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Pyewacket

Pyewacket was the name of one of several demonic familiar spirits attributed to an accused witch during the English witch hunts of the mid-17th century, as documented by Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General.^[1] In his 1647 pamphlet The Discovery of Witches, Hopkins reported that a woman in Manningtree, Essex, confessed in March 1644 to having multiple imps, including Pyewacket, which were said to take animal forms and suck blood from secret teats on the witches' bodies as part of their infernal pact with the Devil.^[1] These familiars, named alongside others like Elemanzer, Peckin the Crown, Grizzel, and Greedigut, were presented as evidence of witchcraft because Hopkins claimed "no mortall could invent" such unusual names, using them to justify the persecution and execution of dozens of women in East Anglia between 1644 and 1647.^[2] The name Pyewacket itself may derive from an indigenous place name in colonial New England, possibly a village in present-day Maine, transmitted to England through connections like those between Hopkins' family and Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop.^[3] The concept of Pyewacket as a familiar exemplifies the superstitious beliefs in imps as shape-shifting servants of witches, often appearing as cats, dogs, or other animals, which fueled the hysteria of the era's trials.^[2] Hopkins' methods, including sleep deprivation and pricking for the Devil's mark, led to the conviction of over 100 individuals, with Pyewacket's mention highlighting how invented or exotic names were weaponized as "proof" of the supernatural.^[1] In modern culture, the name has endured, notably as the Siamese cat familiar of the witch Gillian Holroyd (played by Kim Novak) in the 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle, a romantic comedy that playfully invoked witchcraft tropes.^[4] It also inspired the title of the 2017 Canadian horror film Pyewacket, directed by Adam MacDonald, where a teenage girl summons a spirit by that name in a ritual gone awry.^[5] These references underscore Pyewacket's lasting association with feline familiars and occult lore in popular media.

Historical Background

Matthew Hopkins' Witch-Hunting Activities

Matthew Hopkins was born around 1620 in Great Wenham, Suffolk, England, as the son of James Hopkins, a Puritan minister and vicar at the local church in Wenham.^[6] Trained as a lawyer, he relocated to Manningtree in Essex, where he lived as an innkeeper before embarking on his notorious career.^[7] In early 1644, Hopkins claimed personal encounters with witchcraft, including overhearing local women discussing meetings with the Devil, which prompted him to accuse several individuals and initiate his self-proclaimed role as Witchfinder General.^[8] This marked the start of his operations, beginning with the Manningtree witch trials as an example of his early work.^[9] Hopkins employed a range of coercive techniques to identify witches, emphasizing the detection of supernatural signs and forced admissions.^[10] Central to his approach was sleep deprivation, where suspects were kept awake for several days by constant harassment to provoke confessions of pacts with the Devil.^[8] He also conducted pricking tests, using needles to probe the body for "witch's marks"—insensible spots that did not bleed or cause pain, interpreted as the Devil's seal—often employing assistants known as "prickers."^[9] The swimming ordeal involved binding the accused and submerging them in water; floating was seen as evidence of guilt due to the water's rejection of the unholy, while sinking indicated innocence, though it frequently resulted in drowning.^[8] Additionally, Hopkins monitored suspects for the manifestation of familiars, demonic animal spirits, and relied on confessions extracted under these duressful conditions as primary evidence.^[10] Operating mainly in East Anglia from 1644 to 1647, Hopkins and his team traveled across counties such as Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Huntingdon, responding to local fears exacerbated by the English Civil War.^[8] He accused over 300 individuals, predominantly women, of witchcraft, resulting in between 100 and 230 executions by hanging, with many more dying in custody.^[10]^[11]^[12] To fund his activities, Hopkins charged fees of 20 shillings per town investigated, sometimes escalating to £23 for larger efforts, and he collaborated closely with assistants including John Stearne, who handled much of the physical questioning.^[8] In 1647, amid growing criticism, he published The Discovery of Witches, a pamphlet defending his methods, justifying the use of non-traditional proofs like familiars and marks, and serving as a practical guide for others in witch detection.^[1]

The Manningtree Witch Trials of 1644

The Manningtree witch trials commenced in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England, during a period of heightened social and religious tensions amid the English Civil War (1642–1651) and the rise of Puritan fervor that amplified fears of witchcraft and moral disorder.^[13] Local rumors of witchcraft prompted the involvement of Matthew Hopkins, a self-proclaimed witchfinder, who identified seven or eight women in Manningtree and nearby areas as practitioners of the craft, marking the start of his notorious campaign.^[1] These events reflected the peak of witch panics in England, driven by wartime instability and Puritan beliefs in demonic influences, before a decline after 1647 due to growing skepticism and legal challenges.^[13] Central to the Manningtree accusations was the case of one elderly woman, identified in historical records as Elizabeth Clarke, an approximately 80-year-old resident suspected of causing harm through witchcraft.^[14] Under Hopkins' direction, Clarke was subjected to sleep deprivation—a method he employed to provoke confessions by observing suspected witches for signs of familiars—as ordered by a local justice.^[1] She was kept awake for two or three nights by a group of watchers, culminating in her confession on the final night in the presence of ten witnesses.^[1] During her interrogation, Clarke admitted to entertaining imps and named several familiars, reportedly a quarter of an hour before their visible appearances, which the witnesses claimed to observe sucking at her body.^[1] She further implicated other women, confessing to receiving imps from them, including one named Pyewacket among a total of eleven such spirits detailed across the Manningtree and adjacent confessions.^[1] This process, facilitated by Hopkins' techniques of watching and searching for devil's marks, fueled a chain of accusations in the region.^[13] The Manningtree trials formed part of the larger Essex witch hunts, resulting in 29 condemnations across the county.^[1] Four women, including some from Manningtree, were executed by hanging approximately 25 miles away, as authorities sought to deter further supposed diabolical activities, such as attempts to harm Hopkins with a bear-like devil.^[1] These outcomes exemplified the rapid escalation of Hopkins' investigations, which spread beyond Essex but began to wane as public and official scrutiny increased by the late 1640s.^[13]

The Familiar Spirit

Description in Contemporary Accounts

In Matthew Hopkins' pamphlet The Discovery of Witches (1647), Pyewacket is named as one of ten imps confessed to by Elizabeth Clarke, a witch from Manningtree, Essex, during interrogations conducted by Hopkins himself.^[1]^[15] This confession, extracted under duress, listed Pyewacket alongside other familiars such as Elemanzer, Peckin the Crown, Grizzel, and Greedigut, though unlike the more vividly described imps—such as Vinegar Tom, depicted as a long-legged greyhound with an ox-like head—Pyewacket received no specific physical form in the account.^[1] These familiars were understood as demonic spirits dispatched by the Devil to serve witches, manifesting in animal guises to execute malefic acts like causing illness or death while demanding sustenance from their human counterparts.^[1] Pyewacket, like the others, was believed to suckle blood from secret teats on the witch's body—often likened to breastfeeding infants—to maintain the infernal pact, a trait Hopkins emphasized as physical evidence of witchcraft during examinations.^[1] This feeding mechanism underscored the familiars' role in binding witches to demonic service, granting them supernatural power in exchange for loyalty and bodily tribute. The pamphlet's frontispiece woodcut visually reinforced these claims, portraying two accused witches identifying a group of animal-shaped familiars before Hopkins and local officials, serving as propagandistic imagery to justify the witch hunts.^[16] In broader 17th-century English demonology, such familiars exemplified the impersonal, often whimsically named entities that embodied the era's fears of hidden diabolism, appearing as everyday animals to evade detection while enabling covert sorcery.^[1]

Associated Familiars and Their Roles

In the confessions obtained during the Manningtree witch trials, one accused witch described possessing five distinct familiars, each taking an animal form believed to embody demonic spirits. These included Holt, a white kitling (young cat); Jarmara, depicted as a fat spaniel without legs; Vinegar Tom, a long-legged greyhound with an ox-like head, a long tail, and broad eyes, capable of shapeshifting into a headless four-year-old child; Sack and Sugar, a black rabbit; and Newes, a polecat.^[1] These forms were said to appear on the witch's command after being named, reflecting the demonic versatility in assuming guises that blended familiar animals with unnatural traits.^[1] Additional imps were confessed by fellow witches in the same network, including Elemanzer, Pyewacket, Peckin the Crown, Grizzel, and Greedigut, bringing the total to ten familiars documented across the group.^[1] Unlike the more vividly described forms of the primary witch's familiars, Pyewacket and the others lacked specific animal attributions in the accounts, suggesting they functioned as standard imps without elaborated shapes, though grouped similarly in the interrogations.^[1] This ensemble was illustrated in the frontispiece woodcut of Hopkins' pamphlet, emphasizing the collective identification of such spirits.^[1] All these familiars served uniform roles in performing maleficium, or harmful sorcery, such as inflicting illnesses on victims or manipulating weather to cause destruction, as directed by their witches through pacts with the Devil.^[1] They were sustained by sucking blood from the "witch's mark," a supernumerary teat or blemish on the body, which Hopkins' searches confirmed as evidence of their presence.^[1] The witches reportedly convened these imps during nocturnal meetings every six weeks, summoning them to execute communal malice.^[1] The varied yet interconnected roles of these familiars underscored the narrative of a widespread witch coven in Hopkins' account, portraying an organized demonic hierarchy that justified the escalation of accusations and executions across Essex.^[1] By highlighting their shared functions in maleficium and sustenance, the confessions reinforced the interconnectedness of the accused, transforming individual testimonies into proof of a broader conspiracy.^[1]

Etymology and Name Origins

Possible Indigenous Roots

One prominent theory posits that the name "Pyewacket" derives from "Pequawket" or "Pigwacket," an Eastern Abenaki (Algonquian) term referring to a tribal group and their village located near the headwaters of the Saco River in present-day Conway, New Hampshire, and Fryeburg, Maine.^[17] The etymology traces to the Abenaki word apíkwahki or pekwakik, meaning "land of hollows," "at the hole in the ground," or "at the opening," likely alluding to local geological features such as caves, springs, or sandy depressions along the branching river valley.^[18]^[3] This interpretation aligns with broader Algonquian naming patterns for landscape features, emphasizing natural formations rather than abstract concepts.^[17] Historical transmission of the name into English likely occurred through early 17th-century colonial explorations and settlements in New England, predating Matthew Hopkins' 1645 accounts by at least two decades. Early reports from the 1620s and 1630s by Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonists documented Indigenous geography in the region, with the specific tribal name appearing in these accounts.^[3] Phonetic similarity between "Pie-wacket" and "Pequawket" indicates an anglicized borrowing, facilitated by Puritan settlers' interactions and family networks, such as those linking Hopkins to Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop, whose journals record early Indigenous place names.^[3] Evidence from these periods, including explorer narratives, supports the name's non-invented Indigenous origin, as it circulated in colonial documents well before its 1644 application in English witch trials.^[17] Alternative theories proposing Old English or dialectal roots, such as combinations of "pie" (meaning magpie) and "wicket" (a small gate), lack historical or linguistic support and are dismissed as folk etymologies without attestation in pre-colonial English sources.^[3] The Indigenous derivation remains the most rigorously evidenced explanation, underscoring cross-cultural linguistic exchange in early colonial America. Later, the name was briefly adopted in English witch lore as an exotic descriptor for a demonic familiar.^[3]

