The witch is one of the scariest figures of fiction, particularly fairy tales. They were evil, cunning and deceptive and if you didn’t watch out, they’d eat your flesh and pick your bones. The witch is also one of the most misunderstood figures of our history, especially in places where they were routinely hunted, persecuted and killed in order to salve a mounting mass hysteria or temporarily calm down a town on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Many a political and religious career has been built because of the fear of the witch. So how do you recognize one?
The Marke of the Witch
To distinguish a witch from an average person, let’s take a look at how they function. Witches are supposedly powerful, equipped with magical powers that they either obtained by association to a demon or handed down to them by their mother, grandmother, aunt or another witch they apprenticed with.
In short, they practiced the magickal arts, delved on the supernatural, probably danced with the spirits on certain occasions. They were mostly women, capable of casting spells to conjure a storm or make someone sick, raise the waves of the sea or call upon the elements to torture their enemies.
To obtain these powers, witches had to perform certain acts, particularly with the devil, with whom they are aligned. On a Sabbat, it is said, witches gathered in a circle around the devil. In order for an initiate (a witch-to-be) to become a true witch, she had to pay homage to the demon and participate in the ritual.
If she passes, she is given a Devil’s Mark or stigmata diaboli (should not be confused with a witch’s mark). This is akin to a brand used on animals and is considered a symbol of ownership and allegiance. So what did it look like?
The mark or seal of the Devil often appeared as a strange birthmark, a skin blemish that would not go away or a scar.
What about the mark of the witch?
Unfortunately for all the unfortunate women (and men) accused of witchcraft long ago, the mark of the witch often appeared as a physical characteristic, such as an extra finger (as in the case of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I’s mother), an extra toe, an extra nipple or even an extra breast.
Any protuberance, discoloration or malformation of the flesh was also considered as the mark of the witch. If an unfortunate soul happened to have a pimple or a tumor, he or she would’ve come under attack. The lovely Angelina Jolie, had she lived during that dangerous time in history with her tattoos intact, would have been accused of witchcraft, her beauty more a curse than a blessing.
The mark of ignorance
Thousands upon thousands of women and men were convicted of witchcraft because of the presence of physical deformities or unusual characteristics. Sadly, their demise was caused not by their actual allegiance to the dark side but by the utter ignorance and fanaticism of their neighbors and fellow townsfolk.
