Swords and Spindles Going out with a Bang

After eight wonderful years, the Swords and Spindles team will be hanging up their school-visiting hats in the New Year. We will still be working with adults, giving talks to history groups, social clubs and at tourist attractions but we will no longer be time travelling to work in local schools. We are all over 400 years old and want to take life a little more gently. We have thoroughly enjoyed our visits to local schools and some not-so-local ones. We would like to thank all the staff and students who have supported us over the years.

What Swords and Spindles did Next

Visitors to this site might wonder why Mistress Agnes has not set quill to keyboard recently, to inform her adoring public of her doings. (We will lay aside the fact that she can’t write). Mistress Agnes, alongside the rest of the Swords and Spindles team, has been very busy but would like to assure folk that, now plague has receded, we are venturing forth, visiting schools, history groups, social clubs and tourist attractions in the south-west and beyond. Although part of the appeal of our presentations is the audience participation, we do avail ourselves of the witchcraft that is is Zoom on occasions. Master Christopher is always thankful that this means he does not need to don his bucket-top boots.

The characters of the Swords and Spindles world are involved in other activities, as themselves and as their twenty-first century alter egos. You may encounter us writing books, telling stories, giving talks about other subjects, or generally supporting local history and family history projects; do come and say good-day, should our paths cross. For now, we extend greetings to you good folk, wherever you may be.

Jo Rutherford Photograph

An Audience with Master Shakeshaft

The plague has kept Mistress Agnes and Master Christopher within doors for many moons but just yesterday, they ventured forth to the town of Stratford to convey felicitations to Master Shakeshaft on the anniversary of his birth. The town was en fête to commemorate the special occasion and to blend in, the intrepid pair donned modern dress. Mistress Agnes was somewhat disconcerted to be seen in the britches of a man but her sensibilities were assuaged by the chance to greet the bard himself. They also called upon the home of Master and Mistress Hathaway, where Master Christopher was keen to share the ingredients of his trademark tooth soap with the good Mistress who was employed to tell the travellers of the life in our times. Mistress Agnes parted with some hard-earned groats in exchange for some herbs to add to her herb garden.

All Hallows Eve

Beware good folk. Here at Swords and Spindles we are beginning to brave the plague and venture forth, as well as bringing you tales of our times via that wonderous witchcraft that be the Zoom. This means that Mistress Agnes may be abroad on All Hallows Eve. She nonetheless offers you a short extract from that wonderous tome Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs, penned by her alter ego and available on what we do call the Amazon.

“It is estimated that the witch craze or ‘The Burning Time’ that swept Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries resulted in forty thousand deaths. This attitude towards witchcraft was very different to that of earlier times. During the Middle Ages, witches were seen as deluded old women. These wise-women, cunning folk or common sorcerers were, in the main, tolerated. Many scholars have tried to identify the factors that generated the change in attitude but the psychology behind witch hunts is still not fully understood. None of the theories account for regional variations or explain why some misfortunes were blamed on witchcraft whilst others were not. It is generally agreed that the upsurge in witchcraft accusations under the Tudors and Stuarts was a symptom of profound social change. It is an age-old human reaction to seek a scapegoat in times of turmoil and when change seems to be spiralling out of control. As Gaskill wrote, ‘our ancestors were mostly decent and intelligent people who could sink to the worst cruelty and credulity at times of intense anxiety’.[1]

A widely held belief is that the witch craze was a product of religious extremism. Prior to the Reformation, Catholicism allowed believers the hope of salvation through good works, confession and absolution. Calvanistic theories of predestination were less comforting; if ones fate was predestined then one might just as well sell ones soul to the devil. The Protestant reformers viewed the devil as a continued threat. The tolerant attitude towards the cunning folk of the Middle Ages was no longer possible in an era when magic was regarded as only being possible with the assistance of the devil. The political power of the church in Europe at this time meant that heresy and treason were inextricably linked.

There is some suggestion that the upsurge in Puritanism led to increased persecutions and that witches were more likely to be Catholic. This could account for regional variations, with more persecutions taking place in areas where Puritanism held sway. For the Puritans, idleness was a sin and this may have made Puritans less likely to offer charity to supplicants. Although religious turmoil was a factor that created an atmosphere in which witch persecutions could flourish, the link with Puritanism is an oversimplification and does not stand up to scrutiny. Alongside this was the, largely unfounded, suggestion that witchcraft was associated with the Royalist cause, whereas the persecutors tended to be Parliamentarian.

It must be remembered that the witch craze took place against a background of a rising population and increasing poverty. This, as much as Puritan beliefs, led to a hardening of attitudes. It maybe that those who refused to give alms felt more comfortable if they could justify their lack of charity by regarding the applicant as a witch. Although, by the seventeenth century, the Elizabethan Poor Law had created some form of structured provision for the poor, political upheavals and civil war meant that prices rose whilst levels of relief remained the same.

