RAISING GHOSTS
The trade of raising spirits has probably existed at all times in which
superstition has been sufficiently prevalent to make such a practice a
source of power or of profit, and nations--the most polished as well as
the most barbarous--have admitted the claims of persons who professed
to be able to control spirits. One of the most graphic illustrations of
an incantation for evoking spirits is in connection with the appearance
of the shade of Darius in the 'Persæ' of Æschylus, which is very nobly
given. After receiving news of the great defeat of her son Xerxes at
Salamis, Atossa has prepared the requisite offerings to the dead--milk
from a white cow, honey, water from a pure fountain, unadulterated
wine, olives, and flowers--and she instructs the ancient counsellors of
the deceased king to evoke his shade. They who form the tragic chorus
commence an incantation from which we quote the following:
Royal lady, Persia's pride,
Thine offerings in earth's chamber hide;
We, meanwhile, with hymns will sue
The powers who guard hell's shadowy crew,
Till they to our wish incline.
Gods below, ye choir divine,
Earth, Hermes, and thou King of night,
Send his spirit forth to light!
If he knows worse ills impending,
He alone can teach their ending.
&c., &c., &c.
The incantation is successful, but Darius assures his friends that exit
from below is far from easy, and that the subterranean gods are far
more willing to take than to let go. Indeed, the raising of spirits
was a trick of magic much in use in ancient times, and the scene that
took place at Endor when Saul had recourse to a professor of the art
is familiar to all. The Egyptian magicians, Simon Magus, and Elymas
the sorcerer, all, it is said, exhibited such corporeal deceptions.
Tertullian, in his tract 'De Anima,' inquires whether a departed soul,
either at his own will, or in obedience to the command of another,
can return from the 'Inferi'? After discussing the subject, he sums up
thus: 'If certain souls have been recalled into their bodies by the
power of God, as manifest proof of His prerogative, that is no argument
that a similar power should be conferred on audacious magicians,
fallacious dreamers, and licentious poets.'
Among certain Australian tribes the necromants are called Birraark. It
is said that a Birraark was supposed to be initiated by the 'mrarts'
(ghosts) when they met him wandering in the bush. It was from the
ghosts that he obtained replies to questions concerning events passing
at a distance, or yet to happen, which might be of interest or moment
to his tribe. An account of a spiritual séance in the bush is given in
'Kamilaroi and Kurnai' (p. 254): 'The fires were let down; the Birraark
uttered the cry "Coo-ee" at intervals. At length a distant reply was
heard, and shortly afterwards the sound as of persons jumping on the
ground in succession. A voice was then heard in the gloom asking in
a strange intonation, "What is wanted?" At the termination of the
séance, the spirit voice said, "We are going." Finally, the Birraark
was found in the top of an almost inaccessible tree, apparently asleep.'
In Japan, ghosts can be raised in various ways. One mode is to 'put
into an andon' (a paper lantern in a frame) 'a hundred rushlights, and
repeat an incantation of a hundred lines. One of these rushlights is
taken out at the end of each line, and the would-be ghost-seer then
goes out in the dark with one light still burning, and blows it out,
when the ghost ought to appear. Girls who have lost their lovers by
death often try that sorcery.'[164]
Shakespeare has several allusions to the popular belief of certain
persons being able to exorcise, or raise, spirits, and he represents
Ligarius, in 'Julius Cæsar' (iv. 2) as saying:
Soul of Rome!
Brave son, derived from honourable loins!
Thou, like an exorcist, has conjured up
My mortified spirit. Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impossible;
Yea, get the better of them.
