1
H is for heretic.
Margaret Donald,
you were a kitchen maid in
the house of the widow Rockby,
who was burned as a
witch this seven days.
Heathen charms were
found in your room.
No.
Who gave them to you?
I know nothing.
Damn it girl, the
more I find to punish,
the more I find to discover.
Who else came to the house
consorting with the witch?
I know nothing of witchcraft.
Very well.
No. No.
No.
Do you still maintain
that you know nothing?
Nothing, nothing.
According to the law,
as a witch,
you are to be whipped
through the street
until your back is bloody,
and then to look on the
world from the stocks.
That, and that mark,
may help you to remember.
Court dismissed.
Go on, beat her.
Go on, whip her.
Come on, come over here.
Go on, throw it at
her, you filthy witch.
Go on. Hey.
Throw it at her, the
filthy witch, go on!
Mad dog my Lord,
cut my sheep to pieces!
I've never seen
anything like it,
as if the hound's bewitched.
Creature straight
from Hell, was it?
Aye my Lord, they
say it comes by night,
from the far fields
where the dead men walk.
Devils be damned.
There's 20 Oxford
crowns to the man
who brings me its head,
and proves to you that
there is no witchery.
You heard Lord Edward,
let's go hunt the mad dog down!
Father!
What do we have here, hmm?
Only two heathens?
The others escaped us,
they're learning new tricks.
You promised us entertainment.
And you shall have it!
What is that in your hand, boy?
Hmm? Pipes?
What's the matter?
Didn't that witch
of a mother of yours
give you spells and charms
to coax music from
those heathen pipes?
May!
What about this young girl? Huh?
Do her feet have magic? Hmm?
Dance! Play!
My husband,
please, I beg of you,
Why wife?
Here we have the son and
daughter of some sorceress,
and I'm damned if they shan't
afford us some merriment.
Dance, play!
Dance, bitch!
It's a hound with its
paw caught in a trap.
Or a banshee telling
us that death is near.
Come, let us banish thoughts
of death with this, hmm?
Witch!
Come on Burke, rip it off!
Come on!
Take it off girl!
Let my sister be!
Let my sister be!
Let her be!
Please!
Please sir! Please help me!
Kill you! I'll kill you!
Murderer.
Murderer.
Take care of your tongue, woman.
He can soon get a third wife.
Yes, he's right.
Sean, take your
mother up to her roam.
Quiet her.
It is a banshee.
Banshee?
No.
No, it is only a mad dog that
has been killing our sheep,
and frightening the
villagers, nothing more.
Were you born this way?
Or did he raise you evil?
My real mother raised
me, God rest her soul.
And she was a wife to him.
Without him, you'd be nothing.
Nothing?
Doesn't matter.
No.
Don't you know? You don't?
Don't you know?
- This house is cursed!
- You be quiet!
And you, you are cursed,
and Edward's cursed,
and everybody's cursed!
Your house is cursed.
You he quiet.
You are cursed!
You need someone
young for your bed,
not my father.
No.
Come on, come on, come on.
Oh, take your time, boy.
Say something nice to
the kind gentleman,
no need to be afraid of him.
He's as gentle as a lamb.
Ahh, we'll he more gentle to him
than those who
strung him up there.
Woop.
Now, for our bit of kindness,
you can show us a
bit of gratitude.
Yes.
Who'd have use for a dead
man's hand, Mr. Mickey sir?
Witches, my boy.
There's evil around.
And there goes more of
those damn Whitmans.
Mark my word boy,
there's gonna be more
evil around this place.
I take it you'd prefer
still to he in Cambridge?
Father, I'd never
come home out of choice.
Welcome home, Harry.
Father's upstairs.
Welcome home, Lord Harry.
Oh, it's good to have
you back again, sir.
My, you are looking well.
This the new Priest
for the parish?
Aye, Father Tom,
my brother Sean.
Your predecessor lived to be 50.
He called me a
liar for six years.
