Month: January 1641

Categories
Weather

Extraordinary nevves from Constantinople

news of the ruin of the Turkish Empire while the king of Hungary visits the Imperial Council, a translated letter from French to English about high winds in the city along with two comets spotted in the sky, one of which flew over the Sophia, “the Great Turke” had nightmares of lions and other beasts attack him, a wise man said the dream and the comets signifies a rebellion and a weakening of the state, the lion represents an emperor of Christians, and the comets represent this invading emperor’s power, the emperor had them burnt in cages of straw but they went miraculously unharmed

Categories
Possession

A true relation of the grievous handling of William Sommers

William Sommers, son-in-law of Robert Cowper, bought a hat with a copper band with an old lady who demanded to have it and threatened him, when he returned home he fell sick and went into fits, which his master suspected as being faked and whipped him, which he didn’t not feel, he was made an apprentice of another master, he was sometimes cast into the fire and covered in flames but did not burn, evil spirits talked through him, he was eventually dispossessed

Categories
Possession

Most fearefull and strange nevves from the bishoppricke

a farmer named Stephen Hooper, his wife Margaret began annoying him with vain talked and then acted as if possessed, went into fits and saw a snail carrying fire, a bear with no head came and took her away, the spirit eventually left her

Categories
Weather

The Atachment examination and confession of a French-man

included confessions and examinations of a Frenchman and a papist, but also a report on lightning stricking the rich and miserable farmer Humphery Richarfon who hoarded crops, his crops were burnt and he was struck down