Catalan mythology about witches
Encyclopedia
In Catalan
popular culture
, there are a large number of legends
about witches . In the popular imagination, a witch is a woman who, by means of a pact with the Devil
, has acquired supernatural power, which she uses for her own benefit and for evil purposes. During the Middle Ages
, the power of the Church strengthened these beliefs among the people, using witchcraft as scapegoat for all calamities, to marginalize, imprison, and finally execute people, especially women, who would not submit to the established social order.
Today, the general population no longer believes in witches, and many people view the witch only as a well-loved traditional character, appearing only in children's stories.
Catalan tradition distinguished between bruixeria ("witchcraft") based on an explicit compact with the Devil, and fetilleria (deriving from a word related to "fetish", and Old Portuguese feitiço); magic worked through charms and fetishes. The former was considered inherently evil, the latter might include the working of magical cures. This article is focused on bruixeria.
, although these particular forms are specifically Catalan.)
According to Catalan tradition (again, this may not be uniquely Catalan), one can wash marks on the skin with holy water
in order to know whether they are the Devil's work: the Devil's mark will not wash off. Witches were also said to have a heart-shaped mark on their left side; for a witch of great abilities, the heart-shaped mark would be hairy.
To prevent witches from sowing evil herbs to damage the fields and crops, one would place to the right of the gate a figure of a guardsman, precisely vertical.
An old woman who could no longer hear the litany was in danger of being considered a witch for her deafness to the word of God.
By the full moon of October and of January, witches were said to make marks on their buttocks, by means of which they maintain and strengthen their malign powers, which otherwise diminish and cool down by the action of time and age. In October, they were said to pray to the Devil with a rosary that had the cross broken off.
Witches were said to fly mounted on forks, poles, and especially brooms; in each case, the flying object was first anointed with an unguent provided by the Devil. It was said that, because in the past witches were always persecuted and garroted with brooms, the Devil had given them this particular power in order to be able to escape. While they fly, they supposedly would repeat, over and over"Per ací, per allà, cap ací, cap allà", ("Here, there, hence, thence") as if they were in a cavalcade of animals.
Witches were said to make unguents or brews from the flesh of the hanged, from live infants, from black flour or grain, in a cauldron big enough to hold seven witches, cooked over a fire lit by the heat from their furious dancing. This was the unguent that enabled them to fly, to turn into whatever species of animal they desire, to prophesy, and to make all manner of evil spells.
Witches were said to take the form of cats, in order to more easily enter houses and to enable them to take items of clothing, shoes, needles, and so forth. They supposedly stole in order to be able to bewitch and to do harm; they did not steal money nor valuable objects.
Witches were said to be able to see the stars through the roof, to see people naked even through their clothing, and to look inside a person and know what organ is making that person ill. (This last may be related to the traditions of witches as healers.)
Witches were said to climb up on top of the clouds, and make it rain or, especially, hail (which was particularly bad for the crops). One could ward this off by making certain signs of the cross or singing certain hymns, so that the devil would have to take the cloud elsewhere.
Witches were said to take toads as counsellors and to initiate to the novices.
Many traditions about witches related to specific days of the year, especially the eves of certain Christian
holidays and saint's days; witches were also said to be very powerful during Lent
, which is, in a sense, the eve of Easter
.
On All Saints Day, witches were said to break the crosses from any graves they pass, destroying all proof of the existence of the buried dead.
Another tradition has it that one could destroy a witch by going to her house on November 1, and marking a star on the gate. One would then go to a mass dedicated to Saint Martin
. When the witch got home, the star would have burned, and the witch would be slowly consumed, her own witchcraft turned against her.
, a witch was said to test the strength of her craft by looking upwards through the roof of her house; if she can't see all the stars, even the smallest, it is a sign that her condition is fading; then she must wait for the first full moon night, especially if it falls on Saint Silvester
's Day, to mark her buttocks and restore the power of her witchcraft.
It was said that one must not leave a toddler alone in the house on Christmas Eve, because the witches take them. There is a story that a woman of Palau de Vidre went to Midnight Mass and left her infant child at home alone; the witches supposedly took the child outside and left him on top of the garden gate.
"Guardar un fil filat la nit de Nadal, guarda de les bruixes." ("To keep a thread spun on Christmas Eve, will keep you from the witches.")
