Lord Howard of Effingham (Vol. iii., pp. 185. 244.).—It has been supposed that the Earl of Nottingham was a Catholic, and having held office in the reign of Queen Mary, he probably was so at that time; but he certainly was a Protestant during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and in the beginning of James I. was at the head of a commission to discover and expel all Catholic priests. (Vide Memorials of the Howard Family.)
R. R. M.
Obeahism.—Ventriloquism (Vol. iii., pp. 59. 149.).—T. H. will find, in the authorities given below, that Obeahism is not only a rite, but a religion, or rather superstition, viz. Serpent-worship. Modern Universal History, fol. vol. vi. p. 600.; 8vo. vol. xvi. p. 411.; which is indebted for its information to the works of De Marchais, Barbot, Atkyns, and Bosman: the last of which may be seen in Pinkerton's Collection, vol. xvi., and a review of it in Acta Eruditor., Lips. 1705, p. 265., under the form of an "Essay on Guinea." In Astely's Collection of Voyages, there is an account compiled from every authority then known, and a very interesting description of the rites and ceremonies connected with this superstition. According to the same authors, the influence of the Obeist does not depend on the exercise of any art or natural magic, but on the apprehensions of evil infused into his victim's mind. See also Lewis's Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West Indies.
The following references will furnish a reply at once to two Queries; to that here noticed, and to that on "Ventriloquism" (Vol. ii., p. 88.).
The name of the sacred serpent, which in the ancient language of Canaan was variously pronounced, was derived from "ob" (inflare), perhaps from his peculiarity of inflation when irritated. See Bryant's Analysis, vol. i.; Deane's Worship of the Serpent, p. 80. From a notion of the mysterious inflation produced by the presence of the divine spirit, those who had the spirit of Ob, or Python, received the names of Ob, or Pythia; according to the not unusual custom for the priest or priestess of any god to take the name of the deity they served. See Selden, De Dis Syris, Synt. 1. c. 2. It is a curious coincidence, that as the Witch of Endor is called "Oub," and the African sorceress "Obi," from the serpent-deity Oub, so the old English name of a witch, "hag," bears apparent relationship to the word hak, the ancient British name of a species of snake. In Yorkshire, according to Stukeley, they call snakes "hags" and "hag-worms," (Abury, p. 32.).
In the Breton language, Belech is "Priest," and may similarly indicate a priest of Bel-the-Dragon.
From the Hebrew Ob, the Greek ὄφις was probably derived; for the same word, in Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek, which denotes "divination" denotes a "serpent." "Nachash,"[[4]] "ilahat,"[[5]] "οἰωνίζεσθαι,"[[6]] have the same double signification as if the serpent were recognised as the grand inspirer of the heathen prophets. See Faber's Horæ Mosaicæ, vol. i. p. 98.
The word "Ob" was translated by the LXX. ἐγγαστριμύθος, "a ventriloquist," in
accommodation to the received opinions respecting the Pythian priestess. See the Notes to Creech's Lucretius, book v.; Jones's (of Nayland) Physiolog. Disquis. p. 290. The deception practised by the Witch of Endor, and by the damsel mentioned in Acts xvi. 16., was of this description. See Wierus de Præstig. Dæmon. p. 203.; and Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft, p. 148.
The serpent, which with heathen mythologists had various acceptations (see Vossius, Theologia Gent. et Physiologia Christ.), was also understood as a natural symbol or hieroglyphic of the air. Can any of your learned correspondents furnish materials illustrative of this figurative relation between the serpent and the elements?