The Witch cult in Western Europe

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'Les Sorciers du coste de Longchamois s'assembloient en vn pre, qui
est sur le grand chemin tirant a S. Claude, ou l'on voit les ruines
d'vne maison. Ceux du coste de Coirieres tenoient leur Sabbat, sous le
village de Coirieres proche l'eau, en vn lieu appelle es Combes, qui
est du tout sans chemin. [Autres] se retrouuoient en vn lieu dict es
Fontenelles, sous le village de Nezan, qui est vn lieu assez
descouuert ... le Sabbat des Sorciers de la Moueille se tenoit en la
Cour du Priore du mesme lieu.'[439]

Jane Bosdeau (1594) went twice a week regularly to 'a Rendezvous of above
Sixty Witches at Puy de dome'.[440] And the Swedish witches went so
uniformly to one place that there was a special building for their rites:

'They unanimously confessed that _Blockula_ is scituated in a delicate
large Meadow whereof you can see no end. The place or house they met
at, had before it a Gate painted with divers colours; through this
Gate they went into a little Meadow distinct from the other.... In a
huge large Room of this House, they said, there stood a very long
Table, at which the Witches did sit down: And that hard by this Room
was another Chamber where there were very lovely and delicate
Beds.'[441]

On the whole, the weight of evidence in England and Scotland is in favour
of Danaeus's statement that there was no fixed site, though this should be
taken as referring to the local meetings only, not to the Great Assemblies.
The Forfar witch-trials give much information: Helen Guthrie

'wes at a meitting in the church yeard of Forfar in the Holfe
therof.... Betwixt the oatseid and the bearseid [barleysowing], she
wes at ane other meitting at the Pavilione hollis.... This same year,
betwixt the oatseid and bearseid, she was at a thrid meiting in the
church yeard of Forfar in the holfe thereof, about the same tyme of
the night as at the [former] meitings, viz. at midnight.--About the
beginning of the last oat seid tyme, Isabell Syrie did cary hir
[Jonet Howat] to the Insch within the loch of Forfar, shoe saw at this
tyme, about threteen witches with the divill, and they daunced
togither.... About four wiekes after the forsaid meiting in the Insch,
the said Isabell Syrie caried hir to ane other meiting at
Muryknowes.--About three and a halfe yeares since, she [Elspet
Alexander] was at a meiting with the divill at Peterden, midway
betwixt Forfar and Dondie.... About four wiekes after this mieting at
Petterden, shoe was at ane second mieting at the Muryknowes ... shoe
was present at ane thrid mieting near Kerymure.'[442]

Isobel Gowdie's evidence is detailed as usual: 'The last tyme that owr
Coven met, we, and an vther Coven, wer dauncing at the Hill of Earlseat;
and befor that, betwixt Moynes and Bowgholl; and befor that we ves beyond
the Meikleburne; and the vther Coven being at the Downie-hillis we went
from beyond the Meikle-burne, and went besyd them, to the howssis at the
Wood-end of Inshoch.... Befor Candlemas, we went be-east Kinlosse.'[443]
The same facts were elicited from the Kinross-shire witches; Robert Wilson
'confessed ye had ane meeting with the Devill at the Stanriegate, bewest
the Cruick of Devon ... the Devil appointed them to meet at the Bents of
Balruddrie'.--Margaret Huggon confessed 'that ye was at another meeting
with Sathan at the Stanriegate, bewest the Cruik of Devon ... lykeways ye
confessed ye was at another meeting with Satan at the Heathrie Knowe
be-east the Cruik of Devon, where the Gallows stands ... a meeting at the
back of Knocktinnie at the Gaitside ... and another at the bents of
Newbiggin'.--Janet Brugh 'confessed that ye was at ane meeting at
Stanriegate ... ye confessed that about Yule last bypast ye was at ane
meeting with Sathan at Turfhills ... lykeways ye confessed that ye was at
the Bents of Balruddrie and Gibson's Craig, where Sathan was present at
them both'.--Christian Grieve 'freely confessed that ye was at ane meeting
with Sathan at the back of Andrew Dowie his house'.[444] The Somerset
witches (1664) varied in this respect. Those of Wincanton met in different
places: Elizabeth Style 'hath been at several general meetings in the night
at High Common, and a Common near _Motcombe_, at a place near _Marnhull_,
and at other places'.--Alice Duke 'hath been at several meetings in Lie
Common, and other places in the night'. But the Brewham Coven appear to
have met commonly at Hussey's Knap in Brewham Forest.[445]

