There will be a witches' sabbath. Witches' Sabbath - history and modern celebration, dates

This is what is written in ancient books that have survived to this day... The devil's subjects will know in advance about the upcoming Sabbath. The Prince of Darkness takes the gong 49 hours before the start and hits it 6 times. At the same time, a terrible rumble comes straight from the underworld. The witches' Sabbath will begin soon.

For mere mortals the noise is inaudible, but those who have already sold their souls to the devil, as well as witches and demons, become deaf from the sounds. All representatives of evil spirits who heard the menacing call rush to the Sabbath... This is how preparations for the unclean holiday take place. But what comes next?

If you dare to disobey, expect punishment!

The Lord of Darkness will send terrible damage to anyone who dares to ignore this event. The unfortunate person will die in terrible agony, but before that he will be broken for a long time, and all his joints will undergo deformation. Those who disobey, demons without flesh, will be shackled in mental shackles and imprisoned for a thousand years.

No one ever thought of ignoring this event. Everyone arrives exactly on time. Everyone gets there in their own way. they take off their clothes and anoint their bodies with special ointments. They contain frog bones crushed into powder, bat blood, and magic herbs. The witch then flies out on her broom and down the chimney. Already in the sky she shouts: “Invisible!” and disappears from sight.

Devil's vehicle

You can come to the witches' Sabbath on a hog. The role of hogs is played by former lovers who have become dependent on love spells. Appearing on Bald Mountain, the witch gives her vehicle to the devils. The unfortunate man is stabbed, roasted, and when the feast begins at the end of the holiday, he is eaten with appetite. The mortal soul goes straight to hell.

Waiting for the devil, the witches are divided into groups of fourteen representatives each. If the last group does not have the required number, they join the demons or stand on the sidelines. Demons gather in groups for which numbers are not important.

Queen of the ball

In the witches' battle there are not only riots, but also quite peaceful conversations. Here you can hear the latest news, useful tips, learn about the power it has, and about new potions. Those who come to Bald Mountain for the first time can be recognized by their pale faces - today they will have their first meeting with the Devil. They repeat.

Standing off to the side is a beautiful young witch who is destined to become queen of the coven. An experienced sorceress is watching over her. The virginity of the future queen is a prerequisite. It will be given to the Lord in front of the eyes of evil spirits.

How does the Witches Sabbath go?

And then a growing roar is heard. It gradually fills everything around, and when the noise reaches its highest limit, it suddenly stops. In the middle of the clearing, the Devil appears from a column of thick smoke. His appearance depends on his mood.

There were cases when he appeared in the form of a black goat with a long shaggy tail and huge horns. Sometimes he appeared as a black cat of incredible size, and he appeared in the form of a black raven more than once. Maybe the devil, when he appears at a witches' Sabbath, takes the form of a man who is holding a horse in his hands, but his horns and shaggy tail give him away.

The demons and witches, frozen at the appearance of the Ruler, look at him in awe. With a wave of the ruler’s hand, a massive tone appears on a high platform. After the Devil ascends to the platform, the evil spirit is located at the steps.

Salute to Satan

The greeting required by etiquette begins. Subjects approach the Lord one by one and express their servility with a “shameful kiss.” Having touched his anus with their lips, they immediately go down. Since there are quite a lot of demons and witches, the greeting lasts for quite a long time.

When the greeting ends, the Lord of Darkness descends onto the throne. The next minute, the old witch brings the young queen to him. The ruler greets her and seats her to his right, the witch is located on the left.

It's time to report on the work done. Each of the witches reports to the devil, and he expresses his approval or displeasure. Woe to the one whose report did not make a good impression! Punishment occurs immediately. Having angered the Lord, the witch disappears from sight and falls into fiery Gehenna. Her soul will suffer in eternal torment.

Favorite Witches' Sabbath Places

Bald Mountain is a favorite gathering place for evil spirits. Its slopes are overgrown with dense impenetrable forest, and at the very top there is a large clearing. It is not possible for a mere mortal to get there, and all the evil spirits fly through the air. There are several other mountains in nature where gatherings of witches and sorcerers used to take place, and where they still take place today.

Bald Mountain is located near Kyiv. According to legend, before the adoption of Christianity, pagan rituals were performed here and those who did not recognize the princely authority were executed.

There is another infamous mountain - Brocken. It is located in the center of Germany. On its cold peak, winds constantly blow and snow falls, which is not at all a barrier to evil spirits. It gathers on the mountain from April 30 to May 1. If Saturday falls on this date, the Sabbath is not organized.

The Swiss mountain Blockula is also a gathering place for evil spirits. Surrounded on all sides by water, it is under the constant supervision of the demon Antesser. Another of his tasks is to deliver guests to the top of the mountain, and only one Lucifer goes there on his own.