Let's try some of
Father's whiskey.
Well you're back just in time
for some fine hunting, Harry.
That is if your tastes have
changed over the years.
The ways of witchery
still continue.
- Still?
- Aye.
I'd have thought by now
you'd have destroyed them all.
New ones spring up all the time.
Hah, I think they
do it to plague me.
Or perhaps to please you.
Knowing what you do
when you find them.
Father, you may
have heard that they
think of me as some kind of
a monster in the village.
Well, I'm a hard
magistrate, it's true.
But, authority is the
main point of government,
and maintaining authority is
the main purpose of the law.
Did they teach you that in your
fine Cambridge college, Harry?
I heard it's easier
to presume guilt
than to assume innocence.
And I think so too.
Well I'll expect
you both to join me
in stamping out the
heathen practices
that continue to occur here.
Witchcraft?
It's just toys to
these simple people,
but it's still a crime
against God and the crown.
That's no way to treat a man
when he's trying to sleep.
I can treat my groom
any way I like.
You.
There's too much of your
father in you, my dear.
Ow!
Hey.
Oh, he's beautiful.
Hello.
Hello.
Hey, hey.
Where did you come from?
We can have him for supper.
Oh, no.
It's one of my friends.
You've got better things
to do, haven't you?
Go on, there you go, go on!
Hey, hey.
Oh no.
We must go back, I'll be missed.
- Come on.
- Right.
My lady.
Woah, woah.
No.
No.
Come back with us, my Lady.
Oh, it's only a hound.
Death.
Will visit our house.
Ah, winter's coming in.
And the wolves are
coming with it.
No.
Come on, let's go back.
No. No.
Harry!
Sister, dear.
It's as though we're
all seeds of evil.
Thank you Roderick.
Another of your sons?
No, no, he's my stud groom.
He seems to have a calming
effect on the Ladyship,
and so I have allowed
her to keep him.
She found him,
wandering in the woods
one time many years ago.
When he was a little boy.
Get off the streets!
The mad dog's coming!
Clear the streets, you
hear me? Clear 'em!
Go home.
Go home child.
Don't move.
Sir, sir! Stay back!
It's the mad dog!
UP there!
Stand still!
Don't move, child!
Stay back.
Wait, you have no weapon.
Now, now.
Stay, stay. There there,
good boy, good boy.
Stay. Stay, stay.
Stay.
It's all right, he's
gone. He's gone.
Thank ye sir, for
saving the girl.
You saved her life, sir.
Does that give you
power over animals?
Why, no.
I've had it since
I can remember.
It must be centuries old.
What does this lettering mean?
I don't know.
But surely your parents,
well they must've tied it there.
Well, I have no parents.
Thank ye for saving
us from the dog, sir.
The only power I recognize is
that of our Lord,
Mistress Maureen.
So that dog
couldn't be bewitched.
It couldn't be
fulfilling this curse.
Only children, or
the simplest villager,
could possibly think so.
I hear it didn't look so
heathen once Roderick tamed it.
It slunk away with its
tail between its legs.
But about Roderick.
Where does he get his
power over animals?
It strikes you strange?
Strikes me fortunate for that
little girl and the witch.
That medallion he wears.
If you're curious, you'd
best ask him yourself.
I did. He doesn't know
where it comes from.
Or what it means.
Or so he claims.
You think him a liar?
You suspect him of witchcraft.
Our Roderick is no more
a sorcerer than I am.
We're all safe with him,
and care nothing of who he
is or where he comes from.
I understand.
Do you?
Then you best treat
it as you would
the most sacred confession.
He threw her
down upon the bank
And used her as he would.
The maiden cried.
"Alas," she sighed,
"I've lost my maidenhead."
And she struggled
slowly to her feet.
And cursed him for his life.
Then from his belt
upon the ground,
She drew the huntsman's knife.
Sing and blow away
the morning dew.
The dew and the dew.
Blow away the morning dew.
