I have to confess that when I started in the witchcraft world, the theme that most captivated me was that of familiars. Who can't imagine a witch in the middle of the forest surrounded by cats, toads or crows? The image is captivating, although the mystical connection with animal spirits goes beyond witchcraft trials and is more diverse and ancient than the very concept of witches.

The familiar term refers to auxiliary spirits that are seen as demonic emissaries or as the Devil himself. They usually take the form of animals or feerical entities. The only difference between this phenomenon and other similar phenomena is that in this case both the helper and the practitioner are demonized. Such a situation occurs especially (some dare say exclusively) in England during the Modern Age. It is inevitable to wonder why in this region and in what way it influences the treatment of animals.

When trying to locate its origin, we are faced with the problem that similar characters star in traditions around the world (as local spirits or assistants to deities and saints). It may even go back to archaic shamanism, especially in the ability of the witch or shaman to shape-shift or perform magical acts by sending her spirit in the form of an animal.

The deities of the ancient world present companions who serve them as helpers and sometimes as alternative forms: Zeus and the eagle, Athena and the owl or Thor and the goat. Their cult revives in the Renaissance but when this period comes to an end, they arouse suspicions of idolatry and witchcraft, so the first step is to consider their emissaries as diabolical. Surprisingly, in Christianity we often find animals related to God (such as the lamb or the dove) and some saints have a special relationship with certain species such as St. John with the eagle or St. Anthony with the pig. Even a Pope is elected by the timely appearance of a swarm of bees (symbol of his family).

Catholics differ from Protestants. The latter consider that between God and the practitioner there should be no intermediaries, so they find in relatives a kind of parody of Catholic practice, whose ceremonies they often brand as idolatrous. Moreover, the influence of philosophers such as Descartes makes it difficult to demonize animals, for he denies them reason and soul, so it makes no sense that they are evil. This explains to a large extent why they play little or no role in witchcraft trials in regions where the Catholic religion predominates, establishing themselves as a Protestant phenomenon. Let us bear in mind that in early England, local spirits linked to nature abound, such as elves, fairies or trolls, to whom people turn for protection or enlightenment. They may be an archaic version of the familiar that would later become established in popular culture in the form of an animal.

In a typical tale of English witchcraft, the familiar asks the witch for his soul or some other favor. The witch grants it and he serves her in return. They often take the form of mice, cats, dogs or toads. Also insects such as bees or flies that can cause crop damage, famine and social dislocation. A similar structure appears in the confessions: the practitioner encounters her assistant during an altered state of consciousness and the spirit offers her supernatural help in exchange for shelter and food. The agreed relationship is reciprocal: power and knowledge in exchange for domestic intimacy. The contact with relatives allows the corruption of the witch, making her almost bestial in character and nature as she transgresses the prevailing moral norm by caring for her relative instead of her children. Her presence in trials arises as a consequence of the relationship between religion, magic and popular belief.

The demonization of animals is fueled by the press that questions the way we should relate to them. Spirits in general occupy an almost omnipresent place in the ecology of the modern world and act not only on the natural environment, but also on the domestic one. Any misfortune can be attributed to their discontent, so it is common to offer them bread, milk or beer as an offering. In a way, these spirits and pets have similar living conditions and it is interesting that the stage in which the presence of relatives in witchcraft trials becomes more common coincides with the rise of animal ownership in homes of all social classes. Pets serve as role models for relatives and the boundary between the two becomes permeable, especially among lonely people who have emotional ties with them and end up being accused of practicing witchcraft.

In the 18th century English legislation rejects the existential possibility of spirits. However, animals also lose their spirituality. The popularization of keeping them for sentimental reasons changes their position in society and the division between companion and farm animals leads to the expansion of pets and industrialization of livestock. Natural phenomena are no longer thought of as a consequence of the works of spirits, which no longer play a role in the ecology of the English landscape.

The presence of animals in folk tales from all over the world is evident. They acquire the role of guides, wise men or protectors who help the protagonist through special powers. They have a role almost identical to that of the familiar to the witch. The only difference is that in fairy tales their nature is benevolent or neutral. These stories are possibly the most intimate and archaic expression of the bonds between animals and humans and their presence in such disparate cultures leads us to think that it may be an innate capacity of the human condition. After all, they have sensory capabilities that even today are incomprehensible to us. Some societies may have seen them as a disturbing threat. Others may have encouraged their development. Be that as it may, our union is powerful and, despite the passage of time, remains shrouded in mystery.

Bibliography

Mealiffe, R. P. (2021). Familiar Ecology: The Demonization of Spirit Knowledge in Early Modern England and its Ecological Ramifications.

Parish, H. (2019). "Paltrie vermin, cats, mise, toads, and weasils": witches, familiars, and human-animal interactions in the English witch trials. Religions, 10(2), 134.

Sax B. (2009) The Magic of Animals: English Witch Trials in the Perspective of Folklore, Anthrozoös, 22:4, 317-332.

Titles of the works presented in the gallery:

"San Antonio Abad" by Joan Reixach 1450-1460

"Battle of Thor against the Jotnar " by Mårten Eskil Winge 1872

Silver tetradrachm coin in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon representing the owl of Athena (480-420 BC).

St. John's Eagle in the Church of San Manuel and San Benito (Madrid)