Besides mysticism, belief in witches and witchcraft became widespread, and by the late 15th century the Church had begun to lend credence to populist fears of witchcraft with its condemnation of witches in 1484 and the publication in 1486 of the Malleus Maleficarum, the most popular handbook for witch-hunters. – Wikipedia
Organizing a medieval fair is a big job. A proper venue needs to be found, replica buildings need to be erected and accurate period costumes need to be created. The sort of people who pay good money to attend these celebrations are knowledgeable fanatics who don’t tolerate any mistakes or inaccuracies.
After years of experience and months of planning the organizers of the 9th Annual Kingdom of Osgoode Medieval Festival had it all under control except for one small detail…they needed to find a witch.
In contrast to the difficulty all of the physical arrangements finding personnel is usually not an issue. There never seems to be a shortage of people who are willing to dress up in a costume and play the part of a vendor, farmer or citizen. This year however the actress who was to play the part of the witch was offered a real acting role that paid and she backed out of the fair at the last second.
Spectators were already coming through the gates when she called to say that she wouldn’t be coming. The organizers were in a panic, the witch trial was one of the biggest attractions of the weekend’s events.
‘What are we going to do?’ said Thomas.
‘We need to find another person to play the witch’ said Robert.
‘Where are we going to find someone?’ asked Ethan.
‘Out there’ said Thomas pointing to the log line of people waiting to pay their admission get in.
The three began to approach every woman who had come in costume and asked if they wanted to take part in the show in exchange for free admission. Over a dozen declined the offer for various reasons and they were getting desperate.
‘Maybe someone who is already playing a part wouldn’t mind switching roles?’ said Thomas.
‘Good idea’ said Robert ‘let’s go to the market square, that’s where most of them are.’
‘Let’s hope that we can find someone’ said Ethan.
At the square the recreation of a busy market was in full swing. Crude wooden stalls filled the center and surrounding them were colorful tents. Most of the tents held fortune tellers, spiritual healers and other such mystical characters.
Vendors shouted out the prices of their wares and customers haggled over the prices or tried to barter with their own goods. Minstrels played tunes for hand-outs and children ran about playing games.
One of the tents was closed to the public and being used as a lounge area where the actors could take a break and grab a hot coffee or some cold water. The three organizers went there first to see if anyone was available to take the witch’s role but it was empty.
When they went back put to the square they found the woman they were looking for.
A vegetable cart pulled by a donkey was working its way through the crowd when the donkey became frightened by the noise and commotion. It reared up and started to pull the cart sideways into the mass of people. Most stepped aside quickly but one young girl fell to the cobblestones and was in danger of being trampled.
A woman with long red hair and a pretty peasant dress who was acting as a flower vendor dropped her basket and stepped up taking hold of the donkeys harness. She pulled the donkey away from the frightened girl and held it still until it settled down.
‘That’s our woman’ said Thomas.
‘Are you sure’ said Robert.
‘Follow my lead’ said Thomas.
They walked up to her and waited until the people praising her and thanking her had dispersed. Then Thomas said ‘Pray tell me your name fair maiden’ in an accent befitting his role as the mayor of the city.
‘It is Crystal your honor’ she said as she curtsied deeply.
‘Were we not all witness to what this maiden Crystal did?’ he shouted out to the crowd.
‘Yes we were’ they shouted back.
‘Then we all saw that this woman has shown us tremendous strength to subdue a powerful beast’ he proclaimed.
The people nodded and murmured in agreement.
‘Then I must ask my deputies to take her into custody’ he said as he pointed at Robert and Ethan ‘because such strength is not normal for such a woman and it means that she must be a witch!’
Robert and Ethan realized what he was saying and grabbed her by the arms. Crystal was confused and tried to defend herself by denying she was a witch. Thomas put his hand over her mouth.
‘Do not try to cast a spell over us, your magic words will not be heard’ he said as he gagged her.
‘Take her to the confinement tent’ he told the other two pointing at the lounge ‘and hold her there.’ Then he announced to the crowd ‘The witch will be on trial in one hour right here in the square, be here to see her sentenced.’
Thomas followed Ethan and Robert as they dragged Crystal into the tent. Once they were inside they released her and explained the situation begging her to play the part for them.
‘I’ve been coming here for years and I’ve always wanted to be the flower girl’ she said ‘and now you’ve ruined it for me. If I go back out there they will all see me as a witch thanks to you. I’m done here, I’m going home!’
As she tried to walk out Thomas stepped in front of her to block her way. ‘Deputies take this witch into custody and restrain her until the trial.’ Once again Ethan and Robert grabbed her arms and pulled her back pushing her down onto a chair.
Thomas took off the rope he used as a sash and tied her hands behind her. She threatened to scream for help and he pulled off the colorful bandanna from around her neck and stuffed it into her mouth. He used his own handkerchief as a cleave gag to hold it in.
‘We can’t do this’ complained Robert ‘it’s kidnapping.’
‘I have an idea about that’ said Thomas.
‘What’s the point’ said Ethan ‘she won’t play the part anyways.’
‘I have an idea about that too’ said Thomas.
By this time Crystal was thrashing around trying to get loose. ‘Hold her down’ he ordered ‘I’ll go get some ropes.’
In a few minutes he was back with some rough hemp cord and he tied her ankles to the legs of the chair and then he added another around her waist and the back of the chair. She was furious and didn’t make it easy. Thomas received several painful bruises from her desperate kicking.
‘Go get Jeremy the fortune teller’ he told Ethan ‘the one with the red beard.’
‘Why?’ asked Robert.
‘He claims to be a hypnotist’ answered Thomas ‘let’s find out how good he is.’
When Ethan returned with Jeremy Thomas told him his plan.
