Although predictions of English witch Mother Shipton are known very well, no one knows if she was a real person or legend. She was born as Ursula Southeil or Sonthiel in Yorkshire 1448, 1486 or 1488. Married to carpenter Toby Shipton and lived in village of Skipton in North Yorkshire.
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| A true copy of Mother Shipton last prophesies |
Her mother was supposed to have healing powers, clairvoyance, storm raising and hexing abilities. She died giving birth to Ursula.
Ursula inherited her mother´s powers and was raised by local townswoman.
Since she was child strange things happened around her. Furniture was moving by itself, dinner disappeared from plates. Woman was hung by her toes from something in the air, same thing happened to men too.
Women found themselves dancing in a circle unable to stop, if they tried an imp ( in form of monkey) pinched them.
Richard Head described Ursula in his book from 1684:
...very great goggling, but sharp and fiery eyes. Her nose of incredible and unproportionable length, having in it many crooks and turnings, adorned with many strange pimples of diverse colours, as red and blue mixed, which, like vapours of brimstone, gave such a lustre to the affrighted spectators in the dead time of the night, that one of them confessed that her nurse needed no other light to assist her in the performance of her duty.
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| Old Mother Shipton |
Mother Shipton was brought to court based on accusation of bewitching prying neighbors at the breakfast party. The guests break out in hysterical laughter, run out of the house and goblins went after them.
According to legend she threatened the court that she can do much worse, said:
Updraxi, call Stygician Helleueiand left on winged dragon.
Her famous prediction were published in doggerel verse form. They include aeroplanes, submarines and gold in California or South Africa.
Carriages without horses shall go
and accidents fill the world with woe.
Around the earth thought shall fly
in the twinkling of an eye.
The world upside down shall be
and gold found at the root of the tree.
Through hills man shall ride
and no horse be at his side.
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| Ursula's favorite transpotation |
Under water men shall walk
shall ride, shall sleep, shall talk.
In the air men shall be seen
In white, in black, in green.
Iron in the water shall float,
as easily as wooden boat.
Gold shall be found and shown
in a land that's now not known.
Fire and water shall wonders do,
England shall at last admit a foe.
The world to an end shall come
in eighteen hundred and eighty one.
Famous legend tells a story how she predicted that Cardinal Wolsey would never reach York. The Cardinal send three lords incognito to visit Mother Shipton. One of them was Thomas Cromwell. She knew who they were and told them that Cardinal Wolsey would see but never reach York. One of the lords told her that when Cardinal reach York he would burn her as a witch. Ursula tossed her handkerchief in the fire and said if it's burnt so would she. Handkerchief remained unburnt.
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| cave of Ursula Southeil |
Cardinal Wolsey arrived at Cawood (eight miles from York) and see the city from top of the castle tower. He received a message that the king wished to see him. He turned back to London, but never arrived. Fallen ill and died in Leicester.
Thomas Cromwell asked about his own future. Mother Shipton replied that in time he would be as low as she was. Cromwell was later beheaded.
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