For many, Bald Mountain was associated with Golgotha ​​- the site of Christ's crucifixion. Emphasizing its disregard for church shrines, it is here that the evil spirits commit all their obscenities.

Greetings, dear readers! A mysterious event - a witches' Sabbath - is often described in fantasy books. It migrated into works of art from occult records and magical treatises. Canonically from the point of view of Christianity, the celebration is described in the novel “The Master and Margarita”. Bulgakov took into account many nuances obtained from relevant sources.

The Sabbath, a kind of magical holiday, is present in thematic films or TV series. However, it can be presented in different ways. This is due to the fact that the idea of ​​celebration has changed over time. Today, the event is different from how the celebration took place in the distant past, as it was described at the dawn of Christianity.

What is a witches' coven

Most often, the Sabbath is interpreted as a time when evil spirits and witches become active. This is a kind of ritual holiday that takes place according to a specific plan.

There are two meanings of this word:

1. coven meeting, night meeting of witches, demons, evil spirits;
2. in the Jewish religion: rest on Saturday.

During pagan times, the celebration did not have such a dark and negative atmosphere that Christianity endowed the Sabbath with. In ancient times, witches were not called evil sorceresses, but women who sold their souls to the Devil in exchange for eternal life and magical skills. Witches were considered to be those who possessed numerous mysterious knowledge.

In that distant time, during the magical sacrament, rituals were carried out, not necessarily scary and dark. During the Sabbath, all those present exchanged knowledge, skills, practices, and artifacts. With the help of combining energies and forces, powerful ritual actions were performed. The goals could be: increasing the harvest, good weather, improving health, and so on.

Sometimes at “closed meetings” initiations of young witches took place. Also, experienced priestesses taught new arrivals certain spells, they shared recipes for potions and decoctions.

In addition, during the witches' Sabbath, sacrifices were made, not always bloody, in honor of pagan gods and goddesses. Witches “established” contact with the deities, asking them for patronage, strength and protection.

In the understanding of the Christian religion, a witch is evil. Practicing magic is a sin. Everyone involved in such a thing will burn in hellfire after death.

During the eradication of paganism, ideas about people practicing magic changed. They were called the servants of Satan, those who sold their souls to the Devil and began to “work” for him. Priestesses and priests were associated with evil spirits, with demons and spirits who only do terrible things and are negatively disposed towards the Christian church.

Based on distorted information, a new explanation of what a witch's Sabbath is was born. This is a blasphemous holiday when the worship of Lucifer is performed. At this time, sinners sell their souls by concluding agreements with the Lord of the Underworld. In the view of Christianity, the Sabbath is always accompanied by orgies and bloody sacrifices of people and animals.

history of the holiday

There are several classic dates when a mysterious event can occur. They go back to ancient times and are associated with pagan celebrations.

The most famous holiday is called Walpurgis Night. There are several interpretations of when and why the celebration began.

The first is again based on paganism. According to legends, on this magical night, witches held noisy feasts. The idea of ​​the Sabbath was widespread in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Later, a tradition arose at such times to cleanse houses of negativity and “drive out” evil spirits from villages and towns.

In ancient times, Walpurgis Night, also called Zhivin's Day, was considered a period when rituals were held in honor of the gods. They were accompanied by requests for a rich harvest, health and the birth of children. In essence, the celebration was a celebration of fertility and prosperity.

Interesting fact: In the Muslim tradition, these days were considered magical. It was possible to turn to higher powers, to natural elements, so that they would fulfill their cherished desires.

Pagan magicians celebrated the Sabbath on a specified date, glorifying the sun, marking the beginning of the summer period and the blossoming of spring.
From a religious point of view, the name “Walpurgis Night” is associated with the name of Saint Walpurga, who lived in the 7th century. She arrived from England in Germany in the mid-700s, intending to found a monastery. After her death, she was elevated to the rank of saint. The Day of Remembrance and Honor was designated May 1st.

Among the ancient Celts, the date of the largest Sabbath coincided with a holiday called Beltane. The celebration was connected with fire, so bonfires and candles should be burned. Perhaps it was from Celtic traditions that the ritual came when young girls jump over fire. The flame energizes and cleanses.

The Sabbath of Witches in Our Time

Interest in magic, occultism, and esotericism is quite strong now. Some people are simply “playing around”, trying to perform rituals or create amulets. Some people take these practices seriously.

Nowadays, there are closed covens that you cannot join just like that. Often, covens refer specifically to meetings of the entire coven. At the head is a high witch or priestess who presides over the rituals.

As in the old days, the dates for the holiday, to which members of other magical organizations and independent shamans and magicians are invited, are chosen taking into account pagan holidays. Samhain or Halloween, Walpurgis Night, Yule - magical encounters take place on all these days.

Often at such times, mass events and themed parties are held in closed clubs.

