'A Short Disquisition Concerning Toad-lore'

"That remarkable native amphibian, the toad or paddock (Bufo bufo), has a longstanding and celebrated association with witchcraft in the British Isles and Europe, especially as a familiar-spirit. The reasons for the importance of the toad in mediaeval witchlore must ultimately be sought in esoteric folk-symbolism, mythopoetics and the psychopharmacology of rural sorcerers and hexe-wives.

The totemic significance of the toad in witchcraft is primarily due to it's intimacy with the subterranean marshes, caves and dark waters of Annwvyn. Thus the toad is a dweller in the fens of the underworld and is especiall holy to the chthonic divinities. The toad is equally at home in the waters or on solid land, passing at will from one realm to the other just as the witch-shaman crosses the boundaries between this world and the underworld. The toad, therefore is a shamanic creature, considered symbolically, who epitomises passage between the dimensions. In this respect it should be remembered that in the Celtic world-view, marshy pools and linns were entrance points to the lower world, the great below.

At the initiations of Basque witches new devotees were marked by the Devil or Horned God with the sign of the toad or toad's foot. In mediaeval lore the heraldic crest of the Devil was held to consist of three toads emblazoned on a shield, affirming the link with the powers of the netherworld. A toad hopping over a person's foot is an ominous sign of impending death. An old Mantuan name for the toad is 'fada' or 'faery', emphasising it's otherworldly nature. In the Pyrenees it was said that witches could be recognised by an image of a frog's foot in their left eye.

The witch-trials particularly highlight the toad's function as a familiar-spirit. In the Basse-Pyrenees new witches were given toads by the Dark One. At Windsor in 1579 it was reported that "one Mother Dutton dwellyng in Cleworthe Parishe keepeth a Spirite or Feende in the likeness of a Toade, and fedeth the same Feende liyng in a border of greene Hearbes, within her Garden, with blood....." Similarly in Essex a witch in 1582 was held to own "two spirits like Toades, the one called Tom, and the other Robbyn" which she had inherited from her mother. Seventeenth Century French witches were accused of possessing 'petit Diableteaux' in the form of toads. The Italian witch Billia la Castagna in 1365 kept a large toad under her bed whose excrement was used in potions. This last detail is very significant as it is actually a cryptic reference to 'toad-stools' or visionary fungi used in witch-practices, usually of the Fly Agaric species. All across Europe there occur folk-names forcertain mushrooms which link them with toads such as Crapaudin in French.

In Slavic countries inedible mushrooms are called Zabaci Huby - "toad- mushrooms". The folk-affinities between hallucinatory fungi and toads point to an ancient awareness of the presence of psychotropic toxins in the skin of the latter. Toads secrete a fluid from their skin which contains the indole alkaloid bufotenine. Bufotenine was extracted from the glands of toads in ancient China and the traditional witches of Europe were well-acquainted with the propertiesof this batrachian elixir.

The witch-covens of north-western Spain in the 16th Century used toads' blood in their flying ointments. In 1525 Maria of Ituren confessed to having concocted a flying-salve from toad-skins and water-plantain, no doubt mingled in an oily base. Swedish witches compounded their salves with toads' fat and snake-foam along with poisonous herbs. German covens reputedly fried the toads to prepare such ointments and toad-grease salves were also utilised by witches in Hungary and Easter Europe to attain the ecstasy of 'spirit-flight'.

The toad is also famous for bearing within his head the Toadstone, a magical gem which healed all bites and stings and which, when set in a ring, grew paler in the presence of poison. In 'As you Like It' Shakespeare makes his well known reference to the Toadstone:- "the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head".

This casts light on the emblem of the Black Toad in later Hermetic/alchemical literature as a glyph representing the 'earth of the philosophers' or 'first matter' which conceals within itself the wondrous Stone of the Wise.

In rural regions of England, such as Cambridgeshire, there operated a secret guild of men called the Toadmen who were reputed to exert a magical influence over horses. The Toadmen, like the secret society of the Horseman's Word, preserved many of the mysteries of the masculine side of the Craft of the Wise, honouring Old Hornie as the Master of the Beasts. To become a Toadman and gain the power a certain bone had to be obtained from a toad which was fixed to an anthill until the skeleton was entirely clean and devoid of flesh. The initiate then carried the bones in a pocket until they dried. On the stroke of midnight on the night of the full moon he cast the skeleton into a running stream: one bone would screech as it separated and floated downstream and this, when secured, conferred the supernatural powers of the Toadmen upon the bearer. Sometimes the new initiate had to take the bone to a stable or graveyard for three consecutive nights on the third night the Devil (Horned God) would appear and make a last attempt to trick the Toadman into parting with his bone as the final test of his shamanic initiation. According to some reports Charles Walton who was foully murdered in Lower Quinton, Warwickshire in 1945, was reputed by villagers to breed natterjack toads and use them in his magic - his garden was apparently thickly populated by them at the time of his death.

Toadmen were known to be practising their arts in Cambridgeshire as late as 1938 and it is not impossible that the cult may have survived clandestinely into the present day under a close shroud of rural secrecy. The toad's fertility aspects are to be clearly seen in the practices of the Auldearne coven in 1662 who performed a curious ceremony in which toads drew a plough made from the horn of a castrated ram with couch-grass for the harness. The coven went several times round a field with the toads 'praying to the Devil for the fruit of that land'. This seems to be a fragment of an ancient geomantic ritual to enhance telluric fertility. The classical author Pliny described how a toad should be placed in an earthenware pot and buried in a field to magically protect the crops from storms.

The Slavonic vampyre could appear in the guise of a frog and the paddock features heavily in [Romani] lore and tradition as a form of the Devil whose [Romani] name, Beng means “frog-like”. In Transylvanian [Romani] mythology the Queen of the Faeries lives in her remote mountain castle in the shape of a golden toad.

The recondite arcanae of toad-lore can be seen to illuminate the moste esoteric recesses of the Craft of the Wise as one of it's cardinal totemic symbols. It is thus fitting that the contemporary seeker again learns the marshland lore of the paddock as the People of the Toad did in times

past. It would seem prudent to hearken once again to his oracular croaking amidst the reeds at twilight and to pay heed to the chthonic wisdom from the haunted fens of Andumnos."

—

Call of the Horned Piper

by Nigel Aldrcroft Jackson

The Sensational She-Hulk 2 (1989) . Attack of the Terrible Toad Men (Or Froggy Came Cavortin') . Written and Penciled by John Byrne Inked by Bob Wiacek Colors by Glynis Oliver Lettered by John Workman Edited by Bobbie Chase Cover by John Byrne and Jack Kirby . The Headmen had hired Mysterio to kidnap She-Hulk. So naturally Mysterio made her think that Toad Men attacked Earth... . #shehulk #hulk #fantasticfour #avengers #80s #johnbyrne #bobwiacek #toad #toadmen #headmen #rubythursday #mysterio #spiderman #shrunkenbones #gorillaman #gorilla (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeEvu0Isu0m/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It's Over Now bitches I know how to blend

Also here's some updated Concepts on the frogmen

Hulk (1966)

Rating: 2/5

Book Blurb: Get lost in the newest fantasy from the author of A Hunger of Thorns, on a beguiling journey behind the closed doors of a sinister secret society. Featuring a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance and a fight for the witching world that will get your heart racing.

Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.

An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.

There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel  in distress.

Review:

Three childhood friends whose lives are turned upside down when one of them joins a dark magical cult and the secrets between them all begin to fracture their relationships. Merry loves her life in her idyllic town of Candlecott. She's happy to be with her two best friends, Sol and Teddy, but there's only one thing she doesn't enjoy about her town... the Toadmen- a secret society that is strictly men only and specializes in using illegal dark magic. Merry's world is turned upside down when Teddy, her friend and the boy she's in love with, joins the Toadmen and is determined to be part of their society. She's willing to do anything to get him out, even if it means working with her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, a handsome ice-cold snob who suddenly has asked her to help him. Merry wants to rescue Teddy before it's too late, yet the more she learns about the secret society the larger the danger to her becomes. It also doesn't help that she's beginning to fall for Caraway and that despite all the lies he keeps telling, she can't help but feel a connection to him. Everything she thought she knew about Caraway is wrong but when his truth finally comes out, can she still love him... and will she choose between Teddy, the boy she loves who left her and Caraway, the boy she hated who has protected her and drawn her in. The Toadmen want magic... and Merry's secret gift of being able to see witch magic means she's their new target in their dark ceremony... can she rescue those she loves before it's too late or will she end up as the next sacrifice? This was definitely a young adult fantasy and I felt that Merry read as if she were 16 years old. she's young and naive, headstrong, and she cares about things strongly. I did enjoy Caraway as a character and liked the twists and turns to his story. The lore of the Toadmen and the magic system in this world was definitely a unique one and I felt that fans of nature/fairytale-esque cult stories would enjoy this book.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Deep Is The Fen by Lili Wilkinson

(2024)

From the Publisher:

A bewitching journey behind the closed doors of a secret society, featuring sinister toadmen, resistance witches and a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, from the acclaimed author of A Hunger of Thorns.

Merriwether Morgan doesn't need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is: simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry's best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen - a secret society upholding backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions - and she is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with her academic arch-nemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face behind a glamour.

An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the nightmarish Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn't rescue Teddy, she'll lose him forever. But the further she travels into Deeping Fen's foul waters, the more Merry wonders if she can possibly save her friend - or if she's walking straight into a trap.

Because there's nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress . . .

Goodreads

Review: Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

Deep Is the FenLili WilkinsonDelacorte PressPublished April 16, 2024 Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads About Deep Is the Fen Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble. But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who…

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Book Tour: Deep in the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

Summary: Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble. But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even…

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Deep is the Fen release!

Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.

An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.

There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress.

