Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love

PROLOGUE - A Prophecy When the moon casts ominous glow And wild winds blow The dreary raven sings To the rhythm of flapping wings Dance their round the Three in Silk Ethereal, fair, and white as milk The Three in cotton do the same All Six call the Devil by his name As long the church tower you can see Six unholy sisters they will be SCENE I FIRST PEASANT Devell, the Devell he is, I swer God, Malice, mischief, he kin dew al' of it, Skerry spells he kin kast, and he kin witch, All sorts of badness like Devells dew, SECOND PEASANT 'Tis true, 'tis true, he can call imps at will And hev power over 'em and command Make 'em work his fields wen he drink his ale FIRST PEASANT The wicked bastard, he told me one day If I don't bring 'im my money and beer He will witch my horse and will blight my crop THE GROCER'S WIFE Then you paid in vain, I'm afraid my dear, No witchcraft could make your nag more stupid EVERYBODY HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE MILLER Ha! The Devil himself he may not be But with the Devil he danced at midnight, Deep in the marshlands, where the deuce abodes And powers ungodly he was granted, Powers over both Man and Animales THE SMITH Bollocks! Old George ain't no Devil, you chumps, Neither his powers I call ungodly Many good deeds he's done for this village, Many poor folks he's cured, good old George has, My wife, poor thing, was saved from pain of warts THE GROCER Aye, he's right, Old George helped me, too, once And he wanted nothing in return, no, But his piercing eyes can make you tremble All his countenance and voice, deep and hoarse Make me believe all the stories I heard Like that of the night at St Nicholas church... THE GROCER'S WIFE Fairy tales of old drunk, all well know his vice! Foolish talk disturbs the peace of our guest A gentleman well-learned that I can tell Hoping for some food and shelter, I'm sure Looking not for creepy superstitions THE MASON Many thanks may be laid upon your hands, Good woman, but fear not about my peace For in fact, I've travelled to Canewdon To meet the Cunning Man you speak of THE MILLER Why would you do that, sir, if I may ask? THE MASON To seek for a piece of advice I need And to discuss a few other matters The nature of which I was forbidden To disclose THE SMITH Are you of the masons, sir? I can see your ornaments and weapon And that fine signet ring, all bear features Of no ordinary craftsmanship... THE MASON Yes, I'm a Rosicrucian, a member of Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia I'm here to consult Mr. Pickingill Whom many of us hold in high esteem However, I would really like to hear More of your intriguing stories, please, FIRST PEASANT Toad-wytche, a toad-wytche he is, the Devell THE MASON A Toad-witch? And what's that if I may ask? FIRST PEASANT You ketch a hoppin' toad and bury it In a Black Ants' nest till black-boones are left SECOND PEASANT You serch a rare toad with a yellow ring Round its neck, and take the bone to the brook At midnight till the Devil come to you And pull you over the water and then... FIRST PEASANT ...you kin be a wytche and dew badness charms THE MASON And what's the story with your local priest?

Submitted by SerpentEve — Apr 26, 2025

SCENE TWO VICAR Mischief, mischief, the devilry is at toil Lo! The churchyard seethes with flickering flames Surely Satan's host make that turmoil Playing foul and chanting unholy names Do they come to ravish this mortal coil? Me, God's poor servant, such are their vile aims VOICES IN THE NIGHT May our love blossom on lustrous meadows Night be praised with dance, children of shadows VICAR Night's deep and dark yet I see it aright And my weary soul shudders at these sounds Shameless harlots from hell blaspheme my sight Lustfully whoring with infernal hounds God shall protect me with heavenly might No cloven hoof shall stain these holy grounds VOICES IN THE NIGHT Save your prayers, our plays they'd never foil Join us, succumb to lusts that thy mind coil VICAR Avaunt thee, to hell, foul spirits! Be gone! Leave me, God's humble minister, alone Who are ye, disguised in serpentine skin Must be Gypsy coven, Romany kin 'Tis widely known, devildom is their fate Heathens with witches and demons they mate VOICES IN THE NIGHT Wherefore thou seek to hide, why all this fear? Join us, our songs be pleasant to thine ear VICAR Wretch, in vain thy knocking, whoever knocks You've no enter to house that's clean and fair God's holy power will protect these locks But no one's knocking, how so? No one's there? My brain must have been wrought with delusion Truly, no witch hides in that waning night But those noises couldn't be mere illusion? All I see are thirteen rabbits, all white.

