Red Pigs

An Encyclopaedia of Occultism (1920)

It was formerly believed that Irish witches could turn wisps of straw or hay into red pigs, which they sold at the market. But when the pigs were driven homeward by the buyers, they resumed their original shape on crossing running water. always accompanied poltergeistic disturbances, even before the commencement of the modern spiritualistic movement. Thus they were observed in the case of the " Drummer of Tedworth " (q.v.), the " Cock Lane Ghost ," and other disturbances of the kind, and also in the presence of various somnambules, such as the Seeress of Prevorst (q.v.). With the " Rochester Rappings "-the famous outbreak at Regius MS.: (See Freemasonry.) Hydesville in 1848, to which may be directly traced the beginning of modern Spiritualism-the phenomenon took on a new importance, rapidly increased to an epidemic, remained throughout the earlier stages of the movements the chief mode of communication with the spirits. Though it was afterwards supplanted to some extent by more elaborate and complicated phenomena, it continued, and still continues, to occupy a place of some importance among the manifestations of the séance-room. It is apparent from descriptions furnished by witnesses that the raps varied considerably both in quality and intensity, being sometimes characterised as dull thuds, sometimes as clear sounds like an electric spark, and again as deep, vibrating tones. Doubtless the methods by which they are produced vary quite as much. It has been shown, in fact, that raps may be produced by the ankle-joints, knee-joints, shoulders, and other joints, one man-the Rev. Eli Noyes-claiming to have discovered seventeen different methods. There are also instances on record where specially constructed "medium" tables were responsible for the manifestations. Besides the frankly spiritualistic explanation and the frankly sceptical one of fraud, there have been other scientific or pseudo-scientific theories advanced, such as electricity, odyle, ectenic force , or magnetism.