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This book is filled with magic and conspiracy, and I really liked getting to peek behind the curtain of the mysterious Toad society. Merry is one of the few people who recognizes that something is very off about the Toads, and it was interesting to see everyone else's perceptions of them vs. the more sinister tinge of Merry's perception. For those who have read Hunger of Thorns, there are some Easter eggs as well!

I really wasn't certain Caraway was going to be a likeable character in this one, but I ended up really liking him! Almost from the get-go it seems clear that he doesn't dislike Merry as much as she thinks (and as much as she dislikes him). The romance was actually pretty sweet.

New to this world? Check out my review of the companion novel, Hunger of Thorns. I also have a more in-depth review of this book!

The Horseman's Word

The Horseman's Word, also known as the Society of Horsemen, is a fraternal secret society operating in Britain for those who work with horses.

Established in north-eastern Scotland during the early nineteenth century, in ensuing decades it spread both to other parts of Scotland and into Eastern England. Although having largely declined by the mid-twentieth century, the society continues to exist in a diminished capacity within parts of Scotland.

The Horseman's Word acted as a form of trade union, aiming to protect trade secrets, ensuring that its members were properly trained, and defending the rights of its members against the wealthier land-owners. The group also had a semi-religious dimension, teaching its members various rituals designed to provide them with the ability to control both horses and women.

Membership of the society required an initiation ceremony, during which Horsemen read passages from the Bible backwards, and the secrets included Masonic-style oaths, gestures, passwords and handshakes.

Like the similar societies of the Miller's Word and the Toadmen, they were believed to have practiced witchcraft.

Wait, the toad men’s ship was taken down like that? Wow, so much for the Hulk’s plan, that was pretty easy.

Ohhhh!

Yeah, this looks pretty bad. And, I think claiming to be abducted by aliens doesn’t make much of an excuse.

Oh shit. The only reason earth seemed able to survive at all was that the Toadmen were overly cautious and not attacking right away, but it looks like when in a jam, they just order an all out invasion. The only question is what exactly the toadmen will do for the invasion.

Ah, Creature of Havoc. Fighting Fantasy #24 and a strong contender (along with City of Thieves) for Greatest Fighting Fantasy gamebook. Considerably longer than others in the series (460 references rather than the usual 400), Creature of Havoc’s notable “gimmick” is that YOU play not as a hero, but rather as one of the monsters you would usually slay.

Starting out unable to understand language (learning how to understand what others are saying to you is one of the best puzzles in the book) and unable to even reason, as the book progresses you learn more about yourself and the mission you find yourself on. Full of puzzles, but not the level of frustration of Jackson’s other fearsome puzzler, House of Hell, Creature of Havoc is an utterly engrossing experience.

The cover art -- presumably of the main villain Zharradan Marr -- is another one of Ian Miller’s baroque morbidities (his other Fighting Fantasy cover was, fittingly, for House of Hell). Alan Langford’s interior art shows his ability to nicely render the Fighting Fantasy bestiary, but -- and I don’t want to put down his work here -- one can’t help wonder what Russ Nicholson could have done with this material...

The Incredible Hulk vol 1 2 (1962) . The Terror of the Toad Men! . Written and Edited by Stan Lee Penciled by Jack Kirby Inked by Steve Ditko Lettered by Art Simek . The Toad Men invaded Earth and the Hulk fought back! . #hulk #thehulk #toad #toadmen #rickjones #thunderboltross #army #military #alien #avengers #defenders #stanlee #jackkirby #60s #steveditko #artsimek https://www.instagram.com/p/ChWP59CqsAR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

One of two AS bumpers I did! Editing and Sound by @internetwhiteknight, thank you to @benkalina, Titmouse, and @adultswim!

The bumpers were really, really fun! Thank you to everyone for letting me be funky for tv land!

“Welsh witches were believed to have the power to stop horses and wagons in their tracks. A similar tale is told of a Shropshire witch called Priss Morris who was an expert at this art.

She had a long-standing grudge against a local farmer because he had once refused to rent her one of his fields. One day one of the farmer's employees was passing her cottage in a wagon when suddenly the horses stopped in their tracks and would not move. The farmer was called and when he arrived and surveyed the scene he knew that the witch was responsible. He took the whip from the waggoner's hand and hammered on the door of the cottage. When Priss Morris opened it he threatened to flog her if she did not release his horses from the spell. He demanded that she say: "God bless you and your horses", but the defiant witch refused to give in to threats of violence. The farmer again promised her a good whipping and finally the woman said: “May my God bless you and your horses". The farmer replied: “I will have nothing to do with your God. I worship the true God and will have nothing to do with any others". Eventually, after more threats, Priss Morris agreed to bless the name of the farmer's God. Immediately the spell was lifted and horses in the wagon was able to continue on its way (Burne 1883:11). It is in teresting to speculate exactly who Morris' God was.”

—

Welsh Witches and Wizards

Chapter 2: ‘Dark Sisters & Toadmen’

by Michael Howard