Highland witten council announces new chief warlock
Highland witten council announces new chief warlock
19 August 2021
Hamfist Caven
The appointment of a new Chief Warlock for the Highlands, a tradition going back as far as 681, was in full swing in this northernmost region of Scotland today as local witches and wizards trooped into the pretty hamlet of Inchnadamph to watch the wittenmoot select its new head, 47 year old Harold Burkess.
The untimely demise of his predecessor, Asildair Moggilsey, the head of the Highland witten council for the last 18 years, believed to be due to an untreated sting from a Cambris scorpion on a trip to South America, at the age of 52, had left the largely ceremonial post vacant these last few weeks.
The wittenmoot enjoys little power, and meets these days only over relatively minor issues such as when a dragon has made its nest too close to a Muggle town. But this ancient institution seems as popular as ever among the region's wizarding community, hundreds of whom packed the white stone cottage, which serves as the residence of the Chief Warlock, to observe the proceedings.
The traditional maroon square-cut cloth was out and laid on the council table, and a white peacock feather placed upon it, the six candidates asked to move the feather without their wands, in the time-honoured custom of asking Odin to bestow his favour in the selection process.
"It moved," said regular attendee, 65 year old Ursa Grunnidge who had flown down from Syre for the occasion and nodded at us as she left, "It did. And there was nae a breeze nor anythin'. Twas a fair test of his powers, and it's a good thing that it wae decided today."
The gathering might well be pleased, for some recalled the last selection, of Moggilsey, had taken all of 13 days with new candidates invited to try their luck each day until the feather finally drifted off the cloth. The sense of relief that there would be no repeat of that lengthy contest was palpable in the room in the reaction to Burkess' quick victory, as the assembled crowd broke out into a storm of cheering and stamping.
"Odin has spoken," beamed Margot Hanty, a short, plump witch with pink thistle in her hair, who bustled about organising tea and other refreshments for the moot. "It's a blessing tha' it was so fast."
The Highlands of Scotland is the only part of the British Isles to retain its own wittenmoot, perhaps not a surprising fact given that more witches and wizards make their home here in this desolate and windswept landscape than in any other region in the country while the area is also home to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At least here in a corner of Scotland, witches can truly say that the spirit of Wotan still lives on.
The untimely demise of his predecessor, Asildair Moggilsey, the head of the Highland witten council for the last 18 years, believed to be due to an untreated sting from a Cambris scorpion on a trip to South America, at the age of 52, had left the largely ceremonial post vacant these last few weeks.
The wittenmoot enjoys little power, and meets these days only over relatively minor issues such as when a dragon has made its nest too close to a Muggle town. But this ancient institution seems as popular as ever among the region's wizarding community, hundreds of whom packed the white stone cottage, which serves as the residence of the Chief Warlock, to observe the proceedings.
The traditional maroon square-cut cloth was out and laid on the council table, and a white peacock feather placed upon it, the six candidates asked to move the feather without their wands, in the time-honoured custom of asking Odin to bestow his favour in the selection process.
"It moved," said regular attendee, 65 year old Ursa Grunnidge who had flown down from Syre for the occasion and nodded at us as she left, "It did. And there was nae a breeze nor anythin'. Twas a fair test of his powers, and it's a good thing that it wae decided today."
The gathering might well be pleased, for some recalled the last selection, of Moggilsey, had taken all of 13 days with new candidates invited to try their luck each day until the feather finally drifted off the cloth. The sense of relief that there would be no repeat of that lengthy contest was palpable in the room in the reaction to Burkess' quick victory, as the assembled crowd broke out into a storm of cheering and stamping.
"Odin has spoken," beamed Margot Hanty, a short, plump witch with pink thistle in her hair, who bustled about organising tea and other refreshments for the moot. "It's a blessing tha' it was so fast."
The Highlands of Scotland is the only part of the British Isles to retain its own wittenmoot, perhaps not a surprising fact given that more witches and wizards make their home here in this desolate and windswept landscape than in any other region in the country while the area is also home to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At least here in a corner of Scotland, witches can truly say that the spirit of Wotan still lives on.
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