Reading Notes: The Horned Woman, Part A.

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).

A rich lady was up late when a knock at the door demanded to be let in. The lady asked who it was, and the reply was that it was the witch of one horn. The lady assumed someone in the neighborhood was needing help, and opened the door to a woman with a horn on her forehead. The woman sat down and asked where the other women were. A second knock came and demanded to be let in. The lady once again opened the door, and this time a witch with two horns entered. This repeated until there were twelve women each with one horn more than the last. They wove wool and sank songs but would not speak to the lady of the house. She was worried, and felt afraid. She suddenly fell ill, and realized a spell had been cast upon her. She was now under the witches control, and the lady was forced to make a cake - but could not find a vessel to make the cake in. The witches told her to use a sieve, and so she did. The water poured and she cried. A voice suddenly spoke, saying to take yellow clay and moss and bind them to the sieve, because before this the sieve was leaking. She did as told and the sieve held water, she returned as commanded by this new voice - but was told when she returned to the north angle of the house to cry loudly three times a chant. 

She did as told by this new commander, and the witches flew away. The spirit that helped the lady protected her home with magic so the witches could not harm her again. To break the spell the witches put on the lady, she sprinkled water on her feet, and outside the door. She took the cake and made a meal mixed with blood from her sleeping family. She placed a portion in each of their mouths and they were restored. The cloth woven by the women was used by the lady to create a padlock, and she secuded the door shut so they could not enter. She now waited. 

Not long after, the witches were back. They cried against the water that blocked the lady's path, and the jam also kept her from opening the door. The cake was unable to be used by the witches too as it was eaten by her family. Defeated, the witches left. 

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