The accusatorial judicial system of the early Middle Ages, with its focus on trial by ordeal, was less suited to witch hunts than the later, evidence based, inquisitorial system, where statements were collected and witnesses cross-examined. Yet it was this same legal system, coupled with changes in ideology and the weakening power of the church, which led to the decline in the number of persecutions, as the reliability of the evidence began to be questioned. Thus, by the end of the seventeenth century, witchcraft was no longer a capital offence.

What was this ideological change that brought an end to the witch hunts? Renaissance philosophers saw the work of the magus, the learned magician, as commensurate with humanist beliefs. They viewed magic as a natural science, without demonic associations. There were those, like Reginald Scot,[2] who railed against witchcraft persecutions and believed that those who considered themselves to be witches were mentally ill however this remained a minority view until the eighteenth century. Underpinning a belief in witchcraft is the concept of ill-wishing; the assumption that one person can cause evil to another remotely. Renaissance thought and the changes wrought by the Reformation cast doubts upon this premis. Macfarlane cites ‘less collectivist religion, a market economy, greater social mobility, and a growing separation of people through the formation of institutional rather than personal ties’,[3] as reasons why intellectual beliefs in witchcraft were no longer possible.

Were there indeed witchcraft cults in seventeenth century Britain or was there just a conspiracy theory? There is little evidence that cults actually existed but what is important is the universal belief in witchcraft that prevailed. For our ancestors, it mattered not whether witchcraft persecutions were fuelled by religious, economic or political upheaval. Or if they were a product of urbanisation, increased literacy or changing attitudes to women; all of which theories have been mooted.[4] In order to understand our seventeenth century ancestors, we need to be aware that ‘villagers were constantly engaged in contending with, or discussing, witches.’[5] This was a climate in which mass hysteria could easily tip the balance and create an atmosphere where our ancestors would become either accuser or accused.”

Mistress Agnes gives talks in person and virtually about ‘The Burning Time’. She has also written a based-on-fact novel about life in Devon in the years leading up to the witchcraft persecutions in Bideford in 1682. For more information see Sins as Red as Scarlet.

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[1]              Gaskill, Malcolm Witchfinders: a seventeenth century English tragedy 2005 John Murray p. xv.

[2]              He published The Discoverie of Witchcraft in 1584.

[3]              MacFarlane, Alan Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: a regional and comparative study 1970 Routledge p. 202.

[4]              See, for example, Evans-Pritchard in MacFarlane, Alan Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: a regional and comparative study 1970 Routledge p. xxvii.

[5]              MacFarlane, Alan Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England: a regional and comparative study 1970 Routledge p. 113.

Mistress Agnes puts Quill to Parchment

I am sure ’tis all what you folk do call fake news, as who knew that Mistress Agnes was learned enough to be able to write? Rumour has it dear folk, that she has penned a tale of our time. For those who have been taught to read, it will be available from 29 August but today we are permitted to tell you of the title, Sins as Red as Scarlet and a little of the story. We can also share the beauteous cover, created by Robin Paul of The Branch Line. If that ’tis not enough, minstrel Dan Britton has composed a song to accompany Mistress Agnes’ tale. ’Tis available on what he doth call a CD; we know not what that be. Over on the Book of Face, Mistress Agnes will be reading extracts from Sins as Red as Scarlet at eleven of the clock.

It seem she is also reducing the number of groats required to acquire that wonderously useful tome Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coils: the lives of our seventeenth century ancestors. Said volume includes portraits of our goodselves. If you doth click upon these words you will learn of such.

It is 1682. Across the land, the Age of Reason has begun; scientific thought is ousting superstitious belief. The menacing days of the witchfinder have all but gone. Nevertheless, in Devon’s county town, three impoverished women are approaching the gallows, condemned to death for the crime of witchcraft. They come from the prosperous port of Byddeforde. There we find the rich merchants, the flourishing tobacco warehouses and the bustle of ships setting sail for the Newfoundland cod-banks. Yet, barely hidden, are layers of intolerance and antagonism that have built up over decades. A time of plague, of war, of religious dissent; all of which have fashioned the prejudices and fears of the town’s inhabitants.

In an alternative 2020, sixteen-year-old Martha, herself a bullies’ target, undertakes a school local history project. As she immerses herself in the lives of Bideford’s seventeenth century residents, the intertwining stories of these years are told through the eyes of real people who lived at the time. Probing the motivations and beliefs of Bideford’s seventeenth century residents, Martha comes to understand how past events might lead ordinary people to become the victims, the accusers, or the accused.

COVID-19 – Swords and Spindles Style

In this time of plague and pestilence the Swords and Spindles team, many of whom are of a frail and aged disposition, regret that they are unable to fulfil any engagements until mid June 2020 at the earliest. We will review the situation as time goes on. We hope that all our supporters are safely within doors, or maintaining a safe distance from others. If you were with us in the seventeenth century we would say, if you can smell us then you do be too close. We look forward to entertaining you again as soon as possible.

