Display 5 of 8
The Witch of Berkeley – woodcut from The Nuremberg Chronicle 1483, University of Cambridge Library (CC BY-NC 3.0)
This medieval legend was first written down by William of Malmesbury in his ‘Chronicle of the kings of England - From the earliest period to the reign of King Stephen’. It tells of a witch who lived in Berkeley and had sold her soul to the devil to get power. One day her pet raven died and she knew it meant that she’d die soon. Knowing that Satan would try to claim her, she gave instructions that her body should be wrapped in a stag skin then put in a stone coffin bound by iron chains that had been cooled & blessed by holy water. Then, it was to be put into the church and psalms were to be sung over the coffin for 3 days and nights. If it had not been disturbed in this time, she could be safely buried in the churchyard. On the first night demons came and attacked the church but the door held firm.
On the second night they returned and got into the church but couldn’t undo the coffin’s chains. On the third night, the Devil himself came, riding a massive black horse. He smashed open the church doors, rode into the church and spoke, "I have come for the witch of Berkeley. Are you there my love? Follow me!"
The terrified monks then heard a voice then came from the coffin, "I cannot come my lord for I am bound." to which the Devil replied "I will unbind you, to your great loss."
The Devil then smashed open the coffin, picked up the now living woman and galloped off with her into the night. It was said that her screams were heard by many before they faded into silence. To this day it is said that if you are about at night in Berkeley, beware of the ghostly apparition of a raven who will scream like a woman…
Last reviewed: