Petronilla de Midia (of Meath) (c. 1300 – 3 November 1324) was an alleged follower of Dame Alice Kyteler, a wealthy woman of Flemish ancestry who lived in the English colony of Ireland in what is now County Kilkenny.
Seven charges were brought against Alice Kyteler and her associates, including Petronilla, by the Bishop of Ossory, Richard de Ledrede: ... that they were denying Christ and the church; that they cut up living animals and scattered the pieces at cross roads as offerings to a demain called the son of Art in return for his help; that they stole the keys of the church and held meetings there at night; that in the skull of a robber they placed the intestines and internal organs of cocks, worms, nails cut from dead bodies, hairs from the buttocks and clothes of boys who died before being baptized; that, from this brew they made potions to incite people to love, hate, kill and afflict Christians; that Alice herself had a certain demon as incubus by whom she permitted herself to be known carnally and that he appeared to her either as a cat, a shaggy black dog or as a black man aethiopos, from whom she received her wealth; and that Alice had used her sorcery to murder some of her husbands and to infatuate others, with the result that they gave all of their possessions to her and her son.
Ledrede ordered the torture of Petronilla and the other less wealthy associates imprisoned in Kilkenny, who were examined using the inquisitional procedure allowed by the papal decree Super illius specula.
[9] John Clyn, the Kilkenny Franciscan chronicler recorded her death: "Petronilla de Midia ... was condemned for sorcery, lot taking and offering sacrifices to demons, consigned to the flames and burned.
[12] Feminist artist Judy Chicago set a place for Petronilla at her installation piece of 39 mythical and historical women entitled The Dinner Party.