Why are Sabbaths held? In addition to exchanging experience and information, gatherings allow us to combine strength and energy. Many complex rituals cannot be performed alone or in the company of a couple of people. Therefore, such magical actions are only available during a magical meeting.

What date passes

Additional dates for Sabbaths:

1. March 21 – spring equinox;
2. June 21 – summer solstice;
3. September 21 – autumnal equinox;
4. December 21 is the winter solstice.

When answering the question on what date witches gather for a solemn event, it is necessary to mention some more dates:

• sometimes Sabbaths are held during Maslenitsa week;
• on the night of Ivan Kupala;
• during Yule and Christmastide;
• on Halloween;
• on St. George's Days: December 9, May 6.

Some sources mention that occasionally the holiday is held on February 2 or December 26. In addition, each separately existing coven has the right to independently choose dates for meetings that are not tied to ancient celebrations.

According to legend, the sacrament never occurs on the night from Saturday to Sunday. Even if the most suitable date for a witchcraft meeting comes.

Location

If we rely on popular descriptions of the Sabbath, then all the action takes place on Bald Mountain. In the minds of magicians and occultists, a “bald” mountain is a hill that is crowned with a wide platform (clearing). The slopes are usually covered with dense forest and thorn bushes.

Getting up from the ground is almost impossible. That’s why legends say that witches fly to the holiday on brooms or riding on hogs and other animals. Or they use the ability to shapeshift to transform into an insect or bird.

From the Christian point of view, Lucifer, who rules the celebration, appears on the top of the mountain from a pillar of white thick smoke. The smoke has a characteristic odor of hydrogen sulfide. Before the Lord appears, a deafening thunder is heard that ordinary people cannot hear.

Among the real-life objects, places of covens are called:

1. Mount Brocken, located in Germany;
2. Bald Mountain on the territory of Ukraine;
3. Swedish upland Blokula;
4. Golgotha ​​in Israel.

In the imagination of our distant ancestors, the mysterious holiday could be held in lowlands, protected areas, near lakes or rivers, in clearings in forest thickets. In the modern world, various places are also chosen for the Sabbath, including apartments, country houses, nightclubs, where during the celebration entry is by special invitation.

What do you do during the Sabbath?

From the point of view of pagan traditions, the objectives of the mystical event were:

• bringing gifts to deities;
• rituals, rites and practices;
• initiation of witches;
• mutual exchange of knowledge and information;
• energy exchange;
• charging amulets, talismans, amulets, magical artifacts;
• communication and fun.

The Sabbath of Witches in the understanding of Christianity has a much more detailed and negative description. The main purpose of the festival is to meet the Devil.

Lucifer announced the upcoming holiday 49 hours before the start of the event. He struck a huge gong six times, the sounds of which were heard in every corner of the world. Demons, spirits, witches and other evil spirits canceled plans and affairs and gathered for a “ball”. Those who refused to appear could pay with their lives.

When everyone gathered at the appointed place and at the appointed time, the Devil appeared. He took a place on the throne, which was located on a small hill in the clearing. An endless line of creatures, witches and sinners lined up to see him. The ritual of greeting and praising the Lord lasted a long time. It was not customary to bring gifts to Lucifer.

The next part of the celebration was the reports. Lucifer, sitting on the throne, assessed the results of the work done by his subjects. If the sorceress was guilty of something, she did not cope with something, by the will of Lucifer she evaporated. Her soul was sent to hell to burn there for eternity. For mistakes and blunders, the Devil shackled the evil spirits for a thousand years.

After the official part ended, the old - supreme - witch introduced the queen of the current coven to Lucifer. She was becoming a beautiful young witch who was about to lose her virginity to the Ruler of Hell. During the entire subsequent period of the holiday, the old sorceress sat on the left hand of Lucifer, the young one on the right.

Sinners, ready and willing to sell their souls to Lucifer in exchange for something, made contracts using blood and the destruction of crucifixes. This was the next stage of the celebration. As soon as the “contract” was sealed with blood, the soul fell into the hands of the Devil, and the person was sent away. He was not to witness any further celebration.

Coitus between the girl and the Devil took place in front of everyone who gathered at that hour on the top of Bald Mountain. As soon as the process ended, the most fun and “hot” part of the holiday began.

Witches performed sacrifices and danced with the evil spirits. A mandatory ritual was a round dance. At the same time, the dancers stood with their backs to each other; it was forbidden to look into someone else’s eyes. Often dances and ritual actions at the Sabbath ended in orgies. The release of sexual energy was mandatory, and, according to legend, it made Lucifer’s servants stronger.

The fun, accompanied by a feast, lasted until dawn. With the first rays of the sun, the Devil set off for his kingdom, evil spirits and witches scattered in all directions.