Integration into English Folklore

The name Pyewacket first appeared in English documentation during the Essex witch trials of 1645, as recorded in the anonymous pamphlet A True and Exact Relation of the Severall Informations, Examinations, and Confessions of the Late Witches, Arraigned and Executed in the County of Essex (1645), where it was identified as one of the familiar spirits confessed by accused witch Elizabeth Clarke. This initial reference positioned Pyewacket as an impish entity in the shape of a kitten or similar form, sucking blood from the witch's familiar mark as part of a demonic covenant. No prior English usage of the name has been identified before these 1644–1645 proceedings, indicating that Matthew Hopkins or the accused likely drew from contemporary reports of colonial encounters in New England.^[3] By 1647, Pyewacket gained wider circulation through Hopkins' influential treatise The Discovery of Witches: In Answer to Severall Queries, Lately Delivered to the Judges of Assize for the Discovery of Witches, which reiterated the name among a list of imps including Elemanzer, Peckin the Crown, Grizzel, and Greedigut, derived from multiple confessions leading to the condemnation of 29 individuals in Essex. The choice of such an unfamiliar, exotic-sounding name may have been deliberate to underscore foreign demonic influences, resonating with mid-17th-century English anxieties over Catholic plots and emerging colonial narratives from the Americas. This integration reflected a broader synthesis of traditional European demonology—emphasizing named spirits as personal agents of the Devil—with sensationalized accounts of New World "savagery" and indigenous spiritual beliefs.^[1]^[3] In subsequent witch-hunt narratives following Hopkins' activities, Pyewacket became emblematic of the quirky yet malevolent familiars that humanized and terrorized the supernatural in English lore, appearing in variations such as "Pye Wacket" across 17th-century trial records and pamphlets. It formed part of a corpus of distinct names for familiars documented in English proceedings from the 1640s to 1660s, often used to lend authenticity and memorability to accusations. Although the intensity of witch trials waned after the 1660s with the decline of prosecutions, the name endured in regional oral traditions as a shorthand for mischievous witch's companions, blending into folklore tales of spectral animals and hidden pacts.^[19]^[20]

Cultural Legacy

Representations in Literature and Film

In the 1950 Broadway play Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten, Pyewacket appears as the Siamese cat familiar belonging to the modern-day witch Gillian Holroyd, serving as a conduit for her mischievous spells in a romantic comedy exploring witchcraft and forbidden love.^[21] The cat's role underscores the play's lighthearted take on supernatural elements, where Pyewacket aids Gillian in enchanting her neighbor, only to complicate her budding romance as her powers wane. This portrayal draws loosely from historical accounts of familiars like the imp associated with 17th-century witch trials, transforming the figure into a charming, everyday companion.^[21] The 1958 film adaptation, directed by Richard Quine and starring Kim Novak as Gillian alongside James Stewart, faithfully retains Pyewacket—played by multiple Siamese cats—as a central character who embodies the story's blend of whimsy and magic.^[21] In the narrative, the cat facilitates Gillian's love spell on Stewart's character, but its disappearance symbolizes her renunciation of witchcraft for genuine emotion, highlighting themes of self-discovery amid comedic supernatural antics. The production's use of up to 12 cats for stunts emphasized Pyewacket's pivotal, endearing presence in this Hollywood romantic fantasy.^[21] Shifting to children's literature, Rosemary Weir's 1967 novel Pyewacket reimagines the name for an anthropomorphic alley cat protagonist, a tough, one-eyed tom leading a band of felines in Pig's Lane on whimsical adventures against encroaching human development.^[22] Illustrated by Charles Pickard, the story follows Pyewacket and his companions as they ally with rats to sabotage their owners' homes, only to face unintended consequences when the structures are demolished for a factory, ultimately finding a new purpose as rat catchers. This depiction pivots Pyewacket from a demonic entity to a resilient, adventurous animal hero, emphasizing themes of community and adaptation in a tale accessible to young readers.^[23] The 2017 horror film Pyewacket, written and directed by Adam MacDonald, casts the entity in a darker light, with teenager Leah (Nicole Muñoz) summoning the spirit Pyewacket through an occult ritual to kill her mother (Laurie Holden), unleashing escalating supernatural horrors that blur regret and reality.^[24] Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film builds tension through Leah's isolation and the manifestation of Pyewacket as an invisible, malevolent force, culminating in psychological terror that examines familial strife and the perils of unchecked anger.^[24] Across these works, Pyewacket evolves from a historical familiar spirit rooted in feared witchcraft to either an endearing magical aide in comedic contexts or a horrifying demon in modern horror, reflecting broader cultural shifts in perceptions of the supernatural from dread to domesticated charm or renewed menace.^[21]^[24]