How sweet the winds do blow.
"Oh, you have ruined
my life," she cried,
"And now it's time you paid."
Then up against
his manhood's flower
She thrust the sharpened blade.
The huntsman cried
aloud with fear
"Forgive me if you can."
"If I'm no longer
maid," she said,
"Then you're no longer man."
Sing and blow away
the morning dew.
The dew and the dew.
Blow away the morning dew.
Where is she?
It's an honor, my Lord.
Welcome to my inn, sir.
Ah, your new
wench, where is she?
She's only a serving
wench, my Lord, sir.
Well, get some of your
foul drink and bring her.
What can I do for you, my Lord?
Well now my girl,
you don't want to spend
the whole of your life
as a serving wench, do you?
I have no wish
to change my trade.
Wishes or not...
You will.
No, no my Lord!
. No!
. Yes!
Burke!
Acorns.
And shells.
And feathers.
Heathen witchcraft.
You're too pretty to be a witch.
Landlord.
Everybody out.
You heard his Honor, out!
Come on.
She's the one.
The one that bewitched my dogs.
What's your name?
- Maggie.
- Maggie?
You're not a witch,
are you Maggie?
No, no m'Lord, I'm not a witch.
You just sell charms
to the old folks.
That's right.
I just sell charms
to the old folks
or whoever may buy them.
So you.
Sell.
Charms.
Hmm?
Are you a follower
of the old religion?
Hmm?
No, I never was.
But you know who is?
Hmm?
I know who's selling them!
Do they have real power?
They think they do.
Power like God's power?
Wrath,
like God's wrath?
No, it's something you feel.
Who is their leader?
Who?
Oona.
Oona.
Oona.
More treason against God.
My children.
My children. My children.
My children!
Look.
My children!
Wait.
Oona, bring her forward.
Oona.
I have spared your
life as a reminder
that I will not tolerate
your heathen ways
as long as I am Magistrate here.
Now, you and the rest
of your filthy heard,
scatter into the hills!
I never want to set
eyes on you again.
My children.
All my children.
Why?
Why?
You better kill me too,
Edward Whitman,
than let me live
with this memory.
If your sorcery
was so strong, Oona,
why didn't you use it
to save your children,
as you call them, huh?
All right!
Oona, Oona.
Oona, Oona.
Lord Satan.
Oona, Oona.
God of miracles and wonders.
On this evil day,
I curse
Lord Edward Whitman!
I curse his flesh,
his blood,
his wife,
his children,
and his house!
Curse. Curse.
God Satan,
I conjure you,
to send me an avenger.
So terrible...
That death shall wrench them
once forever from this Earth!
I conjure you, Lord Satan.
Send me an avenger!
Avenger! Avenger!
What do you want of me?
And what are you doing,
stealing through the night?
Some secret meeting a
brother should know?
Sleep is difficult
in this house now.
Harry.
There's a madness over us.
And some say...
Some say what?
That we're cursed?
And Lady Patricia,
is there no cure in
the Doctor's physic?
Her only cure is to get
away from this place too.
I must think on it.
Well, don't think too long.
Harry.
I know.
I was just looking at them.
Wolves or witches, eh?
I don't know anymore.
I think I should find
sleep easier now.
Well. Goodnight Sister.
No.
No.
- Roderick?
- No!
It's only me.
Roderick.
Why, you're on fire.
Someone calling.
Someone calling.
It was me calling you.
I called you, Maureen.
How much longer, Lord Satan?
How much longer must I wait?
You sent me the avenger,
but not the power to
bend him to my will.
Send me that power, Lord Satan.
The power to bend
him to my will.
That I might destroy...
The house of Whitman!
You must leave.
Hmm?
Maureen, you must leave!
Not so soon.
Go!
Maureen, go!
All right.
Witchcraft is a two-fold sin.
The villagers are
beginning to join them!
Harry.
And you're destroying yourself!
Harry, I forbid you
to talk like this.
And your wife and your family.
My wife was not strong enough
to lead the kind of
life that we lead here.
Now it's her own fault
that her mind's grown weak.
And what of Maureen?
How long can she
exist like this?
Maureen!
Where have you been?
For a walk in the night.
Stay in the house was my order!
Take your hands off of her!
Harry.
Are you afraid for him?
I might try and see if
he's really one of us,
really a Whitman?
As much a son of mine as Sean?
Blow away the morning dew.
The dew and the dew.
Blow away the morning dew.
How sweet.
Listen.
Listen.
It's that mad dog again.
Laughing at your fears.
This time we'll get him.
And father will
reward you Burke.
Come on.
Come on!
It came from the ruined church!
What are you waiting for?
Get my bloody horse!
Burke! Come, help, help me!
Help me! Help me!
Roderick!
Roderick.
Here, my Lord.
Sean!
It was the dog.
It's bewitched.
It's a demon!
Sean.
Deliver me from all my defences.
I cannot tell who
shall gather them.
Now Lord, what is my hope?
Truly, my hope is even in thee.
It is an evil retribution,
but it was pain and grief to me.
My heart was hot within me.
And while I was thus musing,
the fire kindled and
at the last I spake.
Fair the Lord, let
him be praised.
Lord let me know my mend
and the number of my days.
Father, do you think that...
That dog is bewitched as
the villagers believe?
Sorcery?
I suppose you know,
we're cursed from Hell to
Christmas, we Whitmans.
What if there is a power
that we know nothing of?
Now Father's scared
like the rest of us.
Harry, I must talk to you.
Roderick?
Wait by the carriage.
Roderick.
Roderick, it's always Roderick.
He's making you weak, Patricia.
Be strong.
You must take me away.
After we've destroyed the
animal that killed Sean.
Oh, don't be such a hypocrite.
You'd have killed
him many times,
if you'd been strong enough.
Whether or not I hated
Sean is of no account now,
we must destroy that dog.
Sean Whitman...
Is dead!
A scent, my Lord.
Come here, come here!
There was no witchcraft,
look, we killed a mad dog.
One of the shots in
his brain was mine.
Would you please go and
fetch the Lady Patricia?
She should be here.
We must show these people that
we have no fear, any of us.
Burke!
Quiet everybody!
Silence!
Stop the music!
Sir Edward's going
to speak to you.
Quiet!
That mad dog,
that you all thought was the
product of sorcery is dead.
My beloved son Sean fell
victim to that animal,
and not to any kind of sorcery.
The reason you are
all here tonight
is to celebrate its destruction,
and to see with
your own eyes that
witchcraft could've had
nothing to do with it.
And now, drink, dance, be merry.
Music!
M'Lady.
Burke.
No! No!
No!
I'm no Whitman.
A curse...
is on the house of Whitman!
She's bewitched!
A curse is on the house
of Whitman.
She's bewitched,
she's possessed.
Oh my God. God, she's evil.
She's bewitched!
She's cursed.
- This house is evil.
- Leave this house.
Don't go!
Can't you see my wife is mad,
she's not bewitched, don't go!
Come hack!
Roderick, Roderick.
My Lady, my Lady
come, come my Lady,
come, come.
Now my Lady, now, now.
Come, come.
Come, come.
M'Lady, come. Come on.
Come. There.
Come my Lady.
Quietly.
Gentle, gentle my Lady.
Could it be witchcraft?
Oona.
Oona.
Yes, of course, I
should've known.
I showed her mercy once
I should've killed her.
If those fools believe
that she still has power,
if I should lose my authority...
Burke.
I don't care how you do it,
bring Oona to me.
- Here.
- My Lord.
Ugly, isn't it?
This is where we
find out the truth.
What do you know about Oona?
Tell us where she is!
We can make you die a minute
every day for a year.
Or all in one bloody minute.
Save the pain,
tell us where Oona is
and I promise you,
you'll die in peace.