Modern witches hardly meet the Ruler of Hell himself. What is happening at the Sabbaths now has more in common with the rituals and traditions of paganism. It is believed that the days chosen for the holiday are charged with natural force. At such times, true magic is activated.

Therefore, during the period of celebration, rituals are performed, amulets and artifacts are created. Many of those who seriously engage in magic tell fortunes and conduct special practices.

In certain cases, the modern coven is accompanied by sex. However, as a rule, actions of a sexual nature have ritual significance; carnal pleasure is not an end in itself.

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There are also those who voluntarily go over to serve the Devil, for example, witches who sell their souls to him, hoping to receive earthly goods in return. The witch will always unquestioningly do everything that the Master told her. Indeed, according to popular belief, it is complete dedication and obedience to Satan that can give them not only eternal life, but also youth. Whether a witch is worthy of such generosity is decided at the Sabbath. What it is? We invite you to find out from our article.

Sabbath - what is it?

Despite the fact that Satan's minions preach absolute Evil, they have their own charter, which must be followed unquestioningly. Otherwise, the offender will face a terrible punishment.

The fate of women who choose the dark side is decided at the witches' sabbath, which is a kind of trial. They gather here to account for their actions to the Devil, who will decide their future fate.

During the nightly meeting of the coven, a plan for further action is approved. Each arriving witch must build her own strategy for how she will annoy people. The fate of the witch at the next night's Sabbath depends on how insidious and vile her tricks were. Perhaps she will receive the Master's approval or be punished with eternal torment in hell.

Soul for exchange

On the night of the Sabbath, not only witches flock to the gathering. There are also quite ordinary people here who, for one reason or another, decided to go over to the dark side and swear allegiance to Satan. However, the Lord of Darkness is absolutely not interested in the purpose for which they came to the witches’ Sabbath. The devil only needs their soul, which he buys in exchange for eternal beauty, youth, luck and immortality.

Only volunteers join the ranks of Satan's minions. Everyone who decides to make a deal must have with them a sacred vessel in which the soul is contained, after which it is transferred to Lucifer.

After the trial

Every witches' Sabbath ends in a real bacchanalia. The crowd literally goes crazy. The witches dance with demons, indulge in carnal pleasures, and then go to dinner. As a dessert, they prefer raw horse meat, which is washed down with blood.

Peoples who usually live in mountainous areas say that the Sabbath is a real nightmare that keeps the locals awake until the morning. If you come to the site of a witches’ gathering the next day, you will find trampled grass, gnawed bones and footprints similar to goat’s hoof prints.

When the witches gather

A gathering of evil spirits is held several times a year, on the day on which an Orthodox or pagan holiday falls:

• The first Sabbath of the year falls on Kolyada, which is celebrated from December 25 to January 6. As a rule, witches choose the date December 26, unless this day falls on the night from Saturday to Sunday (at this time the forces of Good reign).
• The next witch meeting is February 2 and March 21.
• The last day of April is known as Walpurgis Night, which is considered ideal for the Sabbath.
• And on May 6, the Slavic peoples celebrate St. George’s Day, which is also suitable for a gathering of evil spirits.
• In the summer, witches gather only once - June 21 (summer solstice).
• Exactly three months later, on September 21, the day of autumn balance, they are also not against organizing a gathering of evil spirits.
• On the Day of All the Dead (Halloween), which is usually celebrated on October 31, it is considered a good reason to organize a Sabbath.
• The last trial of witches who sold their souls to the Lord of Hell falls on December 9 (St. George's Day).

However, extraordinary gatherings cannot be ruled out, for which absolutely any date can be chosen. The witches are ready to gather at the first request of the Devil.

Where is it held?

We know that the Sabbath is a witches' gathering. Its location can be any point on the map. But there is a main rule - no stranger should enter there.

For this purpose, most often, the flat tops of high mountains, on which there is no vegetation, are chosen. The slopes of the mountain should be steep and also surrounded by dense thickets or forest so that a person cannot get close. As many people know, for example, from Russian fairy tales, witches use a broom as a kind of flying machine. It will not be difficult for them to get to the most inaccessible places.

Not far from the Ukrainian capital there is a mountain, which is popularly called Lysaya. Plants never grew on its top, and during the reign of the Kyiv princes it was a place for torture and show executions. Various pagan rituals were also held here. The mountain is notorious among locals. It is considered a favorite place for covens organized by evil spirits.

There is a similar mountain in Germany. It's called Brocken. Those who managed to conquer it say that it is unbearable for an unprepared person to be at the very top. It snows constantly there, strong winds blow and there is simply not enough oxygen. Local residents are sure that it is on the top of Brocken that the strongest witches gather on Walpurgis Night.

In Sweden there is also a mountain about which there are many bad rumors. Its name is Blokula. People claim that it belongs to a demon named Antesser, who delivers witches to its peak on the day of the Sabbath. Following his minions, Satan appears on the mountain, riding a fiery horse.