Submitted by Iron_Wraith — Apr 26, 2025

SCENE THREE DOROTHEA Strange day, see the clash of heart and reason Bliss I should find on this day of jolly Instead I feel like confined to prison Proper life? It's nothing but a folly No bonds I feel with values deemed worthwhile With fellow folk no solidarity From daylight's meet trifles I choose exile Moon, my dear friend in solitarity My heart longs to bathe in thy radiant dew But where from come thoughts making me estranged From this life I have to bitterly chew? In the crowd I'm alone, am I deranged? Pious and wise alike sing the barren tale Should I turn to magic if all else fail? (A young Gypsy girl approaches Dorothea) JAELLE Those pretty eyes, proud yet filled with distress Surely they hide wild secret fire To be quenched by night's soft caress DOROTHEA Ha! You serve that old witch from the mire Good folk says so about your dark mistress Who tells maidens whatever they desire JAELLE Come with me, have no sneer, consult with her Maybe you'll find her wisdom true and fair? DOROTHEA 'Tis bout not sneer what in my voice you hear Doubts that someone should mute, let's go then, dear! (Jaelle shows Dorothea to a small, richly decorated tent, Dorothea enters and meets the Gypsy wise woman) VADOMA Come, Tshilaba, come closer, and don't spurn Truths that lay hidden in the stars that burn By many ways the fate itself reveals Fiery is the lust thy soul conceals Suppressed deeply in the mundane slumber Yearning to tear this thin veil asunder Be not surprised, child, my cards do not lie I see through your spirit that wants to fly And learn secrets, that'll make come true your dreams DOROTHEA Reason writhes in alert but my heart screams In longing for passions untamed and strange My risk, show me how my fate I can change VADOMA Old wisdom can shape anew thy life's course But be warned! Knowledge often means sorrow It can drive mad, the mere glimpse of that force But if you dare - come again tomorrow (Dorothea leaves the place)

Submitted by Immortal — Apr 26, 2025

SCENE FOUR DOROTHEA Storm is coming, come the blessed madness The remedy to trivial life's sadness My soul cares not for the life eternal Nurtured by the wonders of the infernal (Dorothea's fiancé comes in and hears her monologue) JONATHAN What madness is this that comes through your lips? What possessed you to make you talk like this? You've changed since you made Gypsies your friends Worse! People say you've met with this warlock Old George, shady character, guile dog! 'Tis no company for proper maidens DOROTHEA Who are ye to say what for me is right? Don't come near, you're no better than a slave Preaching holy for show, pitiful sight I never deemed thy virtues pure and brave JONATHAN How so? How dare you speak to me like this? I am concerned with your reputation I shan't tolerate your foul godless friends Such scandal on the eve of our wedding DOROTHEA It's thine reputation thou care about I'm affliction to thy perfect order Thou low-lived coward wrapped in holy shroud Thou won't find me unless at hell's border JONATHAN You are mad! You can't leave me, all's arranged You can't shatter all our families' hopes! DOROTHEA I've no love for thee, neither thou for me Appearances is what's important for thee JONATHAN You shameless whore, it's that old devil's trick You'll regret this and so shall your damned friend DOROTHEA Fool, beware, pray thou never cross his path His power can harm in the aftermath (Jonathan exeunt) 'Twas the last obstacle, at last alone Nothing stops me to meet the fate unknown What sweet music seems to be nature's voice The sun is setting, it's time to rejoice...

Submitted by Corpse Defiler — Apr 26, 2025

SCENE FIVE DOROTHEA Satan, father, saviour, hear my prayer For my heart is full of glowing fire That consumes my former life's last layer Revealing my true will and desire This very night these woods shall bear witness To my Troth I pledge to ageless power The source of all libidinous sweetness Before which all the weak and meek cower CHORUS OF NIGHT SPECTRES Listen all, brethren of the night, listen Who's coming here stark nak'd with feline walk? Like a full moon lit rill her eyes glisten Why seeks she entry here, quiet, let her talk DOROTHEA Devil's quiversful, night's sons and daughters I've come to burn my precious life's tatter To bathe my soul in fiery waters And dash wild beyond the reason's clutter Hence I spurn the virtuous paths I've stridden To Lord Satan my respects I offer Introduce me to the games forbidden To be one of you may thy Grace confer CHORUS OF NIGHT SPECTRES Clear thy mind, make thy woes all bleak vanish Clear thy body for the Witches' Supper Clear thy spirit, low wants thou shalt banish And day's chains thou shalt no longer suffer (Vadoma appears suddenly and hands Dorothea a small vial of strange liquid) VADOMA Elixir made on night silvery blue Belladonna berries, hemp, Syrian rue And black hellebore, 'tis for thee - Crow's Bread Drink and greet visions wondrous in their dread (Dorothea drinks the liquid, Vadoma and apparitions disappear. A few moments later she begins to feel strange, the landscape as if changes its shape and colours, and Dorothea feels like she's flying. Suddenly she finds herself in a different place, probably somwehere deeper in the woods. There are many people around her. She can recognize the miller, the grocer and his wife, the smith, and a few women from the village, young and old) CHOIR OF VILLAGERS Here the world without end has its entrance May thy former life be dim remembrance (The cunning man appears in the centre of the gathering) OLD GEORGE The crooked path leads far from lofty ways Many phantoms of false aims thou must slay Will thou dare to ride on moon's eerie rays And hunt among the beasts of prey? Do you want to join those who cast the curse The disturbers of mundane universe? DOROTHEA I do, I do, with all my heart I do! Grant me the wisdom of the chosen few OLD GEORGE Our cult knows the world is not what may seem For those in slumber it's distempered dream Thou shall learn how thy soul's path to reverse And the world as thou know it to transgress DOROTHEA Passions of other men I truly scorn To the tongues of the dark I am reborn I pledge to serve thee for the good and ill Possess me and then kill - that is my will (the proper part of the ceremony begins...)

Submitted by Iron_Wraith — Apr 26, 2025