, witches were said to have the most power. To maintain that power, a witch was supposed to make seven laps around her house, make certain gestures and sprinkle everything with holy water, blessed leaves from Palm Sunday, or some other blessed object. (Note the remarkable contrast to traditions from elsewhere in Europe, where witches would shy away from any blessed object.) At the stroke of midnight, she would go to dance inside the oven; merely to come near a witch during any of this was said to be particularly dangerous.
The witches of Alt Berguedà and Cadí
were said to apply unguents, climb up the chimney and, mounted on brooms, head for Pedraforca
to hold a great gathering. The main feature of the gathering was said to be a great circle dance. Similarly, the witches of the Alt Pallars and of the Vall d'Aran were said to meet on the plain of Beret. In Camp de Tarragona
, the witches were said to assemble on the peak of Montsant
, where they dance naked in the cold to the sound of a violin
played by the Devil.
On this night, also, witches were said to carry children away. On New Year's Eve, one should put the children to bed early and make the sign of the cross over them to ward off the evil power.
Supposedly, at New Year's, more than any other night of the year, one must take measures against a visit by the witches. One would cover the embers of the fireplace with ashes, and make a cross over them with one or another fire tool, while reciting a formula (the text of which varies a great deal, from place to place within Catalonia). A householder would leave the fire tongs open in the form of a cross over the embers, or leave two fire tools crossed. These crosses were supposed to summon angels to come down and warm themselves by the embers and, by their presence, ward off devils and the witches.
An alternative tradition was simply to put salt on the chimney. It also was the custom to wash and sprinkle with holy water all the doors and windows, and above all the keyhole, pushing through it a blessed sprig of laurel or rosemary and reciting a prayer (which, again, has a great number of variants). In the region of Montserrat
blessed palm leaves would be placed, crossed on the chimney to stop the witches from coming down it. In Lluçanés
, they would pour out all the water in the house to prevent the witches from being able to bewitch the house by washing it on their visit.
, a night associated with the gathering of herbs: supposedly, herbs gathered on that night were particularly powerful. On this night, witches were also said to take the form of partridges or of flies, and also to fly overhead and pour their poisonous brews onto the heads of those whom they wished to harm.
Catalans would light bonfires to scare away the airborne witches. On that night, by the tower of Roquetes
, outside Sant Andreu de Palomar
the flying embers were said to be witches fleeing the smoke from the bonfires; the flying witches were said to take embers in their hands to try to light the mountain afire, but they would fail because of the virtue that all herbs were said to have on this night. On the peak of Pedraforca, witches were said to gather and to sing:
Their master, a goat, was said to leap and dance in the middle of the circle, and to answer as a refrain to each verse:
Unsurprisingly, it was said to be very dangerous to encounter one of these gatherings, but one could tell where the witches had danced by the remnants of rue, basil, valerian, and sage, and by the "fairy rings" of mushrooms. There is a story from Sant Martí de Sarroca in Penedès
, of an old man witnessing the witches' dance, with appropriately dramatic demonic appearances, the ground shaking like an earthquake from their steps, and so forth.
The witches of Andorra
, of both sexes, were said to dance naked at the lake of Engolasters
. (This legend appears to be reflected in the recently revived festival of El Brut i La Bruta, celebrated in the Catalan village of Torà
in the comarca of Segarra
. See external site http://www.brutibruta.com.) They form three concentric circles, and at a certain point in the music, they come together and the bump each other hard, rump to rump, dancing to the music of a demon, or a cavalcade of demons, with wooden flute and drum. Andorran witches also supposedly gathered at the summits of Font Argent and of Fra Miquel. Male and female witches were said to have intercourse with demons of the opposite sex.
Before this gathering, Andorran witches were required to fast and to sleep, but they sleep with one eye open, because if they were late for the gathering, the Devil would punish them.
In Arbúcies
, there is a rhyme that goes:
Other stories include a story from Girona
that a particular gargoyle is actually a witch turned to stone, or a story from Canigó of witches producing a hailstorm by urinating into a hole and beating the liquid with vines.
It may be worth reiterating that Catalans today are no more likely to believe in witches than any other modern people. This article is strictly an attempt to give some specificity to the historic beliefs about witches in one particular region of Europe for which the beliefs are relatively well documented.