‘Can you make her think that she is a witch? We need her for the trial this afternoon and she is being uncooperative.’
‘I can do it’ he replied ‘but what are you going to do with her afterwards?’
‘You can change her back to normal and also tell her to forget what has happened. Make her think that she sold flowers all day and then she can go home happy.’
Jeremy pulled a thin leather string from his pocket and dangling from it was a round prism the size of grape. It glittered as it spun in the light of the candles that lit the tent. He waved it in front of Crystal and she turned her face away from it. Thomas took hold of her head and made her face the swaying gem.
‘You are feeling sleepy’ repeated Jeremy over and over until Crystal’s eyes began to glaze over. ‘You are no longer a flower girl. You are a witch and you will stand trial for your sins and confess. You are an evil woman who must be punished for consorting with the demons of hell. You are a woman who will beg God for forgiveness in front of the town.’
‘You will be obedient to all you are told until the trial starts and then when you are accused you will protest and struggle. You will do as you are told and in the end you will confess and be taken away.’
‘Very dramatic’ said Thomas ‘I like it. This is going to be good, the audience will love it. Now get her prepared boys while I make sure the court is ready.’
Thomas left the tent with Jeremy and then Robert and Ethan opened a trunk of props to prepare Crystal for the trial. She sat in a trance while they untied and un-gagged her. They put a wooden yoke around her neck and wrists and locked it on. They put iron shackles joined by a short chain on her ankles. Then they put a wooden bit gag between her teeth and pulled it on tight.
Thomas stood at one end of the courtyard on a raised platform. In the center of the stage was rough timber table with three chairs. On the table there was only a wooden mallet and a copy of the Malleus Maleficarum.
‘People of Osgoode’ he shouted ‘your attention here please.’
The hustle and bustle of the marketplace began to subside. Soon all eyes were on the Mayor of Osgoode standing at the front of the platform.
‘Today we witnessed an act of witchcraft, an act for which the sorceress must be punished. She is going to be brought to you and I will present you with the charges. This is a court of the people and it is you who will determine her fate.’
‘Bring the witch out’ he roared.
Ethan and Robert led Crystal from the tent and the crowd parted to let them pass. Some booed her and some hissed, many made the sign of the cross to protect their souls as she shuffled by. The chains dragged and rattled on the ground as she took short steps stumbling to keep up with the men who were pushing her along.
There were no signs of resistance as she submissively marched to the stage where she was to be put on trial. Once on the platform she was turned to face the jeering crowd and the hostility was intense as they shouted insults and threats.
‘Today this creature of hell showed a strength that no woman can possess. A strength that is only harnessed by giving ones soul to the devil himself. That power was used for good today when she saved the little girl but it can also be used for evil and it is up to us to put a stop to it before she is able to use it for corrupt purposes.’
‘That little girl will never truly be safe until this spawn of Satan has been removed from our fair town.’
‘As Mayor and Magistrate of Osgoode and as these fine citizens are my witness I charge you with witchcraft.’
On cue as Jeremy had suggested when hypnotizing her Crystal began to struggle and mmph. She twisted and turned as Ethan and Robert took hold of the yoke to hold her still. The crowd began to chant ‘Kill the witch, kill the witch.’
Thomas raised his arms until they went silent. The only sound was the rattling of the lock on the yoke and the jangling of the ankle chains.
‘Before we decide her fate we must in the interest of fairness allow her to state her case. Remove her bonds and gag so that after she confesses she may get down on her knees and fold her hands in prayer and beg for God’s forgiveness.’
Robert unlocked the yoke while Ethan unbolted the shackles. Then Thomas crossed the stage and removed Crystal’s gag. ‘Confess your sins and the fires of the stake will cleanse your soul. Confess that you are a witch.’
‘I am not a witch’ Crystal declared ‘the charges are false.’
Thomas was stunned. She had been hypnotized to confess but somehow she was able to overcome the conditioning.
Trying to salvage the trial by stirring up the crowd he shouted in a panic ‘I tell you that this woman is a witch!’
‘I am not a woman either’ shouted Crystal just as loudly.
She pulled off the long red wig to reveal short dark hair. Then she lifted her frock to expose a pair of men’s briefs with a distinctive masculine bulge.
‘I was born a male but my spirit is that of a female. I come here to satisfy my inner self by playing the part of a woman for a few days. That is why I had the strength to do what I did, not because of any satanic magic. I am a transgender and proud of it.’
Thomas knew that Crystal was now playing the crowd for sympathy and he knew that there was only one thing he could do to stop it and end this disaster.
‘What say you?’ he roared in a ferocious voice ‘Is this a witch to be put to death?’
The crowd hesitated. Then a woman in front gave a thumbs up. More hands were raised, and soon all were giving the thumbs up, she was innocent.
Thomas had to concede defeat and declared ‘Crystal is free to go and we the leaders of this community beg her forgiveness.’
As the crowd cheered Thomas slipped over to Crystal and asked ‘How did you do it? Jeremy hypnotized you.’
‘The hypnotizing didn’t work’ said Crystal ‘because Jeremy kept calling me a woman and I knew I wasn’t so his words didn’t have any effect on me. I decided to play along for a while so that I could get back at you for kidnapping me.’
What Crystal didn’t tell him was that she loved to be tied up and was actually really enjoying being kidnapped so playing along was easy. Having been to previous fairs Crystal knew that the witch would be yoked and gagged and paraded in public and she really wanted to experience that so she continued to play along.
As Crystal got down from the stage some people shook her hand or patted her on the back in congratulations, but many gave her a big hug, not only for being acquitted of the charges but for also for having the courage to reveal what she really was.
Crystal retrieved her basket and flowers and continued to walk the marketplace enjoying being a woman if only just for a few hours.