Even in Israel, witches organize gatherings. As a sign of disrespect for the Almighty, they hold their meetings right on Golgotha.

What happens at a witch meeting

All those who are to attend the Sabbath receive an invitation in advance. In 49 hours, the Devil hits a gong six times, which only a select few can hear. You can arrive at the place on a broom, having previously smeared your body with a special solution that makes a person invisible. If a witch has a young man, she can turn him into a hog and come riding on horseback.

Those present are divided into groups of thirty people, sit in a circle and talk to each other, waiting for the Owner. As soon as Satan appears, he sits on the throne and begins to question those present for their misdeeds. Those who are undesirable are sent straight to hell, and those who have not done much wrong are assigned a mentor.

The apogee of the Sabbath

As soon as the trial ends, the Devil chooses the most beautiful virgin for himself and has sexual intercourse with her. The remaining witches have sex with the devils present. After everyone is exhausted, those gathered begin to eat meat and wash it down with blood.

Those who are present at the trial for the first time and are about to sell their souls stand aside, spit on the cross and trample on it, reading the oath to the forces of Darkness. This continues until the Devil gets tired of it. Then Satan leaves the meeting place, and the rest go back to where they came from and continue to engage in dark affairs.

Witches' Sabbath (witches' gatherings or diets, Hexensabbat) - solemn gatherings of witches and other persons who have given themselves over to the devil to worship him, perform sacrifices, feasts, dances and orgies.

The origin of the word "sabbath" has not yet been established with sufficient clarity. It is hardly necessary to point out that it has nothing to do with the number “7” and especially with the famous Jewish holiday. Sainte-Croix and Alfred Maury came to the conclusion that it comes from a distorted word “bacchanalia”. Attempts have been made to derive the etymology of the word "coven", meaning a meeting of witches, from the name of the deity Sabazius. Sabazius (Σαβάξιος) is a Phrygian deity, sometimes identified as Zeus, sometimes as Dionysus, but invariably perceived as the patron of all debauchery and worshiped by insane debauchery.

Witches' gatherings varied greatly from each other. At some festivals, the Sabbaths were held with special solemnity, a large audience gathered, and everyone belonging to the cult of darkness was required to attend, and punishment awaited those who evaded and delayed. In other circumstances, sabbaths were held sporadically and were attended only by persons living in a certain area. Thus, representatives of only one coven of 13 people could participate in the meeting, sometimes a little more. It is possible to distinguish varieties of covens for different states and a great variety of regional peculiarities in the conduct of covens. It is difficult to determine the order of the Sabbaths, and it is hardly worth making such attempts. The liturgy of darkness was in every way the opposite of orderly worship, in which, as the apostle said, everything should happen “decently and in order.”

Even the timing of major annual holidays varied greatly among individual countries. In most of Western Europe, one of the main holidays fell on May Day Eve, April 30; in Germany - the famous Walpurgis Night (Die Walpurgis Nacht). On May 1, the ancient holiday of the Druids was celebrated, when they made sacrifices on the sacred mountains and lit the May lights. Their traditions were continued by witches in later times. There was no mountain peak in Finland, as local peasants believed, where demons and magicians would not crowd at midnight on the last day of April. The second witches' festival falls on the eve of St. John the Baptist, June 23. Then the bonfires of St. John is a tradition that is still preserved in many regions.

It became common practice to hold Great Sabbaths during major Christian holidays, as if in evil mockery of these sacred celebrations. The Sabbath days were timed to coincide with the nine main holidays of the year, namely Easter, Epiphany, Ascension, Transfiguration, Nativity and Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of Corpus Christi, All Saints and especially St. John the Baptist (June 24). Lancashire witches met on Good Friday; the second most important holiday for them was All Saints' Day. The witches of Kinross gathered on November 30th for the feast of the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew's Day, called St. Andrew on Christmastide, in order to distinguish it from the second feast of the Transfer of the Relics of St. Andrey, May 9. The witches of New England gathered for the main sabbath at Christmas. In many parts of Europe, where St. Day was celebrated with special solemnity. George, April 22, on its eve the main Sabbath of the year was held. Carpathian Hutsuls believe that on this day all evil has special power, and witches become especially dangerous. Every Bulgarian or Romanian peasant closes the windows and carefully locks the doors when night comes, braids the window frames with branches of thorny bushes and blackberries, and lines the window sill with turf so that neither demons nor witches can find a passage there.