Why protect her?
She's an evil woman.
She's corrupt.
You're going to die for her.
And for the old religion.
Dana's not evil.
The fire's prepared.
No! No!
Come here, girl!
Confess and we'll spare you!
Oona is good, Oona is peace.
Oona heals, Oona is love.
No.
Where is Oona?
What in damnation are you doing?
She's just about
ready to confess, Harry.
The Greek walk, it's
your father's orders!
Get Lord Edward!
So you finally learned
to kill, eh Harry?
What's she saying?
Cut her down!
Oona. Oona?
Get her down!
I'm confessing.
I'm confessing!
The Lord of wonder.
Speak! Speak!
Are there powers we cannot see?
He came to my bed and he said
"Child, I will...
"I will give you a silver dress,
- if you join Oana and help..."
- Oona, Oona!
Where is she?
Can she conjure spells?
Does she work black miracles?
When I'm flying I can
shoot down any Christian
who sees me and does
not curse himself.
Would she carry out her curse?
Oona.
You'll go free!
Tell us, tell us the truth.
I send nightmare cats
to plague the Whitmans
with horrible dreams.
Will she fulfill the curse?
You'll go free!
Yes, free, tell us the
truth and you'll go free!
- Oona.
- Where is Oona?
Oona.
Oona.
Fire.
Born in fire.
Dies...
Died in fire.
Born in fire?
She dies with a
riddle on her tongue?
And we're no closer
to the witch.
Who is it?
M'Lady.
Roderick?
Roderick.
Roderick.
God better rise,
scatters presumptuous fools.
Smoke and tempest rages on.
How much are we
paying the weepers?
Five groats a head, my Lord.
See that they weep until dawn.
God gave you a sad
life, Patricia.
May Heaven give you rest.
'Tis witchcraft.
It is.
Witchcraft.
Lady Patricia...
Is dead!
Bully Boy,
carry out our plan.
Aye, my Lard.
We might find a
trace of Oona here.
Is it supposed to be haunted?
Look Father!
Who's that?
Woah.
Stand boy.
Our figure's disappeared.
Look Father,
an open tomb.
Let's see what's inside.
What and who.
So, this is our
king of witches, eh?
No, your Honor, no.
Not on the bones
of all the saints.
No.
What is so funny, old man?
A Christian Priest
in a heathen place.
Why, these old Gods would
be roaring with anger!
Mickey, what are you doing here?
What are you hiding eh?
Eh?
Graverobber.
Corpse robber.
The dead don't
need their treasures.
If I don't take them,
somebody else will.
Now hear me, all of you.
I must know Dana's whereabouts.
She is a danger and a
menace to all of you.
To protect you, I
must destroy her.
To find her, I will kill as
many of you as I need to.
Now, who has some information?
Which of you knows?
Well?
Well?
Well?
There's one!
She knows of heathen ways.
I'm sure of it!
Seize her!
No, please my Lord.
Put her on the wheel!
- Please my Lord.
- Hurry!
Nothing, nothing.
- Come on, tie her up!
- Please my Lord.
Quickly, man!
I know nothing my
Lord, I'm no witch.
Well girl,
where is Oona?
I know nothing of Oona, please!
Do you know? Where is Oona?
- Where is she?
- No my Lord, no.
She's not worth
your time, my Lord.
No!
No, no!
Please, help me!
Up there, there's a grave,
which has a picture of
this creature carved on it.
Maybe our God is
buried there, eh?
Excuse me, your worship,
night is coming on and
I must be out of here.
Wait, Mickey.
The lettering on that grave,
how does it translate?
Well that's an
easy one, it says,
"Born by fire, die by fire."
What it means, don't ask me.
Why, it don't even rhyme.
Born by fire, dies by fire.
Maureen.
Maureen.
Get out of here,
you gypsy vermin!
Get out!
Get out of here!
Get out, get out!
Get out, get out!
Come on Roderick,
up against the wall!