Occasionally a reason is given for the change of site. 'Parfois vn Sabbat
finy a vn coin de paroisse, on s'en va le tenir a vne autre, ou le Diable
mene les mesmes personnes: mais la, on y en rencontre d'autres'.[446]
Sometimes also a sidelight is thrown upon these gatherings, which explains
the fact that in many cases the witches said that they did not know all the
people present at a given meeting:

'Antoine Tornier, Et Iaquema Paget ont confesse, que comme elles
retournoient a certain iour par ensemble de glanner, passans au long
du [=p]re de Longchamois, elles apperceurent que l'on y tenoit le
Sabbat; Surquoy elles poserent bas leurs fardeaux, & allerent au lieu
predict, ou elles firent comme les autres, & puis se retirerent
chacune en leurs maisons, apres auoir reprins leurs fardeaux.'[447]

The Salem Witches (1692) met 'upon a plain grassy place, by which was a
Cart path and sandy ground in the path, in which were the tracks of Horses
feet'.[448]

_Date and Hour._--There was no fixed day or hour for the Esbat, and in this
it differed from the Sabbath, which was always at night. The Devil let his
followers know the time, either by going to them himself or by sending a
message by the officer. The message might be by word of mouth, or by some
signal understood by the initiated.

Though there was no fixed day for the Esbat, it seems probable that one day
in the week was observed in each locality.

Danaeus, in his general survey of the cult in 1575, says: 'He apointeth
where they shall meete, and at what houre of the day, or of the night:
wherein they haue no surenes, nor certentie. For these meetinges are not
weekely, nor monthly, nor yeerely, but when and how often it shall seeme
good to this their maister. And many times himself warneth them to meete,
sometimes hee apoynteth others to warne them in his staede. But when he
doth it himself, he appeareth vnto them in likenesse of a man.'[449] De
Lancre says that in the Basses-Pyrenees 'le lieu ou on le trouue
ordinairement s'appelle Lanne de bouc, & en Basque _Aquelarre de verros,
prado del Cabron_, & la les Sorciers le vont adorer trois nuicts durant,
celle du Lundy, du Mercredy, & du Vendredy.--Les iours ordinaires de la
conuocation du Sabbat, ou pour mieux dire les nuicts, sont celles du
Mercredy venant au Ieudy, & du Vendredy venant au Samedy.--Catherine de
Naguille de la paroisse d'Vstarits, aagee de onze ans, & sa compagne, nous
out asseure qu'elles auoi[~e]t este au Sabbat en plein midy.'[450] Jane
Bosdeau (1594) 'every Wednesday and Friday met a Rendezvous of aboue Sixty
Witches at Puy de dome'.[451] Boguet says that the day of the Sabbath was
variable, usually Thursday night;[452] while, according to Bodin, the most
frequent was 'entre la nuict du Lundi & Mardi'.[453] Boguet also goes on to
say, 'Le Sabbat ne se tient pas tousiours de nuict, ains que les Sorciers y
vont aussi quelquefois de iour, selon que firent Antoine Tornier, & Iaquema
Paget, & plusieurs autres de leur secte le confessent.'[454] The Lorraine
witches also had the same custom:

'Alle zugleich, so viel ihrer bisher in Lotharingen peinlich sind
verhoeret worden, bekandten, dass solche Versammlung in keiner andern
Nacht, als welche zu nechst vor dem Donnerstag oder Sambstag hergehet,
gehalten werden.--Johannes a Villa und Agathina des Schneiders
Francisci weib, sagt, eine oder zwey Stunde vor Mitternacht, were die
bequemste Zeit darzu, und zwar nicht allein zu diesen Gespensten,
sondern auch sonsten zu allerhand Gespensten, Bollergeisten,
Irrgeisten, &c. Aber die Stunde nach Mitternacht diene nicht
darzu.'[455]

