FEAR OF WITCHES
PEOPLE OF LANCASHIRE Many people in Lancashire, populous north of England industrial area, still keep their windows tightly shut at night because their ancestors did so to keep out witches, says Dr J. D. Kershaw, medical officer for Accrington. , "Amazing though it may seem," he says in his annual report, " there is good reason to believe that this prejudice against night air is probably the remnant of a belief in witchcraft. " Qur ancestors believed that the witches rode abroad at night and would invade homes through open windows to cast the evil eye on the sleeping occupants. "Accrington. half a dozen miles from Pendla, the headquarters of the Lancashire witches, naturally adopted an air raid precautions scheme in the shape of closed windows. "As /time went on. belief in witchcraft dwindled, but there would appear to be a deeply-rooted belief that there is something mischievous in the night air."
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Otago Daily Times, Issue 23692, 27 December 1938, Page 18
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152FEAR OF WITCHES Otago Daily Times, Issue 23692, 27 December 1938, Page 18
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