In days gone by, it would seem, numerous formalities were observed
by the person whose object was to 'constrain' some spirit to appear
before him. It was necessary to fix upon a spot proper for such a
purpose, 'which had to be either in a subterranean vault hung round
with black, and lighted by a magical torch, or else in the centre of
some thick wood or desert, or upon some extensive unfrequented plain,
where several roads met, or amidst the ruins of ancient castles,
abbeys, monasteries, &c., or amongst the rocks on the sea-shore, in
some private detached churchyard, or any other solemn melancholy
place, between the hours of twelve and one in the morning, either
when the moon shone very bright, or else when the elements were
disturbed with storms of thunder, lightning, wind, and rain, for in
these places, times, and seasons it was contended that spirits could
with less difficulty manifest themselves to mortal eyes, and continue
visible with the least pain in this elemental external world.'[165]
Great importance was attached to the magic circle in the invocation
of spirits, the mode of procedure being thus: 'A piece of ground was
usually chosen, nine feet square, at the full extent of which parallel
lines were drawn, one within the other, having sundry crosses and
triangles described between them, close to which was formed the first
or outer circle; then, about half a foot within the same, a second
circle was described, and within that another square correspondent
to the first, the centre of which was the spot where the master and
associate were to be placed. The vacancies formed by the various lines
and angles of the figure were filled up by the holy names of God,
having crosses and triangles described between them.... The reason
assigned for the use of circles was, that so much ground being blessed
and consecrated by such holy words and ceremonies as they made use of
in forming it, had a secret force to expel all evil spirits from the
bounds thereof, and being sprinkled with pure sanctified water, the
ground was purified from all uncleanness; besides, the holy names of
God being written over every part of it, its force became so powerful
that no evil spirits had ability to break through it, or to get at the
magician and his companion, by reason of the antipathy in nature they
bore to these sacred names. And the reason given for the triangles
was, that if the spirit was not easily brought to speak the truth, they
might by the exorcist be conjured to enter the same, where, by virtue
of the names of the essence and divinity of God, they could speak
nothing but what was true and right.'[166] We are further informed,
that if the ghost of a deceased person was to be raised, the grave
had to be resorted to at midnight, when a special form of conjuration
was deemed necessary; and there was another for 'any corpse that hath
hanged, drowned, or otherwise made away with itself.' And in this case,
it is added, 'the conjurations are performed over the body, which will
at last arise, and, standing upright, answer with a faint and hollow
voice the questions that are put to it.'
The mode of procedure as practised in Scotland was thus. The haunted
room was made ready. He 'who was to do the daring deed, about nightfall
entered the room, bearing with him a table, a chair, a candle, a
compass, a crucifix if one could be got, and a Bible. With the compass
he cast a circle on the middle of the floor, large enough to hold the
chair and the table. He placed within the circle the chair and the
table, and on the table he laid the Bible and the crucifix beside the
lighted candle. If he had not a crucifix, then he drew the figure of a
cross on the floor within the circle. When all this was done, he seated
himself on the chair, opened the Bible, and waited for the coming of
the spirit. Exactly at midnight the spirit came. Sometimes the door
opened slowly, and there glided in noiselessly a lady sheeted in white,
with a face of woe, and told her story to the man on his asking her
in the name of God what she wanted. What she wanted was done in the
morning, and the spirit rested ever after. Sometimes the spirit rose
from the floor, and sometimes came forth from the wall. One there was
who burst into the room with a strong bound, danced wildly round the
circle, and flourished a long whip round the man's head, but never
dared to step within the circle. During a pause in his frantic dance
he was asked, in God's name, what he wanted. He ceased his dance and
told his wishes. His wishes were carried out, and the spirit was in
peace.'[167]
In Wraxall's 'Memoirs of the Courts of Berlin, Dresden, Warsaw, and
Vienna'[168] there is an amusing account of the raising of the ghost of
the Chevalier de Saxe. Reports had been circulated that at his palace
at Dresden there was secreted a large sum of money, and it was urged
that if his spirit could be compelled to appear, that interesting
