A narrative of the extraordinary case of George Lukins, of Yatton, Somersetshire. Who was possessed of evil spirits, for near eighteen years: also an account of his remarkable deliverance

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South Africa’s most famous case of exorcism was that of orphaned school girl Clara Germana Cele. It is said that one day in 1906 the St. Michael’s Mission pupil approached her confessor, Father Hërner Erasmus, and admitted to ‘making a pact with Satan.’ Young, F (2018) A History of Anglican Exorcism: Deliverance and Demonology in Church Ritual, I.B Tauris & Co. Ltd., London The case was detailed in a 1935 German pamphlet called Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, and profiled in a 1936 issue of Time magazine. Some of the more spectacular allegations will be familiar to anyone who’s seen The Exorcist: Schmidt supposedly levitated, was tied to a bed, and, according to one of Riesinger’s associates, vomited “quantities that were humanly speaking impossible to lodge in a normal being.” The popular account gets increasingly far-fetched—when the exorcism began, Schmidt reportedly flew off the bed, “landed high above the door of the room and clung to the wall with catlike grips.” After the clergymen commanded the demon to leave George’s body and return to hell, he appeared to return to normalcy. The accounts of Reverend Easterbrook state that he exclaimed praise for the Lord Jesus and recited the Lord’s Prayer. He further expressed his gratitude to the clergymen for their efforts.

The troubles started in November 1763, with a local woman named María Trujillo. According to Toledo’s letter, Trujillo was “given to great sadness of an extreme nature” after giving birth, and “could not be amused by the diversions of the fiesta.” Such behavior would be recognized today as signs of post-partum depression, but to Toledo, it pointed to demonic possession. She “remained in her state of melancholy” until mid-December, when she fainted after prayers, awakened, and proceeded to “exhaust herself with unnatural strength.” Toledo performed an exorcism on December 18. Methodist exorcisms resembled Catholic exorcisms in many ways, with rituals including commands and adjurations for the demon to leave. Prayers and hymns had to accompany the commands, and the process concluded with the casting out of demons by using the Trinitarian formula (the spoken phrase “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”). George Lukins after the ExorcismMany of the people of the village were convinced the man was bewitched. George himself declared that he was possessed of seven devils. Beginning in 1769 , he had suffered from "fits of an alarming nature," which most likely was epilepsy. Lukins claimed that he had been fine until he was performing an old mummer's play at Christmas time when he had felt a "Divine slap" which felled him to the ground and left him possessed by demons. According to witness, Lukins was performing late one night at the house of a Mr. Love and after a number of strong beers became inebriated. In fact, he was so drunk, he was escorted home by two neighbors named Avery and Read. At least three publications were printed and circulated following the exorcism debating the Lukins authenticity. As mentioned earlier, Samuel Norman let the call that the possession was faked in his two publications, Authentic anecdotes of George Lukins, the Yatton demoniac (1788) and The great Apostle Unmasked (1788). For his part. Reverend Easterbrook wrote An appeal to the public respecting George Lukins and had two printings created. Both Norman and Easterbrook have been used in producing this history. The Wonders of Nature and Providence, Displayed: Compiled from Authentic Sources, both Ancient and Modern, giving an Account of Various and Strange Phenomena existing in Nature of Travels, Adventures, Singular Providences, &c. E. and H. Hosford, Printers. 1825 . Retrieved 31 December 2007. Every method that variety of persons have suggested, have been exerted without success; and some years ago he was sent to St George's Hospital, where he remained about twenty weeks, and was pronounced incurable. Regardless of whether you view exorcism as a spiritual service or exploitation, the practice has a fascinating, unsettling history, and it’s left an indelible mark on pop culture. Here are six historical exorcisms that are every bit as chilling as anything Hollywood can produce. 1. The New Mexico Colony Exorcisms // 1764

Michel’s devout Catholic parents became convinced her condition was a form of possession and entreated the Church to perform an exorcism. Priests Arnold Renz and Ernst Alt performed roughly 67 rituals on Annelise over 10 months culminating in her death from dehydration and malnutrition in 1976. In the Reverend’s notes, he described how George made the most horrible noises as his body convulsed. Experiencing as many as nine fits a day, the man was weak and emaciated. He was also unable to hear religious expressions without writhing in pain. Our next story begins in 1974. A previously unassuming family man, Michael Taylor lived in England with his wife and five children. By all accounts, this was a happy 1970s nuclear family. All of that changed when Mr. Taylor joined a mysterious church known as the “Christian Fellowship Group,” led by a charming and beautiful 21-year-old named Marie Robinson. Marie and Michael soon began spending inordinate amounts of time together, and even leading church services where they would speak in tongues and “exorcise” congregation members. Christine Taylor accused her husband of having an affair with Marie, due to his absences. It wasn’t long before George Lukins started to share the belief of the local community that he was cursed. George Lukins himself went on to claim that as many as seven demons had possessed him. Lukins had also claimed that seven clergymen would be required for removing the seven demons. Based on all these events, Sarah Baber approached Reverend Easterbrook, who immediately made arrangements for bringing George to Bristol. The Exorcism of George Lukins During her stay in the village, she told the Reverend, she witnessed the unfortunate man have fits multiple times a day, during which he he sang and screamed in various sounds, some of which did not resemble a human voice.

5 – Richard Cabell

After her spiritist mother’s death, provincianaClarita Villanueva ventured into the Philippine capital of Manila in search of her birth father and a job. That she would end up in jail for vagrancy was the farthest from her mind, but nothing prepared her for what came next: two demons biting into her skin. When experts declared her mentally sound, the more the public was convinced she was possessed. The woman’s story made the rounds worldwide until it caught the attention of an American pastor named Lester Sumrall, who instantly called himself to the mission and flew to Manila to help. Upon visiting the village of Yatton in Somerset, Mrs. Barber had been disturbed to find a man she once knew in a state of extraordinary illness. George Lukins, a tailor and common carrier by profession, had been a child of good character, who constantly attended the church and sacrament. However, for the last eighteen years, his demeanor had shifted and his nature changed. The Methodist exorcism ceremony resembles the Catholic rite in many ways. The ritual consists of adjurations and commands for the demon to depart. These commands are accompanied by prayers and hymns. Ironically for this case, all of these rituals were expressly rejected by the Church of England as well as the other Protestant denominations. Did you know that Salvador Dali, the famous artist, also underwent an exorcism in 1947? Friar Gabriele Maria Berardi received an original piece from the artist to signify his thanks. [7] George himself was convinced he was possessed by demons. More specifically, seven demons. Locals were highly concerned about Lukins’ condition, for he was a well-liked figure. A vicar named Joseph Easterbrook, the Reverend of one of the local churches, heard stories and rumors of Lukins’ mishaps, and was determined to help him exorcise the demons. He gathered an entourage of religious clergymen and arranged the exorcism. Easterbrook’s account of the exorcism makes for a vivid reading.

Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1984. Elizabeth Knapp, a young servant in the house of Revered Samuel Willard, began having physical fits as well as fits of hysteria. Willard engaged a doctor who could find no medical explanation for the girl’s outbursts.R. W. Rev. (1792) A Narrative of the extraordinary case of George Lukins, of Yatton, Somersetshire: who was possessed of evil spirits, for near eighteen years. : Also an account of his remarkable deliverance, in the vestry-room of Temple Church, in the city of Bristol, extracted from the manuscripts of several persons who attended. : To which is prefixed, A letter from the Rev. W.R.W, Bristol.