Many places were suitable for holding large Sabbaths. It was all the more easy to organize small-scale meetings. A neighborhood coven might choose a field near a village, a forest, a rocky hilltop, a valley, a heath near a lightning-struck oak tree, a cemetery, an abandoned building, a remote chapel or rarely visited church, or sometimes the home of one of the coven members. It was wise to choose a place remote and deserted in order to protect oneself from spies or casual witnesses, and in many provinces notorious glens or lonely hills had a reputation as places regularly visited by witches and their servants. Ancient cromlechs and granite dolmens, the stones of Marais de Dol, the monolith between San and Ellmell (Kandroz), even crosses in the markets of sleepy old towns and English villages were favorite meeting places for soothsayers and sorcerers throughout the area. In one case, although exceptional, the Sabbath was held in the center of Bordeaux. In Germany, witches gathered on Bloxburg or Brocken, the high peaks of the Harz Mountains, some of them said to have come from as far away as Lapland or Norway. The witches of the Netherlands used to meet in one of the towns in the province of Utrecht. In England, the Brooktery Mountains, called Melibus by some, in the Duchy of Brunswick, have a reputation as a meeting place for witches. In the popular language these mountains are called Blocksberg or Heveberg.

The day of the Sabbath varies, but usually Thursday night is preferred. In England it was established that "ceremonial meetings are usually scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday night." Wednesday and Friday were considered days of blasphemy and the black donkey. On other days, the most disgusting things a person is capable of were practiced. Saturday was apparently avoided for the reason that this day was dedicated to the Immaculate Mother of God.

It can definitely be said that the Sabbaths were invariably held at night, although they could also take place at noon.

Witches could get to the Sabbath in various ways. If it was a question of attending a local meeting, then one or two miles had to be walked, which could have been done on foot. Very often, going to a local coven, a coven of witches gathered in full force just outside the village, and then they walked together to the appointed place. This was done to ensure secrecy. In the popular consciousness, witches are certainly associated with a broom, with the help of which they make dizzying flights high in the sky. This idea was widespread in all countries and at all times. The broom definitely comes from ancient magical staves and wands, which could also be used to move through space. The tree for them was very often taken from the hazel, the witch's tree, although in the time of de Lancre the magicians of Southern France preferred dogwood. Sometimes witches ride on animals, and flight through the air is usually preceded by rubbing with a magical ointment. There are various recipes for these ointments; it is interesting that they usually included deadly poisons - aconite, belladonna and hemlock.

Actually, the procedure for holding Sabbaths varied greatly depending on the era, country and region where they were held. Moreover, even the lifestyle and temperament of the assemblies' participants were completely different.

The chairman of the coven at local small gatherings was, as a rule, the head of the district branch (of the Satanist organization). At larger meetings, where witches from different places gathered, the Grand Master presided, whose position depended on the number of subordinate witches and the territory of his “diocese”. Be that as it may, this Master was usually called the devil, and his assistants and attendants were sometimes called demons or devils. When a person, usually a man, was the chairman of these meetings and directed the ritual action, he often appeared at them in a monstrous and grotesque robe and mask. These masquerade costumes, as a rule, imitated animals and had their roots in ancient pagan rituals. Among those numerous animals whose guise the Master of the Sabbath took, the bull, the cat, and especially the goat are especially common. Thus, in the Basque language the Sabbath is called “Akhelarre” (goat pasture).

The first most important ceremony of the Sabbath was the worship and service of the devil. Apparently, sometimes this was preceded by a roll call of his fans. The witches paid homage to Satan, or the Master of the Coven, who took his place, prostrating before him, kneeling, raising their hands and bowing in obeisance. Making fun of the church bows and gestures that are customary to be made there, the worshipers of Satan gradually approached him, depicting grotesque antics and grimaces, sometimes spreading their legs wide apart, sometimes walking backwards. But the main moment of ritual worship should be considered the kiss, the famous osculum infame. The witches present at the Sabbath approach the throne to honor it, turning their backs as they go and bow to the Master... and then, as a sign of respect, they kiss his ass.

An important feature of large sabbaths was ritual dance. It should be noted that since ancient times, in different countries and in different eras, it has been customary to express devotion to the deity through dancing. An old Basque legend tells how witches gathered at an old lime kiln to dance in a circle. In those parts it was believed that this was an integral part of the Sabbath. Music, as a rule, accompanies dancing, and there is a lot of evidence that at the Sabbaths they played various musical instruments, violins, flutes, tambourines, zithers, oboes, and in Scotland, bagpipes. All the witches who had any skill played, and often they delighted the company with well-known melodies, altered in a vulgar way. However, these concerts invariably ended in complete dissonance and terrible noise. The laws of both decency and harmony were trampled upon. The Holy Communion was also desecrated. Since no Christian will receive Holy Communion without fasting properly beforehand, the witches, in derision of the commandments of Christ, feasted like wolves and satisfied their appetites with a wide variety of foods, consuming both meat and wine, before moving on to hellish rituals. Often these orgies continued in the midst of dirty gluttony and drunkenness. There are records of inedible or tasteless food, which, nevertheless, was consumed at the Sabbaths, and it is also known that there could be garbage and carrion on the tables. This apparently happened in cases where “supernatural beings from the abyss” participated in orgies. Salt never appeared on the tables of witches, the reason for this is that salt is a symbol of eternity.