Modern Uses and Popular Culture

In contemporary culture, the name Pyewacket has been prominently adopted for a series of high-performance sailing yachts owned by Roy P. Disney, grand-nephew of Walt Disney, beginning in 1989.^[25] The latest iteration, Pyewacket 70, is a modified Volvo Ocean 70 (VO70) class vessel that underwent significant upgrades around 2017 to enhance its speed for offshore racing.^[26] This yacht has achieved notable successes, including multiple class wins and the Barn Door Trophy in the Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac) over 17 participations spanning more than three decades, a course record set in 1999 on an earlier 74-foot version, line honors in the 2024 Bermuda Race, first place in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600, and overall victory with line honors at the 2025 Antigua Sailing Week.^[25]^[27] As of 2025, Pyewacket 70 remains active in major offshore events, such as the Rolex Fastnet Race, embodying themes of speed and enigmatic allure drawn from its historical folklore origins.^[28] The name also inspired Pyewackett (with a spelling variation), a British folk band active in the early to mid-1980s, known for blending traditional English folk tunes with original compositions.^[29] The group released four albums during the decade, including Pyewackett (1981) featuring tracks like "Halfe Hannikin" and "Two Sisters," and The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret (1983), which incorporated sea shanties, Civil War-era songs, and vivacious arrangements reflective of the era's folk revival.^[30]^[31] Following the 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle, which featured Pyewacket as a Siamese cat familiar, the name gained popularity for pet cats, particularly those with a mystical or elegant demeanor. This trend persists in modern pet naming, often evoking whimsy and witchcraft associations. In niche media, Pyewacket appears in minor capacities within occult-themed contexts, symbolizing a shift from 17th-century associations with terror to 21st-century emblems of adventure and lighthearted kitsch.^[32]