.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, there are a large number of legends
Catalan myths and legends
Catalan myths and legends are the traditional myths and legends of the Catalan-speaking world, especially Catalonia itself, passed down for generations as part of that region's popular culture.Among the figures of Catalan mythology are:*Aloja...
about witches . In the popular imagination, a witch is a woman who, by means of a pact with the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, has acquired supernatural power, which she uses for her own benefit and for evil purposes. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the power of the Church strengthened these beliefs among the people, using witchcraft as scapegoat for all calamities, to marginalize, imprison, and finally execute people, especially women, who would not submit to the established social order.
Today, the general population no longer believes in witches, and many people view the witch only as a well-loved traditional character, appearing only in children's stories.
Catalan tradition distinguished between bruixeria ("witchcraft") based on an explicit compact with the Devil, and fetilleria (deriving from a word related to "fetish", and Old Portuguese feitiço); magic worked through charms and fetishes. The former was considered inherently evil, the latter might include the working of magical cures. This article is focused on bruixeria.
The mark of the devil
Witches supposedly have "the mark of the devil" on their buttocks, made by a forceful bite of the Devil's teeth, which takes the form of two crossed horns, of a toad, of a ram with large horns, or of a simple little circle. Legend also has it that the Devil can mark the witch's eye in various ways: with horns, or by making it empty, or with two pupils. Some traditions say that witches have two pupils in the left eye and deer horns in the right one. (This belief in the mark of the devil goes well beyond CataloniaCatalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, although these particular forms are specifically Catalan.)
According to Catalan tradition (again, this may not be uniquely Catalan), one can wash marks on the skin with holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
in order to know whether they are the Devil's work: the Devil's mark will not wash off. Witches were also said to have a heart-shaped mark on their left side; for a witch of great abilities, the heart-shaped mark would be hairy.
The presence of witches
It was said that the whispering of fallen leaves blown about a rooftop was the sound of witches criticizing the behavior of the family of the house.To prevent witches from sowing evil herbs to damage the fields and crops, one would place to the right of the gate a figure of a guardsman, precisely vertical.
An old woman who could no longer hear the litany was in danger of being considered a witch for her deafness to the word of God.
Power and practices
According to one Catalan tradition, a person who wants to become a witch should go to the seashore, undress completely, and roll around on the sand. After giving seven full revolutions, stand and make three circles.By the full moon of October and of January, witches were said to make marks on their buttocks, by means of which they maintain and strengthen their malign powers, which otherwise diminish and cool down by the action of time and age. In October, they were said to pray to the Devil with a rosary that had the cross broken off.
Witches were said to fly mounted on forks, poles, and especially brooms; in each case, the flying object was first anointed with an unguent provided by the Devil. It was said that, because in the past witches were always persecuted and garroted with brooms, the Devil had given them this particular power in order to be able to escape. While they fly, they supposedly would repeat, over and over"Per ací, per allà, cap ací, cap allà", ("Here, there, hence, thence") as if they were in a cavalcade of animals.
Witches were said to make unguents or brews from the flesh of the hanged, from live infants, from black flour or grain, in a cauldron big enough to hold seven witches, cooked over a fire lit by the heat from their furious dancing. This was the unguent that enabled them to fly, to turn into whatever species of animal they desire, to prophesy, and to make all manner of evil spells.
Witches were said to take the form of cats, in order to more easily enter houses and to enable them to take items of clothing, shoes, needles, and so forth. They supposedly stole in order to be able to bewitch and to do harm; they did not steal money nor valuable objects.
Witches were said to be able to see the stars through the roof, to see people naked even through their clothing, and to look inside a person and know what organ is making that person ill. (This last may be related to the traditions of witches as healers.)
Witches were said to climb up on top of the clouds, and make it rain or, especially, hail (which was particularly bad for the crops). One could ward this off by making certain signs of the cross or singing certain hymns, so that the devil would have to take the cloud elsewhere.
Witches were said to take toads as counsellors and to initiate to the novices.
Many traditions about witches related to specific days of the year, especially the eves of certain Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
holidays and saint's days; witches were also said to be very powerful during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, which is, in a sense, the eve of Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
.
All Saints Day
Certain traditional stories related specifically to All Saints Day (November 1).On All Saints Day, witches were said to break the crosses from any graves they pass, destroying all proof of the existence of the buried dead.
