Witches' Sabbath
The Witches' Sabbath refers to a historical concept where groups of alleged witches were believed to gather for dark rituals, often involving a purported consort with Satan and other demonic entities. These gatherings, which emerged in narratives from the 15th century onward, were thought to involve the renewal of loyalty to Satan in exchange for knowledge of black magic. Accounts often depicted these events as sinister nocturnal meetings characterized by sexual activities and human sacrifices, particularly of infants, which were said to empower the witches with malevolent magical abilities.
The term "sabbath" in this context likely implies a pseudo-religious nature, drawing on connotations related to rest and worship associated with monotheistic practices. This concept was fueled by social and religious tensions, as monotheistic religions often viewed traditional, pagan practices with disdain. Reports of witches' sabbaths contributed to widespread fear and persecution, leading to many accused of witchcraft facing severe consequences. However, modern historians suggest that many of these accounts may have been exaggerated or entirely fabricated, reflecting societal fears rather than factual representations of events. The portrayal of witches and their supposed gatherings continues to evoke intrigue and debate around historical beliefs and the treatment of those labeled as witches.
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Witches' Sabbath
The witches’ sabbath was a supposed meeting of witches, during which they would consort with Satan and other demons. The witches would renew their loyalty to Satan in exchange for knowledge of black magic. Witches’ sabbaths were also said to feature group sexual activities and the ritual sacrifice of humans, particularly babies. Reports and rumors of witches’ sabbaths were common in many parts of Europe beginning about the fifteenth century, and many religious and political authorities went to great lengths to hunt and persecute accused witches. However, modern historians are unsure to what, if any, extent tales of witchcraft were based on fact.
Background
Prior to the rise of monotheistic religions such as Judaism and Christianity, religions rarely worshiped a single deity. Polytheism, or belief in many gods, was the norm in many cultures. Cults to particular gods sprang up with their own distinct belief systems and rituals. Some would seem strange by modern views, and involved belief in prophesies and magic as well as ceremonies that sometimes required animal or human sacrifice.
With the growth of major organized religions focused on a single god, such earlier forms of spiritual practice were termed as paganism. In some areas they were ignored or subtly discouraged; in other areas they were violently repressed. Expressions of pagan beliefs were seen as an affront to monotheistic gods as well as an invitation to social disorder and moral danger. People who followed pagan beliefs, or people who generally strayed too far from the status quo, were often branded as witches.
Witches became the target of great fear and disdain. Those suspected of witchcraft commonly faced harassment, banishment, imprisonment, torture, or execution. Witchcraft was portrayed as a hidden evil lurking around the edges of civilized society, attempting to harm and corrupt the good. One of the most vivid and lasting perceptions of witches came from claims of the witches’ sabbath, or conventions of witches.
The meaning of the term “sabbath” in this context is not entirely clear. However, it most likely derived from a Hebrew term meaning “day of rest.” In Judaism, the sabbath (or sabbat) occurs from Friday through Saturday evenings and is a day set aside for resting. Christians adopted the same concept and celebrated a sabbath day on Sundays, when people focused on rest and prayer rather than work. The application of “sabbath” to witchcraft likely points to the pseudo-religious nature of the event. In addition, in its use by medieval Christians, the term was likely meant to connect witchcraft and Judaism.
Overview
One of the main effects of the rise of monotheism was the widespread persecution of those who practiced traditional religions. Religious figures, political leaders, and regular citizens joined to condemn people they considered to be heretics and witches. Furor over witchcraft, and the call to find and punish witches, began to rise sharply in the early fifteenth century. One major reason for this was the spreading legend of the witches’ sabbath.
Claims of supposed witches’ sabbaths appeared in church and town records, sermons, and popular writings. The events were also commonly depicted in woodcuts, paintings, and other forms of art. Special manuals for the hunting of witches even appeared. This material spread widely, fueled both by public revulsion for and fascination with witchcraft. Despite the variety of media, many of the main ideas were consistent. Witches’ sabbaths were portrayed as sinister nighttime meetings of witches who performed dark and terrible rituals.
According to claims, the sabbaths were organized by demonic forces and hosted dozens to as many as ten thousand witches. The witches had strange powers and often arrived at the designated spot by flying or by riding on possessed animals including goats or dogs. Satan and a variety of other demons would attend the sabbaths, at times in the guise of humans or animals. Through their rituals, the witches would proclaim their loyalty to Satan and reject Christianity. Satan would then confer upon the witches malicious magical powers.
One of the main characteristics of witches’ sabbaths was rampant sexual activity. During the rituals, the witches would engage in perverse sexual acts with Satan, demons, and one another. This aspect of the sabbath portrayal was shocking to Christians, whose faith called for strict polygamy and heterosexuality. However, rather than resulting in possible pregnancies, these orgies sterilized the witches and helped spread infertility to surrounding lands and populations.
The other distinguishing feature of the witches’ sabbath was sacrifice. The witches began by sacrificing themselves to Satan through their vows of loyalty. Later, they would demonstrate their loyalty by sacrificing living humans, usually babies. According to claims, witches would abduct babies from nearby villages and bring them to sabbaths. The babies were ritually killed and then boiled in cauldrons. Revelers would eat and drink the resulting broth to bring them closer to Satan and his dark powers.
The terrible rituals of the sabbath were meant to further empower the witches with evil magic as well as to bring harm to others. Some rituals created curses that doomed their victims to infertility or even death. Other rituals were meant to spread disease or invite damaging weather to devastate local communities.
Claims of witches’ sabbaths were generally accepted as fact, and people hated and feared witches and their suspected influence on moral and religious virtue. Oppression and even hunting of suspected witches became a relatively common occurrence. However, modern historians believe most reports of sabbaths were exaggerated or invented, whether through hysteria, willful attempts to spread fear, or ignorance of misunderstood practices and ways of life. Some claims of witchcraft may have been meant to stir anger toward pagans and support for Christians, or to establish convenient scapegoats for social problems.
Bibliography
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Ginzburg, Carlo. Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath. The U of Chicago P, 1991.
Ginzburg, Carlo. The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. The Johns Hopkins UP, 2013.
Klaniczay, Gábor and Éva Pócs, editors. Witchcraft Mythologies and Persecutions, Vol. 3. Central European UP, 2008.
Kors, Alan Charles and Edward Peters, editors. Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History, 2nd Ed. U of Pennsylvania P, 2000.
Kvideland, Reimund and Henning K. Sehmsdorf, editors. Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend. U of Minnesota P, 1988.
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Schoonmaker, James. “The Witches’ Sabbath.” Manchester Historian, 15 March 2015, manchesterhistorian.com/2015/the-witches-sabbath/. Accessed 2 April 2019.