest son that I do crave,
But 'tis your old wife, and she I will have.'
'O welcome! good Satan, with all my heart;
I hope you and she will never more part!'
Now Satan he got the old wife on his back,
And he lugged her along like a pedlar's pack.
He trudged away till he came to his gate,
Says he, 'Here, take an old Sussex man's mate.'
Oh! then she did kick all the young imps about;
Says one to the other, 'Let's try turn her out!'
She spied seven devils, all dancing in chains,
She up with her patterns and knocked out their brains.
She knocked old Satan against the wall,
'Let's try turn her out, or she'll murder us all!'
Now he's bundled her up on his back again,
And to her old husband he's took her again :
'I've been a tormentor the whole of my life,
But I ne'er was tormented till I took you wife!'
The Devil And Buried Treasure
The Devil is referred to as 'He' with a special emphasis in a story relating to Buried Treasure at the Trundle hillfort near Goodwood, the story goes thus :
"In the Downs there's a golden calf buried; people know very well where it is - I could show you the place any day. Then why doant they dig it up? Oh, it is not allowed; he would not let them. Has anyone ever tried? Oh, yes, but it's never there when you look, he moves it away."
Another tale tells of someone actually trying to dig it up :
"You know, there's many a one that tried... My dad used to say as his grandfather got up early on Holy Sunday an' went along to the place an' started digging. An' he actually ketched sight of a lump o' gold, an' then he was almost deafed by a clap o' thunder, an' when he looked again, the gold was gone."
A similar story is told of Clayton Hill, which has barrows rather than a Hillfort and is also protected by The Devil.
