Beruflich Dokumente
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There are many romanticisations about his death, but the following are fact: After Bowers’ wife filed for divorce, he
began showing signs of mental instability and was diagnosed with depression and given a prescription of lithium by his
doctor. On the traditional date of Midsummer’s Eve, June 23rd, Roy Bowers took a lethal dose of lithium, belladonna,
and hellebore (the ingredients left in a suicide note to the coroner) attempting to commit suicide, but instead went into a
coma. The police, called by his wife after receiving a letter from Bowers, found him wrapped in a sleeping bag on his
couch. He died nine days later in the hospital on July 3rd, 1966, at the age of 35, without having come out of his
comatose state. After his death his personal papers were burned by his brother and there was no mention of witchcraft
in his obituary.
The Clan of Tubal Cain was Cochrane’s coven which was active in the 1960s
and still exists in a different incarnation within two different lines today. The name came from Bowers’ time as a
blacksmith, the practice of which is steeped with folklore. He named his coven after Tubal Cain, the first blacksmith,
who is also a masonic deity. They were a robed tradition, practicing rituals mainly outdoors. They observed the Sabbats
and Esbats and worshipped the Goddess and God as the ancient powers of nature. Cochrane was enamored with
Graves The White Goddess as well as the concept of the Divine King. He was known to his coven members for his love of
riddles and mystification of teachings. The tradition usually used a stang instead of an altar; a forked ash staff with an
iron nail hammered into the base, decorated with wreaths and crossed arrows for the sabbats. His rituals were unique
and effective and have been adapted by many modern traditional witchcraft covens along with his coven’s other
practices.
Resources
Books:
I apologise that many of these are rare books, however those who are obsessed with Cochrane and 1734 will be
interested in these titles. As a side note, Jones’ books are a frustrating read and much of the material presented is his
own, not Cochrane’s.
The Roebuck in the Thicket – Jones & Howard
The Robert Cochrane Letters - Jones & Howard
Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed - Jones
Sacred Mask, Sacred Dance – Jones & Chas S. Clifton
The Rollright Ritual - William Gray
Standing Stone and Elder Tree – William Gray (newer version of Rollright)
Western Inner Workings (Chapter 10) – William Gray
The Rebirth of Witchcraft (Chapter 8 ) – Doreen Valiente
Triumph of the Moon (Chapter 15-16) – Ronald Hutton (not the most accurate or unbiased account)
Witchcraft, The Sixth Sense (Chapters 1, 10 & 11) – Justine Glass (Cochrane gave her a lot of misinformation, so don’t
take the quotes as writ)
The White Goddess – Robert Graves
Websites:
1734 Witchcraft (Joe Wilson)
Ancient Keltic Church
Clan of Tubal Cain
Clan of Tubal Cain (People of Goda)
Toteg Tribe
Writings of Roy Bowers (Robert Cochrane)
Y Plant Brân
Articles:
For Cochrane’s published works see the above link ‘Writings of Roy Bowers’
“A Poisoned Chalice: The Death of Robert Cochrane” by Gavin W. Semple, Reineke Verlag 2004 – also available in the
November 2004 issue of The Cauldron