'and suked out my blood with his mowth, at that place; he
spowted it in his hand, and sprinkled it on my head. He baptised me
thairvith in his awin nam, "Christian."'[279]

Though baptism is rare, the giving of a new name on admission is peculiar
to Scotland. The names seem to have been usually nicknames derived from
various sources; personal peculiarities such as 'Weill dancing Janet', or
'Able and stout'; contractions of the proper name, as 'Naip' for Barbara
Napier; or a title such as 'Rob the Rowar', for Robert Grierson, who kept
the rows or rolls. Most of the other names appear to have been ordinary
Christian names arbitrarily bestowed. There is nothing to throw any light
on the reason for the change. In 1590 at North Berwick the witch-name was
considered of the highest importance.

'Robert Griersoune being namit, thay ran all hirdie-girdie and wer
angrie; for it wes promesit, that he sould be callit "Ro^t the
Comptroller alias Rob the Rowar" for expreming of his name.--Effie
McCalzane, Robert Griersoune, and the said Barbara, hapnit to be
nameit thair; quhilk offendit all the cumpany: And that they sould
nocht haif bene nameit with thair awin names; Robert Griersoun, to
haif bene callit _Rob the rowar_; Effie to be callit _Cane_; and the
said Barbara, to be callit _Naip_.'[280]

Later, the change of name was of so little value that at Crook of Devon
several of the witches could not remember what they had been called; Bessie
Henderson appears to have recollected the name after a time, for it is
inserted towards the end of the confession; Robert Wilson could remember
the Devil's name but not his own: Agnes Brugh and Christian Grieve could
remember neither the Devil's nor their own.[281]

The so-called 'christening', i.e. naming, of animals, comes rather under
the head of 'sacrifice' than of baptism, for the ceremony appears to have
been purificatory.

6. _The Mark_

The Witches' Mark, or Devil's Mark, as it is indifferently called, is one
of the most important points in the identification of a witch, as the
infliction of it was often the final rite in the admission ceremonies. The
fact that any person bore such a mark was taken as incontrovertible proof
that the bearer was a witch.

There were two kinds of marks, which should be carefully differentiated,
one of which was clearly natural, the other probably artificial. Both were
said to be insensible to pain and not to