During the Sabbaths, the ritual of the Holy Mass was distorted or ridiculed in every aspect possible. The altar had to have four supports, sometimes it was located under a tree, in other cases - on a flat stone or other suitable place in nature. In more recent times, black masses were and are still being held in private homes. The altar, therefore, is often stationary, and worshipers of evil have new opportunities to fully reproduce the symbolism of Satanism. The altar is often covered with three layers of linen, and six black candles are placed on it, in the middle of which is an inverted crucifix or image of the devil. Sometimes the devil himself takes center stage. He can either stand or sit on the monstrous throne. A wicked parody of the most holy sacraments begins with an invocation to the devil, followed by a kind of general confession, in which everyone makes a mocking confession of all the good he has ever done, and, as punishment, utters some blasphemy or violation of the law. some commandment for your choice. The chairman resolves the sins of the congregation by signing them with the inverted sign of the cross, using his left hand. After pronouncing that part of the service when the offerings are collected, the minister moves a little away from the altar, and the whole congregation, lined up in a row, is applied one by one to his left hand. Then the queen of the coven, the witch in seniority, immediately behind the Grand Master, the oldest and most experienced witch in atrocities among those present, sits to the left of the altar and receives offerings - bread, eggs, meat and other gifts of rural origin, as well as money, but not the same coins with a cross on them. She holds a plate in her hands, on it is engraved the figure of the devil, who is being kissed by his fans.

Black masses at the Sabbaths varied somewhat in form depending on the circumstances. For example, in the modern liturgy of Satanists, the incense of certain harmful herbs that emit a heavy odor is of great importance. Sometimes animals were sacrificed to demons at sabbaths. Many reports of sabbaths mention the presence of toads there. They were associated with sorcerers and witches because of the disgust that these amphibians usually evoke in people; in many areas there is even a widespread belief that anyone who is looked at closely by a toad will suffer from rapid heartbeat, spasms, convulsions and fainting.

There is numerous and reliable evidence that infants who had not undergone baptism were sacrificed at the Sabbaths. Often these were the children of witches who attended witches' sabbaths. Usually the child's throat was cut, the blood poured into a cup placed and then onto the naked flesh of the customer, who was reclining at the altar. Since a witch could often be a midwife in a village, she had special opportunities to kill a child during childbirth, thus making a sacrifice to Satan outside the Sabbath.

When the blasphemous liturgy of the Sabbath ended, all those present indulged in the most disorderly debauchery, interrupting it only to join in the dance or refresh themselves with spiced food and a large draft of wine, and then return to the orgy.

The Sabbath lasted until the roosters crowed, before which no one from the congregation was supposed to leave. The idea that the crowing of a rooster breaks a spell dates back to ancient times. The Jews believed that the flapping of a rooster's wings rendered the power of demons ineffective and destroyed magical spells. The worship of Satan dissipated for the reason that the service of the holy Mother Church began. During the time of St. Benedict's matins and praises were called Gallicinium, the crow of the rooster.

In the 13th century, radical spiritual changes took place in Europe. Magic and witchcraft, one might say, have finally established themselves, having lost their former, unstable, ambiguous position. Now witches and sorcerers have expanded their activities, fulfilling with greater zeal the covenants and demands of their main leader - the Devil.

Now they were not hiding or hiding. Throughout Europe, disgusting stories of “eyewitnesses” were increasingly spreading that numerous companies of sorcerers and witches regularly gather in sacred groves, on the nearest “bald” (treeless) mountains, where they conduct unholy rituals and rites of daring worship of the Devil.

This blasphemous mocking parody of Christian church rituals was called the “sabbath.” The first trial of participants in such a gathering took place between 1330-11340. in the vicinity of the French city of Carcassonne, in the south of France, not far from Toulouse.

Black magic ritual

These stories, which made the hairs of God-fearing Christians stand on end, became increasingly horrifying and obscene in detail. The Devil himself was supposedly in charge of everything. After a series of obscene rituals, all participants in this crazy night festival, overwhelmed by irresistible lust, indulged in mass sin. This whole crazy orgy was accompanied by frantic dancing of devil worshipers intoxicated by narcotic settings. They allegedly feasted on pieces of flesh from infants killed during sacrifice.

During such a mind-blowing frenzy, the participants of the coven confirmed the validity of their previously concluded agreement with the Devil on all its points.