The English and Scotch evidence is to the same effect. The witches 'are
likewise reported to have each of them a Spirit or Imp attending on, or
assigned to them.... These give the Witches notice to be ready on all
Solemn appointments, and meetings, which are ordinarily on Tuesday or
Wednesday night'.[456] Janet Breadheid of the Auldearne Coven emphasizes
the irregularity of the dates: 'Efter that, we vold still meit euerie ten,
twelve, or twantie dayes continwally.'[457] Marie Lamont merely notes that
the meetings were at night: 'The devil came to Kattrein Scott's house in
the midst of the night.... When she had been at a mietting sine Zowle last,
with other witches, in the night, the devill convoyed her home in the
dawing.'[458] The Somerset witches had no special night: 'At every meeting
before the Spirit vanisheth away, he appoints the next meeting place and
time,'[459] and Mary Green went to a meeting 'on Thursday Night before
Whitsunday last.'[460] At Paisley the meeting was on Thursday, the 4th of
January, 1678, in the night, in John Stuart's house.[461] The Swedish
witches were much harder worked: 'whereas formerly one journey a week would
serve his turn, from their own Town to the place aforesaid, now they were
forced to run to other Towns and places for Children, and that some of them
did bring with them some fifteen, some sixteen Children every night.'[462]

The more modern examples suggest that the date became more fixed: 'On croit
que c'est toujours un vendredi soir que les sorciers et sorcieres se
reunissent.'[463] 'Sorciers et sorcieres vont au _sabbat_ le vendredi, a
travers les airs.'[464]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 328: Boguet, pp. 106-7.]

[Footnote 329: Pitcairn, ii, pp. 542-3.]

[Footnote 330: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 331: Id., _L'Incredulite_, p. 808.]

[Footnote 332: Kinloch, pp. 122-3.]

[Footnote 333: Burns Begg, p. 239.]

[Footnote 334: Bourignon, _Vie_, p. 211; Hale, p. 29.]

[Footnote 335: Stewart, p. 174.]

[Footnote 336: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 337: Boguet, p. 104.]

[Footnote 338: Potts, G 4.]

[Footnote 339: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 340: Pitcairn, iii, p. 604.]

[Footnote 341: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 320.]

[Footnote 342: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 178.]

[Footnote 343: Scot, pp. 41, 184. Scot is as usual, extraordinarily
inaccurate in his statements. The correct formulae, as given by Wierus,
will be found in Appendix V, with notes on the ingredients by Prof. A. J.
Clark.]

[Footnote 344: Boguet, p. 96.]

[Footnote 345: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 346: H. G. van Elven, _La Tradition_, 1891, p. 215. Unfortunately
neither name nor place are given in the transcription.]

[Footnote 347: Burns Begg, p. 223.]

[Footnote 348: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 139, 141, 148-9, 151.]

[Footnote 349: Scot, Bk. iii, p. 66; Lea, iii, p. 493. I give Scot's
translation as being more racily expressed.]

[Footnote 350: J. Bournon, p. 19.]

[Footnote 351: Boguet, p. 96.]

[Footnote 352: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 353: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 354: Bourignon, _Vie_, p. 214; Hale, p. 31.]

[Footnote 355: Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 316, 317, 318, 319, 321.]

[Footnote 356: Kinloch, p. 129.]

[Footnote 357: Surtees Society, xl, pp. 191-2, 194, 197; Denham Tracts, ii,
pp. 299-301, 304, 307.]

[Footnote 358: Holinshed, _Ireland_, p. 58.]

[Footnote 359: Chartier, iii, p. 45; Lea, iii, p. 536.]

[Footnote 360: From a trial in the Greffe, Guernsey.]

[Footnote 361: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 362: Boguet, p. 104.]

[Footnote 363: Id., pp. 9, 104.]

[Footnote 364: A marginal note against the word _ramasse_ gives 'autrement
balait, & en Lyonnois coiue'.]

[Footnote 365: Boguet, pp. 9, 97, 104.]

[Footnote 366: Cannaert, p. 49.]

[Footnote 367: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 604, 608, 613.]

[Footnote 368: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 194.]

[Footnote 369: Howell, vi, 660; J. Hutchinson, _Hist. of Massachusetts
Bay_, p. 31.]

[Footnote 370: Cotton Mather, p. 158; Burr, p. 244. _See also_ J.
Hutchinson, ii, pp. 35-6.]

[Footnote 371: Burr, p. 418.]

[Footnote 372: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 65.]

[Footnote 373: Id. ib., p. 72.]

[Footnote 374: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 181.]

[Footnote 375: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 376: Bodin, p. 187.]

[Footnote 377: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97-8, 114, 149, 153, 165,
167.]

