– (Museo del Prado, Madrid/Reproduction)
Supposedly it was a celebration performed by witches in the presence of the devil. In the 14th century, during the inquisitorial period in Europe, the sabbath was cited in trials of the Holy Office for confessions made under torture and for testimonies by members of the clergy and popular people incited by fear or ignorance. According to reports, the ceremony of witches (the vast majority were female) consisted of several evil rites that took place during the night. The aim would be to worship the devil (the host) and despise God. Orgies, cannibalism and subversion of Church dogmas would be among the acts practiced. The name sabbath derives from “shabbat” – influence of the strong anti-Judaism wave of the time. Although the ritual’s history survives for centuries, there has never been any consistent evidence to support its existence. The “Fantastic Symphony, by Berlioz, and paintings by the painter Francisco Goya were inspired by the ritual.
witches gathered
True or not, the sabbath still shudders with its diabolical tradition
demo guy
Among the accounts of the appearance of the devil, the most popular is the animalistic form of a goat: goatee, cloven legs, horns, wrinkled skin and bare breasts. References would be the Greek god Pan and the Celtic god Cernunnos
infernal cult
During the Black Mass (read more on page 40), a ceremonialist recites prayers to the devil at a human altar. At the height of the subversions, the white communion wafer was replaced by a black radish.
damn supper
The feast symbolizes the union between the witches and the mangy. They could commit gluttony on the finest dishes and liquors. But no food could be salted: with exorcist power, salt did not please the master.
confessional
Still corrupting religious customs, witches told the devil all the evil they had managed to do up to that point: abortions, cattle poisoning, destruction of plantations and love spells. All this was denied, until death, by the accused during the Inquisition trials.
devilish feast
The last act included a maddening dance by the witches, who were said to have their bodies possessed by various demons. At that moment, sexual practices that lasted until dawn took place, such as orgies between the participants and carnal intercourse with the devil himself – an act that would be equivalent to Christian baptism
drugs and nudity
Before starting, the women prepared themselves: they took off their clothes in front of a bonfire and spread ointment on their bodies. Afterwards, they ingested a powder made from plants such as belladonna and aconite (both with a high degree of toxicity), which had a hallucinogenic effect. Everything was presided over by the devil himself
macabre hiding place
The ritual always took place on Friday night and ended at dawn. The chosen location was always away from urban centers – ancient ruins and megalithic sites (with rocky monuments made by prehistoric cultures) were favorites. Several forests, islands and mountains in Europe were identified as places of celebration
SOURCES Books The Witches and Their Worldby Julio Caro Baroja, Encyclopedia of the Occult: The Forbidden Sciences – Satanism and Witchcraftseveral authors, and Witchcraft and History: Magical Practices in the Christian Westby Carlos Roberto F. Nogueira