References

[1]
The Discovery of Witches - Project Gutenberg
The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Discovery of Witches, by Matthew Hopkins ... Pyewacket, Peckin the Crown, Grizzel, Greedigut, &c. which no mortall could ...
[2]
Familiar spirits and devilish imps | National Museums Liverpool
Self-styled Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins used the naming of familiars as proof of their existence: citing such names as Pyewacket, Grizzel Greedigut and ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[3]
Pyewacket: A Familiar Spirit of the Witchfinder General | Names
Dec 1, 2013 · It is suggested that it derives from the name of a village presently in the State of Maine, and that it became known in England through family ...
[4]
Pyewacket | Rotten Tomatoes
Rating 83% (36) A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.
[5]
Great Wenham - Suffolk Churches
The rector of Great Wenham was James Hopkins, himself a strong puritan, and his son Matthew grew up to be the infamous self-appointed Witchfinder General ...Missing: minister | Show results with:minister
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Matthew Hopkins Biography – Witchfinder General - Biographics
May 30, 2019 · When Matthew Hopkins was born in Wenham, Suffolk, probably in 1620, it was into a world that was alive with superstition in a way we simply can' ...
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Matthew Hopkins, Witch-Finder General - Historic UK
Apr 4, 2017 · Matthew Hopkins, Witch-Finder General. He and his associates are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women, accused of witchcraft, between ...Missing: scope | Show results with:scope
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The life of Matthew Hopkins, the opportunistic 'Witchfinder General'
British History. The first official mention of Matthew Hopkins - the infamous 'Witchfinder General' - appears in 1644 in the town of Manningtree in Essex.Missing: scope | Show results with:scope
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Matthew Hopkins and the witch hunts of 1645-1647 - BBC Bitesize
In all, about 1,000 people were executed for witchcraft between 1542 and 1736. Matthew Hopkins. Matthew Hopkins, a lawyer and the self-proclaimed Witchfinder ...Missing: scope | Show results with:scope
[10]
Matthew Hopkins: The real Witchfinder General
Sep 12, 2022 · We uncover the story of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General who wreaked havoc in 17th century East Anglia, sending women to the gallows for witchcraft.Missing: methods scope
[11]
The discovery of witches: Matthew Hopkins's Defense of his Witch ...
Mar 1, 2016 · And now published by Matthew Hopkins, witch-finder. For the benefit ... The British film Witchfinder General (dir. Michael Reeves, 1968) ...
[12]
[PDF] Finding the Witch's Mark: Female Participation in the Judicial System ...
Mar 31, 2014 · His ability to obtain such authority was, in a way, a precursor to. Matthew Hopkins' ability to become 'Witchfinder General.' 28 Gaskill ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography<|control11|><|separator|>
[13]
satirical print; frontispiece - British Museum
Description: Frontispiece to a tract entitled "The Discovery of Witches" illustrating a passage on pp. 2-3; Matthew Hopkins ... familiars. 1647. Woodcut.
[14]
[PDF] Indian place names of New England
... River has been known variously as Counnitegou, ("Long River"), Manigana tica ... Branch of Penobscot River, Piscataquis. County, Me. Abnaki, see above ...
[15]
https://www.history.co.uk/articles/1645-manningtree-witch-trials
[16]
Grizzel Greedigut: A Name 'No Mortall Could Invent'
Apr 3, 2019 · A Mirror of Witchcraft. London: Chatto & Windus. Hopkins, Matthew. 1647. The Discovery of Witches. London: R. Royston. Kilbourne, Frederick ...
[17]
Pyewacket: A Familiar Spirit of the Witchfinder General
Aug 6, 2025 · in London. Bibliography. Anon. 1645. A True and Exact Relation of the severall Informations, Examinations, and Confessions of the late.Missing: True and Exact Relation" Hopkins 1645
[18]
Bell, Book and Candle (1959) - Turner Classic Movies - TCM
Based on the play Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten as produced in ... Siamese cat named Pywacket. 1959's Middle of the Night is a heavy but ...<|separator|>
[19]
Pyewacket; : Weir, Rosemary : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming
Aug 11, 2010 · The seven cats of Pig's Lane make a truce with the rats and mice while they try to drive out their humans.
[20]
Pyewacket by Rosemary Weir - Goodreads
Rating 4.3 (151) 1968 Abelard-Schuman – Book Club; Picture-Cover Hardcover Genres Fiction Childrens Kids Animals 123 pages, Hardcover First published January 1, 1967
[21]
Film Review: 'Pyewacket' - Variety
Mar 23, 2018 · A dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship leads to occult grief in Adam MacDonald's intriguing Canadian horror movie. By Dennis Harvey.Missing: 2017 | Show results with:2017
[22]
Roy Edward Disney - The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of ...
His most beloved race was the Trans Pacific ocean race. He raced it sixteen times and set a course record in 1999 with his 74 foot ultra-light sled, Pyewacket ...
[23]
Pyewacket 70 - Transpacific Yacht Club | Race Information
Owner: Roy P. Disney. Home Country: USA ... During this 34-year history of 17 races, the Pyewacket team has earned numerous class wins, the Barn Door Trophy and ...
[24]
Pyewacket 70 offered for new offshore challenges - Sail-World.com
Oct 4, 2025 · Pyewacket 70's recent results include: 2025 Antigua Sailing Week – Line Honours, Overall Winner; 2024 Bermuda Race – Line Honours; 2023 RORC ...Missing: activity | Show results with:activity
[25]
Disney Sails His Last Act With 'Pyewacket' — the Fastnet Race
Jul 25, 2025 · Roy Disney's modified Volvo 70 'Pyewacket' is tuned up and ready for her last race under Disney's ownership, the 2025 Fastnet Race.Missing: activity | Show results with:activity
[26]
12 Essential British 1980s folk-rock albums | Make Your Own Taste
Sep 3, 2013 · Pyewackett – The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret (1982). Another lesser-known band, Pyewackett released four albums in the eighties. This is ...Missing: Pyewacket | Show results with:Pyewacket
[27]
Pyewackett - Mainly Norfolk
Jun 3, 2023 · Pyewackett: The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret (Familiar FAM43) The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret Pyewackett Familiar Records FAM43 (LP, UK, 1983)Missing: British band 1980s
[28]
Pyewackett Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More ... - AllMusic
Explore Pyewackett's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews. Learn all about Pyewackett on AllMusic.
[29]
Blog – Pyewacket Print
So in service of those who seek witchcraft they provide education in the form of books. 3-To help witches who don't/ cannot practice with covens or study in ...