The stories of witches abound. There's plenty round here to be found, Like our own Mary Dore, whom I'd love to know more, Who could turn in to owl, cat or hound.
One other such witch was old Liddy, From out in the Wallops*, this biddy Was shot, as a hare, Escaped, then spied there, Plucking shot from her shoulder, poor Liddy.
Now those in the know all maintain, With silver a witch may be slain, Load gun with such bullet, Grasp trigger and pull it, And she'll not be seen e'er again.
To rid witch Kate Hunt from the town Of Curdridge, they sliced a half-crown**, In fire-arm 'twas loaded, And duly exploded; A white hare was thereby brought fdown.
Next morning some fellwos, the bolder And younger, though warned by those older, Crept round to Kate's house, As hushed as a mouse... She'd died from a wound in her shoulder.
Now you may think all this is baloney, That witches can't turn into coneys, But all this is true, I'll prove now to you, That all that above isn't phoney.
We've got such a witch down our street, And I'd rather keep the crone sweet, To give me her bless- ing, and not cause distress, So I leave her out something to eat.
By morning the plate is cleared flat, So what do you say about that? And oft, down the drive, I've seen her arrive, Disguised as a fox or a cat.
*Actually Over Wallop, one of three villages between Southampton and Winchester, the other two being Middle and Nether Wallop.
** Half-crown - a large silver coin.
References to Mary Dore, Kate Hunt and Liddy Shears from a rather garbled account at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~villages/folklor3.htm
The practice of witch-feeding to keep them sweet derives from East Anglian tradition.
And if anyone knows more of Mary Dore of Beaulieu I'd be glad to hear it.
more tales strange and perhaps true
Last updated: Wed, 21 Feb 2001.