Another tradition has it that one could destroy a witch by going to her house on November 1, and marking a star on the gate. One would then go to a mass dedicated to Saint Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
. When the witch got home, the star would have burned, and the witch would be slowly consumed, her own witchcraft turned against her.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, a witch was said to test the strength of her craft by looking upwards through the roof of her house; if she can't see all the stars, even the smallest, it is a sign that her condition is fading; then she must wait for the first full moon night, especially if it falls on Saint Silvester
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
's Day, to mark her buttocks and restore the power of her witchcraft.
It was said that one must not leave a toddler alone in the house on Christmas Eve, because the witches take them. There is a story that a woman of Palau de Vidre went to Midnight Mass and left her infant child at home alone; the witches supposedly took the child outside and left him on top of the garden gate.
"Guardar un fil filat la nit de Nadal, guarda de les bruixes." ("To keep a thread spun on Christmas Eve, will keep you from the witches.")
New Year's Eve
On New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, witches were said to have the most power. To maintain that power, a witch was supposed to make seven laps around her house, make certain gestures and sprinkle everything with holy water, blessed leaves from Palm Sunday, or some other blessed object. (Note the remarkable contrast to traditions from elsewhere in Europe, where witches would shy away from any blessed object.) At the stroke of midnight, she would go to dance inside the oven; merely to come near a witch during any of this was said to be particularly dangerous.
The witches of Alt Berguedà and Cadí
Cadi
Cady or CADI may refer to:* Career and Academic Development Institute, an alternative high school in Philadelphia, PA* Cadillac, a brand of luxury automobile...
were said to apply unguents, climb up the chimney and, mounted on brooms, head for Pedraforca
Pedraforca
The Pedraforca is a mountain of the Pyrenees, located in the Berguedà comarca.It is one of the most famous and emblematic mountains in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-Description:...
to hold a great gathering. The main feature of the gathering was said to be a great circle dance. Similarly, the witches of the Alt Pallars and of the Vall d'Aran were said to meet on the plain of Beret. In Camp de Tarragona
Camp de Tarragona
Camp de Tarragona is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain. It includes a central plain, surrounded by the Serralada Prelitoral mountain chain on the west and in the north, with the Mediterranean sand beaches of the Costa Daurada on the east and limited in the south by the Coll de...
, the witches were said to assemble on the peak of Montsant
Montserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
, where they dance naked in the cold to the sound of a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
played by the Devil.
On this night, also, witches were said to carry children away. On New Year's Eve, one should put the children to bed early and make the sign of the cross over them to ward off the evil power.
Supposedly, at New Year's, more than any other night of the year, one must take measures against a visit by the witches. One would cover the embers of the fireplace with ashes, and make a cross over them with one or another fire tool, while reciting a formula (the text of which varies a great deal, from place to place within Catalonia). A householder would leave the fire tongs open in the form of a cross over the embers, or leave two fire tools crossed. These crosses were supposed to summon angels to come down and warm themselves by the embers and, by their presence, ward off devils and the witches.
An alternative tradition was simply to put salt on the chimney. It also was the custom to wash and sprinkle with holy water all the doors and windows, and above all the keyhole, pushing through it a blessed sprig of laurel or rosemary and reciting a prayer (which, again, has a great number of variants). In the region of Montserrat
Montserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
blessed palm leaves would be placed, crossed on the chimney to stop the witches from coming down it. In Lluçanés
Lluçanès
Lluçanès is a natural comarca, transitioning between the Plain of Vic and Berguedà, in the pre-Pyrenees. Although not an officially recognized comarca of Catalonia, it has a strong historical, natural and social personality.-Corresponding Municipalities:...
, they would pour out all the water in the house to prevent the witches from being able to bewitch the house by washing it on their visit.
The Eve of Saint John
Another time of year when witches were specifically to be warded off was the Eve of the Feast of Saint John the BaptistJohn the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, a night associated with the gathering of herbs: supposedly, herbs gathered on that night were particularly powerful. On this night, witches were also said to take the form of partridges or of flies, and also to fly overhead and pour their poisonous brews onto the heads of those whom they wished to harm.
Catalans would light bonfires to scare away the airborne witches. On that night, by the tower of Roquetes
Roquetes
Roquetes is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Ebre, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain....