secret might be extorted from him. Curiosity, combined with avarice,
accordingly prompted his principal heir, Prince Charles, to try the
experiment, and on the appointed night, Schrepfer was the operator in
raising the apparition. He commenced his proceedings by retiring into
a corner of the gallery, where, kneeling down with many mysterious
ceremonies, he invoked the spirit to appear. At length a loud clatter
was heard at all the windows on the outside, resembling more the effect
produced by a number of wet fingers drawn over the edge of glasses than
anything else to which it could well be compared. This sound announced
the arrival of the good spirits, and was shortly followed by a yell
of a frightful and unusual nature, which indicated the presence of
malignant spirits. Schrepfer continued his invocations, when 'the door
suddenly opened with violence, and something that resembled a black
ball or globe rolled into the room. It was enveloped in smoke or cloud,
in the midst of which appeared a human face, like the countenance
of the Chevalier de Saxe, from which issued a loud and angry voice,
exclaiming in German, "Carl, was wollte du mit mich?"--Charles, what
would thou do with me?' By reiterated exorcisms Schrepfer finally
dismissed the apparition, and the terrified spectators dispersed, fully
convinced of his magical powers.[169] Roscoe has given an interesting
account[170] of Benvenuto Cellini's experiences of raising spirits
by incantation, but the Sicilian priest who acquainted him with the
mysteries of his art of necromancy, as it has been remarked, had far
greater knowledge of 'chemistry and pharmacy than he required for his
thurible or incense pot.' His accomplices, of course, could see and
report sights of any wonderful kind. Those who penetrate into 'magic
circles may expect startling sights, overpowering smells, strange
sounds, and even demoniacal dreams.' Instances, it is stated, are
recorded of many who perished by raising up spirits, particularly
'Chiancungi,' the famous Egyptian fortune-teller, who was so famous in
England in the seventeenth century. He undertook for a wager to raise
up the spirit 'Bokim,' and having described the circle, he seated his
sister Napula by him as his associate. 'After frequently repeating the
form of exorcism, and calling upon the spirit to appear, and nothing
as yet answering his demand, they grew impatient of the business,
and quitted the circle; but it cost them their lives, for they were
instantaneously seized and crushed to death by that infernal spirit,
who happened not to be sufficiently constrained till that moment to
manifest himself to human eyes.'
Among the many curious stories told of ghost-raising may be mentioned a
somewhat whimsical one related by a correspondent of a Bradford paper,
who tells how, in his youthful days, he assisted in an attempt to raise
the ghost of the wicked old squire of Calverley Hall. 'About a dozen
scholars,' to quote his words, 'used to assemble close to the venerable
church of Calverley, and then put their hats and caps on the ground, in
a pyramidal form. Then taking hold of each other's hands, they formed
a "magic circle," holding firmly together, and making use of an old
refrain:
Old Calverley, old Calverley, I have thee by the ears,
I'll cut thee into collops, unless thee appears.
Whilst this incantation was going on, crumbs of bread mixed with pins
were strewn on the ground, the lads meanwhile tramping round in the
circle with a heavy tread. Some of the more venturesome boys had to
go round to each of the church doors, and whistle aloud through the
keyholes, repeating the magic couplet which their comrades in the
circle were chanting. But, at this critical point, a pale and ghostly
figure was expected to appear, and, on one occasion, some kind of
apparition is said to have issued forth from the church, the lads in
their terrified haste making their escape as quickly as they could.'
In the search after the philosopher's stone, and elixir of life, the
most revolting ingredients were turned to use, such as blood and dead
men's bones, but occasionally with unexpected results. On one occasion,
for instance, three alchemists obtained some earth mould from St.
Innocent's Church, Paris, thinking that from it might be extracted the
philosopher's stone. But, after subjecting it to distillation, they
perceived in their receivers forms of men produced which caused them to
desist from their labours. The Paris Institute took up the matter, and
the result of their inquiries appears in the 'Miscellanea Curiosa.' An
abstract of one of these French documents was published by Dr. Ferrier
in the 'Manchester Philosophical Transactions,' which we quote below:
'A malefactor was executed, of whose body a grave physician got
possession for the purpose of dissection. After disposing of the other
parts of the body, he ordered his assistant to pulverise a part of the
cranium, which was a remedy at that time administered in dispensaries.