Move.
Put your arms up.
Up!
If we find the witch
maybe Lord Edward...
Will let you go free.
Without a flogging.
I should pray for
that if I were you.
Let's go home, Father.
Maureen
Whitman.
Maureen Whitman.
Maureen Whitman.
Whitman.
Whitman.
Roderick?
Roderick?
Roderick.
Roderick.
God is a spirit, and
they that warship him,
must worship him in the
spirit and in truth.
All worship the Lord in
the beauty of holiness.
Let the whole Earth
stand in awe of him.
Why pray to a powerless god?
You cannot help the
girl Maureen any more
than you could help
Sean or his mother.
Roderick and I belong
to the old religion.
He belongs to me.
Then I'll fight you for him.
You cannot fight me.
Then I'll fight for his soul.
His soul? He has no soul.
He doesn't exist.
He's a sidhe.
Sean Whitman is dead,
killed by my sidhe.
Lady Patricia is dead,
killed by my sidhe.
And tonight, another
Whitman will die.
The girl Maureen.
Then that one.
Harry Whitman.
And you.
Until Edward Whitman
is left alone...
And desolate.
And then he too
will die.
And Roderick will kill
and kill and kill.
Kill.
And there is nothing
you can do about it.
Bring her here.
No, let me die.
Let me die.
My children.
My children,
scatter to the hills.
Find back your ways of peace.
Somehow Oona had the power
to control Roderick to kill.
Said he's not a
man but a spirit.
Lord Edward!
Maureen, Maureen.
Maureen, was it Roderick?
I thought you said you
had him chained up!
But I, Bully Boy, you!
But I did my Lord!
We must find him, Bully Boy.
We will, my Lord.
Here, take this, Father.
Lock yourself in.
Don't leave me here Harry.
You must lock yourself in.
Not in this place.
It's the only safe place.
Here.
Please believe us.
Will you give your word?
You will not open
this door to anyone.
Until we return.
Keep her safe! We won't
return until we've found him!
And I'll not rest
until he's dead!
Sean?
Burke?
I want some light.
Lights.
Sean? Burke?
I want light.
I want every inch of this house
to shine as bright as noon.
Maureen? Maureen?
Maureen, please let me in.
There'll be no more killing.
There's no longer
a power over me.
Maureen, we can
go away together.
Please, Maureen.
Please let me in.
Please, Maureen.
Please let me in.
You know I'll never harm you.
You know that.
Father wants to shoot you.
And Harry and Father
Tom are out hunting you.
- Maureen-
- Please!
They won't stop and listen,
they'll just kill you.
You killed him.
You killed him!
Heaven directed that shot.
Now you have blood on your soul!
Don't you understand?
You didn't kill Roderick.
You killed something inhuman!
Don't you understand? It
could have killed both of us!
- Yes I know!
- Yes, yes.
You set us free.
You have set us free!
Yes.
We'll bury the curse with him.
You've set us free.
Now we can leave this house.
Leave the curse behind us.
Yes.
Yes.
We'll be on our way, Bully Boy.
You know where to stop first.
Yes, my Lord.
I want to see him once again.
Dead.
He's dead.
He's dead, but I'm alive.
What do you want for a mark?
Whatever you can spell.
Open it up, I'd
have another look.
I shouldn't do that.
Well, he's dead isn't he?
Open it or I'll
bury you with him.
You didn't kill him!
He's dead.
His head was blasted
from his body!
Where is he?
You didn't kill him.
Born by fire,
by fire must be consumed.
He's dead.
Or is he?
You didn't kill him.
I didn't kill him,
let's be on our way.
He's still alive.
He isn't dead.
You didn't kill him.
Don't you understand?
You didn't kill him!
You didn't kill him!
Harry!
Harry?
Bully Boy.
Bully Boy?
Bully Boy!
Bully Boy!
Bully Boy.
Bully Boy!
Bully Boy!
Bully Boy!
Bully Boy!