, outside Sant Andreu de Palomar
Sant Andreu de Palomar
Sant Andreu de Palomar is a neighborhood in the Sant Andreu district of Barcelona, Catalonia . It was the main core of the former municipality of Sant Andreu de Palomar that more or less coincides with what is now the district of Sant Andreu....
the flying embers were said to be witches fleeing the smoke from the bonfires; the flying witches were said to take embers in their hands to try to light the mountain afire, but they would fail because of the virtue that all herbs were said to have on this night. On the peak of Pedraforca, witches were said to gather and to sing:
- Alfàbrega i valeriana,
- menta i ruda
- salven tota criatura
- Ruda i valeriana
- menta i alfàbrega,
- tot ho cura i tot ho salva.
- Menta i alfàbrega,
- ruda i valeriana
- salven tota persona nada.
- Ruda i Valeriana,
- alfàbrega i sàlvia
- tot el món salven.
- Basil and valerian,
- Mint and rue
- Save all creation
- Rue and valerian,
- Mint and basil
- Cure all and save all
- Mint and basil
- Rue and valerian
- Save every person born
- Rue and valerian
- Basil and sage
- Save the whole world
Their master, a goat, was said to leap and dance in the middle of the circle, and to answer as a refrain to each verse:
- Més val l'orella d'ós
- que ho cura i salva tot.
- The borage leaf is worth more
- Which cures and saves all.
Unsurprisingly, it was said to be very dangerous to encounter one of these gatherings, but one could tell where the witches had danced by the remnants of rue, basil, valerian, and sage, and by the "fairy rings" of mushrooms. There is a story from Sant Martí de Sarroca in Penedès
Penedès
Penedès is a natural and historical region of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the south of the Principality of Catalonia between the pre-coastal mountain range and the Mediterranean sea...
, of an old man witnessing the witches' dance, with appropriately dramatic demonic appearances, the ground shaking like an earthquake from their steps, and so forth.
The witches of Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, of both sexes, were said to dance naked at the lake of Engolasters
Engolasters
Engolasters is a village in Andorra, located in the parish of Escaldes-Engordany. It is located approximately 5 kilometres east of the capital Andorra la Vella...
. (This legend appears to be reflected in the recently revived festival of El Brut i La Bruta, celebrated in the Catalan village of Torà
Torà
Torà is a town and municipality in the North East of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The urban structure of the center has retained most of its original design, with narrow, twisting streets and blocks formed by rows of attached buildings. The Medieval town...
in the comarca of Segarra
Segarra
Segarra is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, situated on a high plain. Historically, the name referred to a larger area than the current comarca. It has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers, and between 350 and 450 mm of rainfall per year. It is a grain-growing region, with some...
. See external site http://www.brutibruta.com.) They form three concentric circles, and at a certain point in the music, they come together and the bump each other hard, rump to rump, dancing to the music of a demon, or a cavalcade of demons, with wooden flute and drum. Andorran witches also supposedly gathered at the summits of Font Argent and of Fra Miquel. Male and female witches were said to have intercourse with demons of the opposite sex.
Before this gathering, Andorran witches were required to fast and to sleep, but they sleep with one eye open, because if they were late for the gathering, the Devil would punish them.
Other stories of Catalan witches
Naturally, there are many other specific local stories of particular local witches, including one known as the Bruixa Napa del Prats del Lluçanès (or Bruixa Napa, or Bruixa Prats) who is often depicted accompanied by her daughter.In Arbúcies
Arbúcies
Arbúcies is a village in the province of Girona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
, there is a rhyme that goes:
- Arbúcies,
- dotze dones, dotze bruixes.
- Arbúcies,
- Twelve women, twelve witches.
Other stories include a story from Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
that a particular gargoyle is actually a witch turned to stone, or a story from Canigó of witches producing a hailstorm by urinating into a hole and beating the liquid with vines.
It may be worth reiterating that Catalans today are no more likely to believe in witches than any other modern people. This article is strictly an attempt to give some specificity to the historic beliefs about witches in one particular region of Europe for which the beliefs are relatively well documented.
Note on references
This article was loosely translated (and rearranged) from the corresponding article in the Catalan-language Wikipedia. That article lacks references. Some related material can be found online at http://members.fortunecity.es/mitcat/bruixes.html, at http://www.brutibruta.com, and (offline) in the writings of Joan AmadesJoan Amades
Joan Amades i Gelats , was an eminent Catalan ethnologist and folklorist. An autodidact, he worked at the historical archive of the city of Barcelona and at the Museum of Industry and Popular Arts of the same city. From 1956 onwards he collaborated with UNESCO...
.