[Footnote 378: Whitaker, p. 216; Baines, i, p. 607 note, where the name is
given as _Hartford_. The importance of the stone in the Sabbath ceremonies
is very marked in the account of a meeting in Northumberland (1673). Ann
Armstrong declared that 'she and the rest had drawne their compasse nigh to
a bridg end, and the devil placed a stone in the middle of the compasse,
they sett themselves downe, and bending towards the stone, repeated the
Lord's prayer backwards'. Denham Tracts, ii, p. 307; Surtees Soc., xl, p.
197.]

[Footnote 379: Horneck, pt. ii, pp. 321, 324.]

[Footnote 380: Mather, p. 131.]

[Footnote 381: Harou, _La Tradition_, vi (1892), p. 367.]

[Footnote 382: Monseur, pp. 2, 88.]

[Footnote 383: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 64.]

[Footnote 384: Id. ib., p. 123.]

[Footnote 385: Kinloch, p. 133.]

[Footnote 386: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 245. Spelling modernized.]

[Footnote 387: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97-8.]

[Footnote 388: Ib., i, Christen Michell, p. 165; Bessie Thom, p. 167.]

[Footnote 389: Ib., i, Issobell Richie, p. 142; Margrat Og, p. 144; Helene
Rogie, p. 147; Jonet Lucas, p. 149; Jonet Dauidsone, p. 150; Issobell Oige,
p. 152; Beatrice Robbie, p. 153.]

[Footnote 390: Pitcairn, ii, p. 478.]

[Footnote 391: Baines, i, p. 607 note.]

[Footnote 392: Pitcairn, iii, p. 606.]

[Footnote 393: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 398.]

[Footnote 394: F. Hutchinson, _Historical Essay_, p. 42.]

[Footnote 395: Boguet, p. 125.]

[Footnote 396: Chetham Society, vi, p. lxxiii; Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 397: Pitcairn, iii, p. 601.]

[Footnote 398: Burns Begg, pp. 219, 226, 237.]

[Footnote 399: J. Hutchinson, _History of Massachusetts Bay_, ii, p. 17;
Taylor, p. 98.]

[Footnote 400: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 154.]

[Footnote 401: Bournon, p. 23.]

[Footnote 402: Remigius, pt. i, p. 72.]

[Footnote 403: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 239.]

[Footnote 404: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 97, 114, 165, 167.]

[Footnote 405: Boguet, pp. 119, 125.]

[Footnote 406: _Spalding Club Misc._, i, pp. 165, 167.]

[Footnote 407: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 123.]

[Footnote 408: Pitcairn, i, pt. ii, p. 163.]

[Footnote 409: From the record in the Justiciary Court of Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 410: Arnot, p. 358.]

[Footnote 411: Id., p. 358.]

[Footnote 412: Kinloch, pp. 120, 121.]

[Footnote 413: Id., p. 122.]

[Footnote 414: Pitcairn, iii, p. 613.]

[Footnote 415: Sharpe, pp. 131, 134.]

[Footnote 416: _Scots Magazine_, 1814, p. 200.]

[Footnote 417: Remigius, pt. i, p. 91.]

[Footnote 418: Pitcairn, iii, p. 603; see below, p. 171.]

[Footnote 419: Id., i, pt. ii, pp. 210-11, 217, 239.]

[Footnote 420: Id., ii, pp. 542-3.]

[Footnote 421: Potts, C 3, G 3, I 2, I 3.]

[Footnote 422: From the trial of 'Alexr Hamiltoun, warlok', in the
Justiciary Court, Edinburgh.]

[Footnote 423: Whitaker, p. 216.]

[Footnote 424: Kinloch, p. 122.]

[Footnote 425: Pitcairn, iii, pp. 609, 613.]

[Footnote 426: Sharpe, pp. 132-4.]

[Footnote 427: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 137-8, 164.]

[Footnote 428: Id., pt. ii, p. 294.]

[Footnote 429: _Scots Magazine_, 1814, p. 201.]

[Footnote 430: Mather, p. 125.]

[Footnote 431: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 135.]

[Footnote 432: Kinloch, pp. 122, 133.]

[Footnote 433: Burns Begg, p. 224.]

[Footnote 434: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 323.]

[Footnote 435: The full name is Aquelarre de verros, prado del Cabron.]

[Footnote 436: De Lancre, Tableau, pp. 64-5.]

[Footnote 437: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 438: _Rehearsall_, p. 7.]

[Footnote 439: _Boguet_, pp. 126-7.]