They desecrated Christian shrines, spat on the cross, spewed all sorts of blasphemy against Christ, and swore allegiance to Satan. At such gatherings, an initiation ceremony took place, that is, the reception of new members. When a newcomer is initiated, he is first asked to suck the drool from the mouth of a huge toad, and then kiss its belly. Then a thin, poor man appears, all skin and bones. He will need to be kissed on his bare bottom, and after such a red kiss the convert will completely forget his former Christian faith. A large black cat came out from behind a mysterious statue, and everyone present kissed its butt. After which the candles went out and an obscene orgy began. Finally, a man appeared, the upper part of which eclipsed the sun with its blinding brilliance, and the lower part resembled the furred legs of a goat with cloven hooves and a tail.

There are a dime a dozen such descriptions in the vast literature on witchcraft, but according to modern demonologists, the best description of the Sabbath is from the famous Russian poet and writer Valery Bryusov in his prose book “The Fiery Angel.”

Here are some examples:

There the women leading me stopped, and I saw that it was Someone sitting on a high wooden throne, but there was no fear in me, and I managed to quickly and clearly see his image. The one sitting was huge in height, up to the waist like a man, and below like a goat, with fur; the legs ended in hooves, but the arms were human, as was the face, dark-red, like an Apache, with large long eyes and a short beard. He seemed to be no more than forty years old, and three horns definitely rose from his black curly hair: two smaller ones at the back and one large one at the front. Around the horns was a crown, apparently silver. The naked witches put me in front of the throne and exclaimed: “Master Leonard!” This is new!

Welcome, my son. But do you come to us of your own free will?

I replied that it was of my own free will, as it was fitting for me to answer. Then he asked me questions that I had been warned about and do not want to repeat here, and step by step I performed the entire blasphemous rite of the black novitiate. This was followed by two statutory Velkhovaniye. For the first, he extended his hand to me benevolently, and for the second, he stood up, turned his back to me, and his long tail, like a donkey’s, rose above me, and I, playing my role to the end, bent down and kissed the goat’s backside. When I performed this ritual, Master Leonard exclaimed:

Rejoice, my beloved son, accept my sign on your body and wear it

Rejoice, my beloved son, accept my sign on your body and wear it forever and ever, amen!

And, bending his head towards me, the tip of a large horn touched my chest, I experienced the pain of an injection and blood came out of my skin.

Immediately the witches clapped their hands and shouted for joy, and Master Leonard, still on the throne again, uttered those fateful words for which I appeared before him:
- now ask me for everything you want and your first wish will be fulfilled by us...
... I soon found myself among a crowd rejoicing, as if at a Midsummer festival or at the carnivals in Venice.

Walpurgis Night

In German medieval mythology, there is a day of obedience to Saint Walturgy, who died on the night of April 30 to May 1. This day was considered the day of the national “gathering” of all witches for a grandiose Sabbath, who, on whatever they could - on a broom, on a stick, on a grip, or even on the hump of a goat - flocked to the famous magical Brocken Mountain. There they began to noisily celebrate along with all manner of dishonesty.

First, they search for miraculous herbs, in particular, mandrake root, which, according to legend, was filled with special magical power that night. Then their magic began.

With their magical spells they tried to prevent the timely arrival of spring, destroy early sifting, and send damage and illness to people.

In the villages neighboring the mountain, local peasants performed magical ceremonies themselves in order to drive away witches with their help.

They burned effigies of witches at the stake, walked from house to house with planted torches, rattled rattles, and rang church bells. Later, the first day of May became a spring holiday.

Fiction of the Inquisitors

There are many points of view as to how such witches' Sabbaths occurred, and whether they even existed. Of the theories of specialists in the field of white and black magic, two can probably be distinguished.

First, the idea of ​​a coven, or secret gathering of witches, was unknown until the 12th century.

Thus, according to the prominent American demonologist, author of the unique “Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology”, D. P. Robbins, “this idea was fabricated in the 14th or 15th centuries, its “inventors” were mainly investigators of courts working from Inquisition."

Secondly, it would be nice to analyze how such an idea could have arisen in the first place. Some historians say that the idea of ​​a witchcraft sabbath was suggested by nightly gatherings of medieval serfs.

These impoverished, downtrodden, disadvantaged people sometimes actually secretly gathered to dance at night (such village dances still exist to this day) to have fun and relax after a whole day of hard, essentially slave labor and to relax a little. In themselves, such meetings had absolutely nothing to do with witchcraft or any other form of the occult.

Most likely, all these terrible, mind-boggling debauchery covens arose in the fevered brains of cruel inquisitors, whose hands were constantly itching to commit lawlessness and carry out bloody reprisals against the innocent.

This was the essence of the activity to which they devoted themselves entirely.

Mockery of the ritual

"Wish! Wish! Wish! May the king and his heir preserve my friendship forever! May the queen continue to be barren and may the king leave her for me! Let the king grant me and my relatives everything I wish!.. Let the king dissolve his marriage with the queen and marry me!” - this is how his mistress Françoise de Montespan, abandoned by King Louis XIV, lamented during a divination.