Operative Witchcraft Quotes

“It is clear that when an immaterial entity is being referred to rather than a guiser, this figure is a conflation of perhaps a number of Pagan deities with the ecclesiastical principle of evil. The epithet ‘old’ (‘auld’ in Scots) prefixes many of the names given to this being: Old Nick, The Old ‘un, The Old Lad, Old Scratch, Old Ragusan, Old Sam, Old Horny, Old Bargus, Old Bogy, Old Providence, The Auld Chiel and The Auld Gudeman. Old is clearly a reference to something ancient, most likely belief”
― Nigel Pennick, Operative Witchcraft