[Footnote 440: F. Hutchinson, _Historical Essay_, p. 43.]

[Footnote 441: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 321.]

[Footnote 442: Kinloch, pp. 120 seq.]

[Footnote 443: Pitcairn, iii, p. 603.]

[Footnote 444: Burns Begg, pp. 226 seq.]

[Footnote 445: Glanvil, pt. ii, pp. 140, 148, 156, 161.]

[Footnote 446: De Lancre, _Tableau_, p. 64.]

[Footnote 447: Boguet, p. 102.]

[Footnote 448: Burr, p. 418.]

[Footnote 449: Danaeus, ch. iv.]

[Footnote 450: De Lancre, _Tableau_, pp. 62, 398.]

[Footnote 451: F. Hutchinson, p. 43.]

[Footnote 452: Boguet, p. 124.]

[Footnote 453: Bodin, _Fleau_, p. 182.]

[Footnote 454: Boguet, p. 123.]

[Footnote 455: Remigius, pp. 71, 72.]

[Footnote 456: _Pleasant Treatise_, p. 4.]

[Footnote 457: Pitcairn, iii, p. 617.]

[Footnote 458: Sharpe, pp. 131, 133.]

[Footnote 459: Glanvil, pt. ii, p. 139.]

[Footnote 460: Id., pt. ii, p. 164.]

[Footnote 461: Id., pt. ii, pp. 293, 297.]

[Footnote 462: Horneck, pt. ii, p. 318.]

[Footnote 463: Monseur, p. 87.]

[Footnote 464: Lemoine, _La Tradition_, 1892, vi, p. 106.]

V. THE RITES

1. _General_

The exact order of the ceremonies is never given and probably varied in
different localities, but the general rule of the ritual at the Sabbath
seems to have been that proceedings began by the worshippers paying homage
to the Devil, who sat or stood in a convenient place. The homage consisted
in renewing the vows of fidelity and obedience, in kissing the Devil on any
part of his person that he chose to indicate, and sometimes in turning a
certain number of times widdershins. Then followed the reports of all magic
worked since the previous Sabbath, either by individuals or at the Esbats,
and at the same time the witches consulted the Master as to their cases and
received instructions from him how to proceed; after which came admissions
to the society or marriages of the members. This ended the business part of
the meeting. Immediately after all the business was transacted, the
religious service was celebrated, the ceremonial of which varied according
to the season of the year; and it was followed by the 'obscene' fertility
rites. The whole ceremony ended with feasting and dancing, and the assembly
broke up at dawn.

This was apparently the usual course of the ritual of the Sabbath; the
Esbat had less ceremonial, and the religious service was not performed. The
Devil himself often went round and collected the congregation; and, not
being in his 'grand arroy', he appeared as a man in ordinary dress. Instead
of the religious service with the adoration of the god, the witches worked
the spells and charms with which they bewitched or unbewitched their
enemies and friends, or they exercised new methods which they learnt from
their Master, or received instructions how to practise the arts of healing
and secret poisoning, of causing and blasting fertility.

There are a few general accounts of the usual course of the Sabbath ritual.
Danaeus (1575) does not distinguish clearly between the two classes of
meetings, but at the same time he seems to have realized that a certain
order was followed:

'Satan calleth them togither into a Diuelish Sinagoge, and that he may
also vnderstand of them howe well and diligently they haue fulfilled
their office of intoxicating committed vnto them, and who they haue
slaine: wherefore they meete togither in certen apointed places....
Wh[~e] they meete together he appeareth visibly vnto them in sundrie
fourmes, as the head and chiefe of that congregation.... Then doe they
all repeate the othe which they haue geuen vnto him, in acknowledging
him to be their God, th[~e] fal they to dauncing.... Whiche beeing all
finished, then he demaundeth agayne of them what they woulde require
of him.... Vnto some he geueth poysons ready made, and others he
teacheth howe to make and mingle new.... Finally, if in any thing they
neede his presence and helpe, by couenant he promiseth to be present
with them.'[465]

Boguet (1589) is more exact, as he obtained his knowledge at first hand:

'Les Sorciers estans assemblez en leur Synagogue adorent premierement
Satan ... ils luy offrent des chandelles, & le baisent aux parties
honteuses de derriere. Quelquefois encor il tient vne image noire,
qu'il faut baiser aux Sorciers.... Les Sorciers en second lieu
dansent.... Les danses finies, les Sorciers viennent a s'accoupler....
Les Sorciers, apres s'estre veautrez parmy les plaisirs immondes de la
chair, banquettent & se festoient.... Les Sorciers rendent conte a
Satan de ce qu'ils ont fait des la derniere assemblee.... Il fait
renoncer de nouueau a ces miserables, Dieu, Chresme, & Baptesme. Il
leur fait rafraischir le serment solennel qu'ils ont fait.'[466]

The English account is put together from foreign sources to a great extent:

'They are carryed out of the house, either by the Window, Door, or
Chimney, mounted on their Imps.... Thus brought to the designed place,
they find a great number of others arrived there by the same means:
who, before Lucifer takes his place in his throne as King, do make
their accustomed homage, Adoring, and Proclaiming him their Lord, and
rendring him all Honour. This Solemnity being finished, they sit to
Table where no delicate meats are wanting.... At the sound of many
pleasant Instruments the table is taken away, and the pleasant consort
invites them to a Ball.... At the last, the lights are put out. The
Incubus's in the shapes of proper men satisfy the desires of the
Witches, and the Succubus's serve for whores to the Wizards. At last
before Aurora brings back the day, each one mounts on his spirit, and
so returns to his respective dwelling place.... Sometimes at their
solemn assemblies, the Devil commands, that each tell what wickedness
he hath committed.... When the assembly is ready to break up, and the
Devil to dispatch them, he publisheth this law with a loud voice,
_Revenge your selves or else you shall dye_, then each one kissing the
Posteriors of the Devil returns upon their aiery Vehicles to their
habitations.'[467]

2. _Homage_

In some places the witches saluted their Chief by falling on their knees,
and also by certain manual gestures; in other places by curtsies and
obeisances. In Scotland, France, and Belgium, another rite was also in
vogue, that of kissing the Devil on any part of his person that he might
direct. At Como and Brescia the witches, 'when they paid reverence to the
presiding demon, bent themselves backwards, lifting a foot in the air
forwards.'[468]

Remigius, writing of the Lorraine witches in 1589, says:

'Es erzehlte die Beatrix Bayona dass einer unter ihnen allen der
Oberster wer, welcher in einer Zell auff einem hohen Stuhl saesse, sehr
ernsthafftig und praechtig heraus, zu demselbigen trete je einer nach
dem andern, mit Furcht und Zittern, falle ihm zum Zeichen seiner
Ehrerbietung fuer die Fuesse, und umbfange ihn mit aller Demuth und
Reverentz.--Erstlich fallen sie nieder auff ihre Knie; darnach legen
sie die Haende ausswendig zusammen, als diejenigen pflegen zu thun,
welche obtestiren, jedoch auff dem Ruecken und verkehrter Weise, sie
haben den Ruecken zu ihm gewandt, bleiben so lang kniend, biss er
selbsten zu ihnen sagt, dass es genugsam sey.'[469]

In Somerset (1664) the witches always mention the salutation:

'At their first meeting the Man in black bids them welcome, and they
all make low obeysance to him.--[Elizabeth Style, Alice Duke, Anne
Bishop, Mary Penny] met about nine of the Clock in the Night, in the
Common near _Trister_ Gate, where they met a Man in black Clothes
with a little Band, to whom they did Courtesie and due
observance.--Mary Green [went with others to] Hussey's Knap in the
Forrest in the Night time, where met them the Fiend in the shape of a
little Man in black Clothes with a little band, to him all made
obeysances.... On Thursday Night before Whitsunday last [she met
several others] and being met they called out _Robin_. Upon which
instantly appeared a little Man in black Clothes to whom all made
obeysance, and the little Man put his hand to his Hat, saying, How do
ye? speaking _low_ but _big_. Then all made low obeysances to him
again.'[470]

As late as the eighteenth century there is a similar account.[471]

Danaeus (1575) and Cooper (1617) are the only writers who mention the kiss
in their general accounts of the ceremonies. The former says: 'Then biddeth
he th[~e] that they fall down & worship him, after what maner and gesture
of body he pleaseth, and best liketh of. Thus some of them falle downe at
his knees, some offre vnto him black burning cadles, other kisse him in
some part of his body where he appeareth visibly.'[472] Cooper mentions it
as part of the admission ceremony: 'Secondly, when this acknowledgement is
made, in testimoniall of this subiection, Satan offers his back-parts to be
kissed of his vassall.'[473]

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