Flying Ointments & Sabbats: The Mythology of Witchcraft
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Introduction: The Fantasy of the Sabbath
In witch trial confessions, accused witches described flying through the night on broomsticks, attending orgies with the Devil, feasting on babies, and dancing naked under the moon. These witches' sabbaths (or sabbats) were elaborate fantasies—extracted through torture, shaped by inquisitors' questions, and revealing more about the accusers' sexual anxieties than any real practices.
The mythology of flying ointments and sabbaths became central to witch hunt ideology, especially in Continental Europe. Yet no physical evidence of sabbaths was ever found, no flying ointments ever worked, and the confessions contradicted each other wildly. The sabbath was a projection—a nightmare of female sexuality, power, and freedom that existed only in the minds of witch hunters.
This is the thirteenth article in our Witch Hunts series, completing our examination of the accused "crimes." We now explore the mythology of sabbaths, the alleged ingredients of flying ointments, and what these fantasies reveal about the witch hunt psyche.
The Witches' Sabbath: The Accusation
What Was the Sabbath?
Alleged event: Nocturnal gathering of witches to worship the Devil
Typical sabbath description (from confessions):
- Witches fly to remote location (mountain, forest, meadow)
- Devil appears (as goat, man in black, or monstrous figure)
- Witches worship Devil, renounce God
- Witches kiss Devil's anus (osculum infame, "shameful kiss")
- Feast on stolen or murdered babies
- Orgy with Devil and demons
- Dancing, singing, mockery of Christian rituals
- Planning of malevolent acts
- Return home before dawn
Regional Names
- Sabbath/Sabbat: General term (mockery of Jewish Sabbath)
- Akelarre: Basque ("meadow of the he-goat")
- Hexensabbat: German
- Vauderie: French
- Tregenda: Italian
Flying to the Sabbath: The Mythology
Methods of Flight
Confessions described flying on:
- Broomsticks: Most famous image
- Pitchforks and shovels
- Animals: Goats, pigs, dogs, cats
- Demons: Carried by demonic spirits
- Sticks or staffs
- Nothing: Flying unaided through air
Why Broomsticks?
Theories:
- Domestic tool: Broomsticks were women's implements (sweeping = women's work)
- Phallic symbolism: Riding broomstick = sexual imagery
- Fertility rituals: Medieval fertility rites involved jumping over broomsticks in fields
- Hallucinogenic application: Ointments applied to broomstick handle, absorbed through mucous membranes (vaginal application)
Flying Ointments: The Recipe
Alleged Ingredients
From trial confessions and grimoires:
- Baby fat: From murdered unbaptized infants
- Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade): Hallucinogenic, toxic
- Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger): Hallucinogenic, causes sensation of flying
- Mandrake root: Narcotic, hallucinogenic
- Hemlock: Toxic, causes paralysis and hallucinations
- Datura (Jimsonweed): Powerful hallucinogen
- Monkshood (Aconite): Extremely toxic
- Poplar leaves
- Soot and bat's blood (likely symbolic/fictional)
The Pharmacology: Did It Work?
Modern analysis:
- Tropane alkaloids: Belladonna, henbane, datura, mandrake contain these
- Effects: Hallucinations, delirium, sensation of flying, out-of-body experiences
- Absorption: Through skin (especially mucous membranes)
- Danger: Extremely toxic, easy to overdose and die
Conclusion: Some "flying ointment" ingredients could cause hallucinations of flying, but:
- No actual flight occurred
- Recipes were deadly (many would have died)
- No evidence witches actually made or used these
- Confessions extracted through torture, not based on real practice
Modern Experiments
20th century: Researchers tested historical recipes (diluted, safer versions)
Results:
- Subjects reported vivid dreams of flying
- Sensation of leaving body
- Erotic hallucinations
- No actual flight (obviously)
Interpretation: If any "witches" used such ointments, they experienced drug-induced hallucinations, not real sabbaths
The Sabbath Activities: Sexual Obsession
The Osculum Infame (Shameful Kiss)
Accusation: Witches kissed the Devil's anus as sign of submission
Symbolism:
- Ultimate degradation and submission
- Inversion of Christian kiss of peace
- Sexual humiliation
- Obsession with anal sexuality
Reality: No evidence this ever occurred; projection of inquisitors' sexual anxieties
The Sabbath Orgy
Accusations:
- Sex with Devil (described as painful, Devil's penis cold and scaly)
- Sex with demons (incubi and succubi)
- Group orgies among witches
- Incest and bestiality
- Homosexual acts
Subtext:
- Fear of female sexuality
