who, for the occasion, transformed
himself into male goat. On no account would a witch, when starting for a
sabbath, go out through the open door or window; she would pass through
the keyhole or up the chimney. While they were gone, inferior demons
assumed their shape, and lay in their beds, feigning illness. Assembled
on the Brocken, the Devil, as a double-headed goat, took his seat on the
throne. His subjects paid their respects to him, kissing his posterior
face. With a master of ceremonies appointed for the occasion, he made a
personal examination of all the wizards and witches, to see if they had
the secret mark about them by which they were stamped as the Devil's
own. This mark was always insensible to pain, and it was the sure proof
of witchery when found by the inquisitor. Any witches found by the Devil
not so marked received the mark from him then and there, also a
nickname. Then they all sang and danced furiously. If a stranger came to
be admitted, silence reigned while he denied his salvation, spat upon
the Bible, kissed the Devil, and swore absolute obedience to him.
Singing and dancing was resumed, a mythical formula being used in the
singing. When tired, they sat down and told of their evil deeds; those
who had not been bad enough were scourged by Satan himself with thorns
and scorpions until they could neither sit nor stand. Then came a dance
by thousands of toads who were conjured out of the ground and standing
on their hind legs kept time to the music Satan evoked from bagpipes or
a trumpet. They could all talk, and asked the witches to give them the
flesh of unbaptized babes for food. The witches promised to do so. The
Devil told them to remember and keep their word and then stamped his
foot, and the frogs disappeared instantly into the earth. Next came a
most disgusting banquet, except for a few of the most wicked witches,
to whom were given rich viands on golden plates and expensive wines in
crystal goblets. Then came more dancing; those who did not care for that
amused themselves by mocking the sacrament of baptism. For this purpose
the toads were again called up and sprinkled with filthy water, the
Devil making the sign of the cross, while the witches repeated a formula
as absurd as that used in ordinary baptisms. Sometimes the Devil made
the witches take off their clothes and dance before him, each with a cat
tied around her neck, and another dangling behind as a tail. Sometimes,
again, there were l