The powder was left in a paper on the table in the museum, where the
assistant slept. About midnight he was awakened by a noise in the room,
which obliged him to rise immediately. The noise continued about the
table without any visible agent, and at length he traced it to the
powder, in the midst of which he now beheld, to his unspeakable dismay,
a small head, with large eyes, staring at him. Presently two branches
appeared, which formed into arms and hands. Next the ribs became
visible, which were soon clothed with muscles and integuments. Next the
lower extremities sprouted out, and, when they appeared perfect, the
puppet (for his size was small) reared himself on his feet; instantly
his clothes came upon him, and he appeared in the very cloak he wore at
his execution. The affrighted spectator, who stood hitherto mumbling
his prayers with great application, was simply awe-struck; but still
greater was his bewilderment when the apparition planted himself in his
way, and after divers fierce looks and threatening gestures, opened the
door and went out. No doubt the powder was missing next day.'
A similar strange experience is recorded by Dr. Webster in his book on
witchcraft, on the authority of Dr. Flud, the facts of which were thus:
'A certain chemical operator, named La Pierre, received blood from the
hands of a certain bishop to operate upon, which he, setting to work
upon the Saturday, did continue it for a week, with divers degrees of
fire. But about midnight the Friday following, this artificer, lying in
a chamber next to his laboratory, betwixt sleeping and waking, heard a
horrible noise like unto the lowing of kine or the roaring of a lion;
and continuing quiet, after the ceasing of the sound in the laboratory,
the moon being at the full, and by shining enlightening the chamber,
suddenly, betwixt himself and the window he saw a thick little cloud
condensed into an oval form, which after, by little and little, did
seem completely to put on the shape of a man, and making another and
sharp clamour did suddenly vanish. And not only some noble persons in
the next chambers, but also the host and his wife, lying in a lower
room of the house, and also the neighbours dwelling on the opposite
side of the street, did distinctly hear the bellowing as well as the
voice, and some of them were awakened with the vehemence thereof. But
the artificer said that in this he found solace, because the bishop
from whom he had it did admonish him that if any of them from whom
the blood was extracted should die in the time of its putrefaction,
his spirit was wont often to appear to the sight of the artificer
with perturbation. Also forthwith, upon the Saturday following, he
took the retort from the furnace and broke it with the slight stroke
of a little key, and there, in the remaining blood, found the perfect
representation of a human head, agreeable in face, eyes, nostrils,
mouth, and hairs, that were somewhat thin and of a golden colour.'
Webster adds: 'There were many ocular witnesses, as the noble person
Lord of Bourdalone, the chief secretary to the Duke of Guise, and he
(Flud) had this relation from the Lord of Menanton, living in that
house at the same time, from a certain doctor of physic, from the owner
of the house, and many others.'
In recent years the so-called spiritualism has attracted much
attention, and 'as of old, men live now in habitual intercourse with
the spirits of the dead.... The spirits of the living as well as of
the dead, the souls of Strauss and Carl Vogt as well as of Augustine
and Jerome, are summoned by mediums to distant spirit-circles.'[171]
But for further information on this subject reports of the Psychical
Research Society should be consulted.[172]
FOOTNOTES:
[164] Miss Bird's _Unbeaten Tracks in Japan_, i. p. 380.
[165] _Occult Sciences_, 1855, Elihu Rich, p. 188.
[166] For works on this subject may be consulted, Colin de Plancy's
_Dictionnaire Infernal_; the _Malleus Maleficarum_ of the Germans; Del
Rio's _Disquisitiones Magicæ_; and _Occult Sciences_, paper by Elihu
Rich, pp. 189-191.
[167] Gregor, _Folk-lore of North-East of Scotland_, pp. 68, 69.
[168] 1799, i. p. 281.
[169] See 'Ghosts and Ghost-lore,' _Leisure Hour_, 1871, pp. 334-766.
[170] _Life of Benvenuto Cellini._
[171] Tylor's _Primitive Culture_, i. p. 143.
[172] See also _Real Ghost Stories_. Edited by W. T. Stead.