Tempestarii
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In medieval lore, the belief in witches who could raise storms at will created the Tempestarii. These mythical witches dwelled in a land in the sky called Magonia. Huge storm clouds were said to be the Magonians' ships, whom the Tempestarii aided by stirring the wind and creating lighting and thunder. Crops pelted by hail were the victims of malicious Magonians dumping their cargo overboard, and when the Magonians landed their ships, with further help from the Tempestarii, they would steal the beaten-down crops.
Further legend holds that when the Magonians returned to the sky, they sometimes withheld the Tempestarii's pay - the wispy clouds chasing a storm were sign of the Tempestarii giving chase to the Magonians.
[edit] Storm raising
During the witch hunts the belief in witches who could raise storms was not limited to the Tempestarii. Depending on a witch's preference, they were believed to cause tempests, hailstorms, and lighting. Witches struck homes and crops alike, sank ships, killed men and animals, and it was believed they took great delight in the process. Church authorities gave credence to the belief by stating that God permitted the Devil and witches to perform these acts as punishment for the wickedness of the world.
Since ancient times around the world, the ability to control elements - including the raising of storms and causing rain - has been attributed to magicians, shamans, sorcerers, and witches. As early as 700 A.D., the Catholic Church prosecuted sorcerers for causing storms.
The most famous storm believed to be caused by witches was recorded in 1591 during the North Berwick Witch Trials. John Fian and his alleged coven of witches were accused of raising a sea storm to drown James VI and Queen Anne on their way from Denmark.
[edit] Remedies against tempestarii
The Catholic Church prohibited superstitious remedies against witchcraft such as storm raising because the remedies themselves were of pagan origin. Prayer, sacraments, and the invocation of the name of God were prescribed instead with the belief that a person who had strong faith in God, kept the commandments, and revered the rites of the Church would be immune from storms and tempests raised by malicious witches.
Because many peasants were reluctant to give up their supersitions as being false, the church also sanctioned remedies like the ringing of church bells, believed to drive storm devils away, and placing charms made from flowers consecrated on Palm Sunday in the crop fields. It was believed that if a storm did strike after the charm was placed, the owner's crops would be protected even if the surrounding land and crops were destroyed.
In some modern Pagan and Witch traditions, weather rituals are performed. Almost without exception, these traditions are strongly against the use of such rituals to cause harm or suffering.
