Joseph Denis Boivin was called Denis in his hometown. As legend has it he was a feared man --- he practiced "La magi noire".... Black Magic. In the beginning people didn't fear him. People would come and see him because he had " Un Don" --- a blessed gift from God that would allow him to heal wounds and stop pain. Farmers would seek out his assistance with unruly domestic animals --- he would lead a cow, horse, hog, sheep, and even chickens around an area that he would say were the bounds of the animal and the animal would never go beyond this imaginary enclosure. He could train a dog to care for animals in less that an hour --- simply by talking to it.

It is said that he could command animals to do his bidding... Even from miles away. People called upon him more than the local Catholic Priest.The local Catholic Priest would often use him as a guide whenever he needed to go anywhere because he could never get lost --- he always knew the way to anywhere even if he'd never been there before. This led to his downfall.

In the dead of winter... With the wind blowing hard and the snow blinding ones way, the local Priest asked Denis if he would lead him to a farmer that was dying... The Priest wanted to administer the last rites. They decided to go the shortest way, which was across the lake. Halfway across, with the wind howling and darkness coming, Denis lifted both of his hands in the air and shouted "ASSEZ!" (Enough)...

The wind died down... the snow quit flying... the clouds parted and the moon lit up the terrain. The priest was so terrified that he ran back to town ---without administering his last rites. . Denis continued on to the farmhouse and told the farmer to get out of bed, that he'd be ok and to get him something to drink, the priest wasn't coming. They partied through the night and Denis left for home.

The priest accused Denis of being a witch. Denis didn't defend himself. He would go to the local bar and brag that he was a powerful witch...that ALL Boivin's were... and that the priest had better watch himself...and so should anyone else that crosses his path.

This was his downfall. The locals started to believe that he was in league with Satan --- they feared that he would do what he bragged he could do. The local priest was talking about excommunicating him and all his descendants. Denis packed up and moved to Ile-des-Calumets where he made a new life for himself. He used the name Joseph Boivin from then on and maintained a low profile. It should be mentioned here that the farmer died within a month... And he was administered the Last Rites.

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