Witch's mark

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According to witch-hunters during the height of the witch trials (c. 1645), the witches’ mark (also called a Devil's mark or a witches' teat) indicated that an individual was a witch. The witches' mark was believed to be the permanent marking of the Devil on his initiates to seal their obedience and service to him. He created the mark by raking his claw across their flesh, or by making a blue or red mark using a hot iron. Sometimes, the mark was believed to have been left by the Devil licking the individual.

The Devil was thought to mark or "brand" the individual at the end of nocturnal initiation rites.

The witches' teat is associated with the perversion of maternal power by witches in early modern England. The witches' teat is associated with the feeding of witches' imps or familiars; the witches' familiars supposedly aided the witch in her magic in exchange for nourishment (blood)from sacrifical animals or from the witch's teat. It is also where the devil supposedly suckles when he comes at night to bed his faithful servants, sometimes impregnating them with his seed. Once the devilish half-breed has been conceived, the cambion may only feed upon this teat and no other. Folklore suggests that on the 7th day of the 7th week of consecutive feeding upon the teat, the cambion would grow to adulthood immediately and begin wreaking havoc with a range of demonic powers inherited from his supernatural father. However, should the ritual be disrupted during the 49-day period, the process has to restart all over again.

Supposed forms and locations

The marks were always applied to “secret” places – under the eyelids, in armpits and in body cavities. Being found to have the mark was considered undeniable proof of being a witch. All witches and sorcerers were believed to have a witch’s mark waiting to be found. When a person was accused of witchcraft, they were brought to trial and carefully scrutinized. Their entire body was suspect as a canvas for a mark, an indicator of a pact with Satan.

Witches’ marks were commonly believed to include moles, scars, birthmarks, skin tags, supernumerary nipples, natural blemishes and insensitive patches of skin. Experts, or Inquisitors, firmly believed that a witch’s mark could be easily identified from a natural mark; protests from the victims that the marks were natural were ignored.

As evidence in trials

Authorities in the witch trials routinely stripped an accused witch of clothing and shaved all body hair so that no potential mark could be hidden. Pins were driven into scars, calluses, and thickened areas of skin – the practice of “pricking a witch”. Customarily, this routine was performed in front of a large crowd.

Medieval inquisitors also believed that the Devil left invisible marks upon his followers. If after stripping and shaving, the accused witch was found to have no likely blemishes, pins were simply driven into her body until an insensitive area was found.. The search for the witches' mark had basically disappeared by 1700 .

Witch Finders

During the witch-trials in early modern Europe induviduals were employed to help aid in the discovery and conviction of witches, these induviduals were given the title witch finders. Perhaps the most famous witch finder was a man named Matthew Hopkins, who claimed to be the "Witch Finder General". Matthew Hopkins (ca. 1620 - 1647) was an English witch finder whose writings reached their hight of popularity during the English Civil War (circa 1645). Hopkins's writings and ideas on discovering witches contributed to the

The Writings of Margaret Murray

The writings of British anthropologist Margaret A. Murray argue strongly for the theory that Devil’s marks were in actuality tattoos that identified members of an organized pagan religion she felt flourished in the Middle Ages. Her controversial ideas have been largely rejected by scientists and academics due to lack of evidence.

See also

• Pricking
• Pact with the Devil
• Witchcraft
• Witch-hunt
• Matthew Hopkins