The History Of Witchcraft Isn’t A Pretty One, But There Is A Legend From The Seventeenth Century That Paints One Witch In A More Positive Light
The history of witchcraft isn’t a pretty one. Witches are usually thought of as conniving, manipulative, and evil beings. But there is a legend from the seventeenth century that paints one witch in a more positive light.
A cave near the village of Frensham in Surrey is said to be the former dwelling place of a friendly and benevolent woman named Mother Ludlam.
Mother Ludlam would lend local villagers anything they desired under the condition that they return the borrowed item within two days.
If a villager wanted to borrow something, all they had to do was stand on a boulder at the entrance of her cave and clearly state whatever it was they needed. Upon returning home, they would find that item sitting on their doorstep!
But of course, there’s always someone who breaks the rules. One day, a man visited Mother Ludlam’s cave and requested to borrow her cauldron.
Since the cauldron was her personal property, the witch was reluctant to grant the man’s wish. But in the end, she agreed.
After two days, the man failed to return the cauldron, which angered Mother Ludlam. Anyone would be upset if someone neglected to give back their prized possession, so Mother Ludlam’s reaction was not at all out of the ordinary.
She left her cave and set off to hunt down the man. When he learned that the witch was looking for him, he took shelter in Frensham Church, where the cauldron remains to this day. For centuries afterward, the priests of Frensham used the cauldron to brew ale.
In another version of the story, the local villager who asked for Mother Ludlam’s cauldron was actually the devil impersonating a man.
kharchenkoirina – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
However, the witch saw through the devil’s disguise because he had forgotten to cover up his hooves.
As a moral and virtuous character, Mother Ludlam ordered Satan to “take a running jump.” Before leaving, he managed to snag the cauldron and leaped into the sky.
With each jump he made, a hill appeared in the places where his feet touched the ground. This was how the hills near Mother Ludlam’s cave were formed.
Eventually, the devil dropped the cauldron amidst all his jumping around, and Mother Ludlam was able to snatch it back. She hid it in the church herself, where the priests could enjoy it.
So, in conclusion, not all witches are bad, and apparently, cauldrons were in high demand back in the day.
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