Photograph by Jayne Poole

And Now We Are Five

Difficult to believe but Swords and Spindles is now five years old. In that time, we have made many school visits, entertained even more clubs, societies and social groups, exhibited on a national stage, taken the Swords and Spindles brand to New Zealand and across the high seas and generally enjoyed ourselves.

Although many of our staff are of a certain age, we hope to be still swording and spindling for another five years. In the meantime, we would like to say thank you to all those who have supported us, booked us, generally promoted us and entered into the spirit of our unique presentations.

We have plenty to look forward to this year, including the launch of our ‘Beyond the Mayflower’ presentation, when Sir Francis, Master Christopher and Mistress Agnes meet in the Minerva Tavern in Plymouth in 1670 and reminisce about the preceding fifty years.

Jo Rutherford Photography

Waes Hael

The good folk of Swords and Spindles would like to send festive greetings to all our friends and supporters. What follows is an extract from our book Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs: the lives of our seventeenth century ancestors. Please do get in touch if you would like to purchase a copy.

The celebration of Christmas, for those who could afford it, saw a period of twelve days’ feasting. This was an ideal opportunity to make use of any produce that would not keep through the winter. Goose or beef, rather than turkey, would be the meat of choice and there would be extravagant use of dried fruits. The Yule log adorned the hearth and houses would be decorated with evergreens, symbols of life to anticipate the return of spring. Carols, or curls, were sung. These were often regional in nature and might be performed on Christmas Eve by the local Waits, who would go from house to house to sing.

Wassailing was a custom that was long associated with Christmas. Wassail comes from the Saxon greeting ‘waes hael’, or ‘be well’. The response, ‘drink hail’, means ‘drink and be healthy’. Wassailers would travel from house to house, wishing their neighbours well and hoping that cake and ale would be distributed. This was often a practice reserved for Twelfth Night. A traditional wassail brew, especially in the west country, was Lamb’s Wool, a corruption of ‘La mas ubal’ or apple fruit day. This was made from warmed ale or cider, sugar and roasted apples or crab apples; spices and cream might be added. Commonly, in cider producing areas, wassailing, or apple howling, also formed part of a ceremony to keep evil spirits from the orchards during the following year. A rowdy procession would follow the apple king and queen from orchard to orchard blessing the trees. This was accompanied by shouting, the banging of drums and muskets being fired over the tops of the trees.

The very name, Christ-mass, had Catholic overtones and for this reason, the Puritans wanted to rename it Christ-tide and mark it only by fasting and prayer. A directive of January 1644/5 stated that only Sundays were to be regarded as holy days and that all other ‘festival days, vulgarly called Holy Days, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued’. Mince pies, which were at this time filled with meat and rosewater, were traditionally an oval shape, to resemble Christ’s manger. This led to them being regarded as idolatrous. Parliamentarian soldiers attempted to enforce the ban on Christmas celebrations by confiscating festive food and removing decorations. This prohibition was reiterated in an ordinance of June 1647, which also attempted to establish the second Tuesday of each month as a secular holiday to give workers a break. In the 1650s, more legislation forbade Christmas services from being held on the 25^th of December and businesses were expected to open as usual. What people did in their own homes largely went unnoticed but there was some public defiance to the ban. In Canterbury, what became known as the Plum Pudding Riots broke out. Market traders refused to open on Christmas Day and instead played a mammoth ball game[1] with thousands of participants, calling for the return of Christmas or the restoration of the monarchy. Christmas celebrations resumed under Charles II but they were not as lavish as those of the first half of the century.

[1]              Possibly football or camp ball.

Master Christopher visits the Nineteenth Century and encounters the Parish Constable

The folk of Swords and Spindles are nothing if not versatile. Today Master Christopher was spotted in slightly more modern garb than usual, captured in a pillory. Had he been found drunk in the street? Was he guilty of selling underweight herrings? Will he spend his full six hours thus pinioned? More to the point, will the nails affixing his ears to the wood be removed gently, thus earmarking him as a criminal henceforth, or will he make his escape in a more painful manner and become a tearaway?

Amongst our many presentations, Swords and Spindles offer a session about crime and punishment.

If you go Down to #FamilyTreeLive on 26 & 27 April ………. Part 3: Sir William Tyrell

Sir William Tyrell lives at Pentargon Hall with his wife, the Lady Kateryn. He is the local landowner magistrate, having taken on the role from his father-in-law, the late Sir Edward Cardew. Whilst many of his cases are run of the mill village disputes, occasionally a case comes along with more wide-reaching significance…

In the 21st Century, Sir William is a character from the acclaimed play WITCH, written by Tracey Norman and performed by Circle of Spears Productions. He is portrayed by Tracey’s husband, folklore author and researcher Mark Norman. Mark is the creator and host of The Folklore Podcast and writes books, articles and a newspaper column on folklore and its interaction with our family and social history.