- Anxiety about women's sexual pleasure
- Projection of forbidden desires
- Punishment for imagined sexual freedom
Cannibalism and Infanticide
Accusations:
- Witches ate babies at sabbaths
- Babies roasted and consumed
- Baby fat used for ointments
- Baby bones ground for potions
Historical parallel: Same accusations made against Jews (blood libel), early Christians, and other persecuted groups
Function: Dehumanize the accused, justify extreme violence
The Devil at the Sabbath
Appearance
Described as:
- He-goat: Most common (Pan/pagan god imagery)
- Man in black: Tall, dark, handsome stranger
- Monstrous: Horns, tail, cloven hooves, wings
- Multiple forms: Shape-shifting during sabbath
The Devil's Role
- Receives worship and homage
- Presides over rituals
- Has sex with witches
- Gives instructions for malevolent acts
- Marks witches with Devil's mark
Famous Sabbath Locations
Brocken Mountain (Germany)
Location: Harz Mountains, highest peak in northern Germany
Legend: Witches gathered on Walpurgis Night (April 30-May 1)
Cultural impact: Featured in Goethe's Faust, still celebrated today
Zugarramurdi Cave (Basque Country)
Location: Northern Spain, near French border
Trials: 1609-1611 Basque witch trials
Accusations: Witches met in cave for sabbaths
Reality: Natural cave, no evidence of sabbaths
Blåkulla (Sweden)
Legend: Island where Swedish witches gathered
Trials: 1668-1676, children testified about being taken to Blåkulla
Reality: Mass hysteria, children's fantasies, no such place found
The Reality: What Actually Happened?
No Physical Evidence
- No sabbath sites ever discovered
- No flying ointments found
- No baby remains at alleged locations
- No witnesses except under torture
- Confessions contradicted each other
Possible Explanations
1. Pure Fantasy
- Invented by inquisitors
- Extracted through torture
- Based on literary and theological sources, not reality
2. Dreams and Hallucinations
- Sleep paralysis experiences
- Vivid dreams interpreted as real
- Possible use of hallucinogenic herbs (rare)
- Ergot poisoning (fungus on rye causing hallucinations)
3. Folk Traditions Misinterpreted
- Seasonal festivals (May Day, Midsummer)
- Fertility rituals
- Women's gatherings for healing, midwifery
- Reframed as demonic sabbaths
4. Projection of Anxieties
- Male fears of female sexuality
- Anxiety about women's independence
- Forbidden desires projected onto accused
- Scapegoating for social problems
The Canon Episcopi: Early Skepticism
The Document (c. 900 CE)
What it said: Belief in witches flying to sabbaths is delusion, not reality
Quote: "It is not to be omitted that certain wicked women... believe and profess that in the hours of the night they ride upon certain beasts with Diana... This is altogether false."
Position: Flying to sabbaths is demonic illusion or dream, not real
The Reversal
15th century: Church reversed position
- Sabbaths declared real, not illusions
- Denying sabbaths became heresy
- Canon Episcopi reinterpreted or ignored
Modern Interpretations
Margaret Murray's Theory (1921)
Claim: Witches were practitioners of pre-Christian pagan religion
Sabbaths: Survival of ancient fertility cults
Status: Discredited by historians (no evidence, romanticized witchcraft)
Ginzburg's Benandanti (1966)
Discovery: Italian folk tradition of benandanti ("good walkers")
Beliefs: Went into trances, fought witches in spirit to protect crops
Significance: Shows folk traditions existed that were misinterpreted as witchcraft
Conclusion: The Sabbath That Never Was
The witches' sabbath was a fantasy—a projection of fears, anxieties, and forbidden desires onto accused women. No sabbaths occurred, no witches flew, no babies were eaten. The mythology revealed the psyche of the witch hunters, not the practices of the accused.
In the next article, we will explore The Cunning Folk: Village Healers Who Survived. We will examine the folk magicians who practiced openly, how they differed from accused witches, and why some magical practitioners survived while others burned.
The sabbath was a lie. But the torture was real. And the deaths were real.
For those who confessed to impossible crimes under unbearable pain. For the fantasies that killed thousands. We remember the truth.
As you honor these ancient traditions and weave their magic into your modern practice, remember that the journey of a witch is one of continuous deepening and self-discovery — you might find your path illuminated by the 52 week tarot journey a year of weekly spreads daily pulls deep reflection, align your inner cycles with the sacred 13 new moon rituals lunar beginnings, or ground your intention in the tangible magic of a sacred space cleanse printable energy clearing ritual kit.
