SAY CHEESE (CLOTH) !

 


Witches come in many forms - old crones, green skinned neophytes, bubbly 1960s housewives, sisters unlucky in love, and middle-aged Scottish ladies. That last one really isn't typical, yet Helen Duncan was tried as a witch... in 1944. Born in Callendar in 1897 Helen Duncan was a psychic medium tried for witchcraft. Helen often gave prophecies as a child. In 1916 she met Henry Duncan, who supported her in her paranormal efforts. The two married and had six children.


In 1926 Helen became a physical medium. In physical mediumship spirits manifest themselves in a physical way. A spirit manipulates the medium corporally, as in automatic writing, or putting their words into the medium's mind to be spoken. Helen would spit up ectoplasm which was supposed to be the after effects, and proof, of Helen having spirits enter her body. Helen had a spirit guide named Peggy who assisted her during seances.

In November of 1941 Helen connected with a soldier aboard the HMS Barham. That soldier had been killed when the ship was sunk by German forces. She gave vivid details of the event, but the sinking had not officially been made public. On January 19th, 1944 police raided one of her seances and arrested Helen. She was tried under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Helen was found guilty of two charges of obtaining money under false pretenses. Winston Churchill  - then prime minister - said the trial was a misuse of resources. She was released in September 1944 and promised to stop holding seances.

In 1956 police raided a seance and Helen was again arrested. Helen died 5 weeks later. Other psychics claimed the shock of the police raid caused ectoplasm to go back into Helen's body, thus causing Helen's death. Poor health her whole life was the real cause. So, was Helen Duncan really a psychic? The ectoplasm was really cheesecloth Helen would swallow then regurgitate. Peggy and other spirits were sheets draped over hangers with Halloween masks for heads. Helen refused any efforts by psychical researchers to dispute her abilities. She was asked to swallow blue dye, but would not - her ectoplasm would have been blue, and most spirits did not leave blue residue. But what if her knowledge of the HMS Barham? Although not officially reported, word of the sinking had leaked. Helen's memorizing a few key details made her look completely legit.

SOURCES :
Helen Duncan. Wikipedia. 


FURTHER MEDIA ~ 
Frey, Holly / Wilson, Tracy V. , hosts. "Helen Duncan, (Not) Scotland's Last Witch." Stuff You Missed In History Class, 10 October 2022.

Nelson, Katie Dr. / Meikle, Olivia, hosts. "The Medium: Helen Duncan." What'sHerName, Episode, Nelson, Katie Dr. / Meikle, Olivia,15 March 2021.


FURTHER INTEREST ~ 


 


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