girls, for the image of the Blessed Mary of Domremy. Sometimes with the other children she hung garlands on the tree, sometimes they left them, sometimes they took them away. She had danced there with the other children, but not since she was grown up. She had sung there more than she had danced. She had heard that it was said 'Jeanne received her mission at the tree of the fairy-ladies'.[1] The saints [Katharine and Margaret] came and spoke to her at the spring beside the Fairies' tree, but she would not say if they came to the tree itself.[2]
Denied having a mandrake, but knew there was one near the Fairies' tree.[3]
My godmother, who saw the fairy-ladies, was held as a good woman, not a diviner or a witch.[4]
Refused to say if she believed fairies to be evil spirits.[5]
She did not put chaplets on the Fairies' tree in honour of SS. Katharine and Margaret.[6]
Had never done anything with, or knew anything of, those who came in the air with the fairies [gallice en l'erre avec les faées]. Had heard they came on Thursdays, but considered it witchcraft.[7]
4th Article of Accusation. Jeanne was not instructed in her youth in the belief and primitive faith, but was imbued by certain old women in the use of witchcraft, divination, and other superstitious works or magic arts; many inhabitants of those villages have been noted from antiquity for the aforesaid misdeeds. Jeanne herself has said that she had heard from her godmother, and from many people, of visions and apparitions of Fairies, or Fairy spirits [gallice faées]; by others also she has been taught and imbued with wicked and pernicious errors of such spirits, insomuch that in the trial before you she confessed that up to this time she did not know that Fairies were evil spirits. Answer: As to the Fairy-ladies, she did not know what it was. As to instruction she learnt to believe and was well and duly taught to do what a good child should. As to her godmother she referred to what she had said before.[8]
5th Article. Near the village of Domremy is a certain great, big, and ancient tree called vulgarly The Charmed Fairy-tree of Bourlemont[9] [l'arbre charmine faée de Bourlemont]; beside the tree is a spring; round these gather, it is said, evil spirits called fairies, with whom those who use witchcraft are accustomed to dance at night, going round the tree and spring. Answer: as to the tree and spring, referred to her previous answers; denied the rest.[10]
6th Article. Jeanne frequented the said tree and spring alone, chiefly at night, sometimes in the day most often at the hour that
- ↑ Quicherat, i, p. 67; Murray, pp. 25-6.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 87; M., p. 42.
- ↑ Id., i, pp. 88-9; M., p. 43.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 177; M., p. 80.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 178; M., 80.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 186; M., p. 84.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 187; M., p. 84.
- ↑ Id., i, p. 209; M., p. 91.
- ↑ Bour-le-mont, cp. Bour-jo, 'a word of unknown derivation'. See Walter Scott, Witchcraft and Demonology.
- ↑ Q., i, p. 210; M., p. 91.
