Imp

An Imp is a small demon that a witch keeps in a bottle. Imps are used for magical purposes like carrying out tasks and spells. Imps could shape-shift into rodents, toads or frogs, and insects like flies and spiders. In return for their work, they suck the blood from the witch.

Witches were checked for Witch Marks, this was a strange lump, warts, discolored skin, from which the witch would feed her Imp.
When nothing was found, it was agreed that she used her finger.

I bet they never thought of a witch spoon feeding her imp.

Prison cells were filled with rats and insects during the witch trials finding any animals in a suspected witch’s cell was suspicious. Guards tried to kill the animal, if it was killed, it was a normal animal, if it escaped that meant it was the witch’s Imp.

Imp and familiar were used interchangeably.

The Gadillon Family

The 1500s were a great time to find rampant werewolf stories.
This one takes place in 1598 France. The Gandillon family -a sister, her brother and his two children- ravaged an area called Jura in wolf form.

Penette Gandillon believe she was a wolf she would run around on all fours. One day she came upon a small boy and girl -brother and sister- gathering strawberries. Penette was consumed by blood rage and attacked the girl. The boy, a four-year-old, pulled a knife on Penette and defend his sister. Penette slashed at the boy cutting his neck and killing him. Later the girl identified that as her brothers killer.
Outraged peasants attacked Penette and tore her pieces.

Not long after, Pernette’s brother Pierre was accused of witchcraft. Rumors circulated appears kidnapping children and taking them to the witches sabbath. He would make fierce hailstorms and turned himself into a wolf with long shaggy gray hair. The devil gave him a special ointment. He wants changed into a hare once too. He accepted the rumors as truth. He confessed to killing and eating animals and humans and to return to human all he had to do was rolling grass.

Georges –Pierre’s son- confessed to using the ointment too. While his body lie in a trance state in bed, lasting three hours once he out he attended a witches sabbat. While in wolf form he killed and eaten two goats.
Both father and son had scars on their faces arms hands and legs that they’d received while in wolf form and fighting with dogs.

Antotinette confessed to selling her soul to the devil who appeared to her in the form of a black cat. She created hail while attending sabbats.

Pierre Georges behaved like raging maniacs, running around their cells on all fours and howling. It was believed they didn’t shape-shift into wolf’s because they didn’t have their magical ointment. Father and both his children were convicted hung and burned.

Iron

Considered as near magical and credited with supernatural powers.

The Aztecs called it “the gift from heaven” because it fell from the sky in meteor form.

Specialists were needed to remove iron from the ore and harden it. These specialists of Blacksmiths soon were thought of as magicians.

Iron is used to fight evil, keep fairies and demons away, in some case to keep vampires away. It was believed to ward off witches.