Sabbat is a form of "sabbath," from the Hebrew, he rested. The witches' sabbath was a popular superstition in medieval times, when it was believed that witches and warlocks would gather to worship the devil in a perversion of the Mass. Satan, who was usually present in the form of a cat, a toad, a goat or goat-footed man, would rule over the sabbat. The witches were said to travel to mountaintops, ruined temples, or other remote locations on broomsticks or animal companions, even as shapeshifters in the guise of animals to attend. Many described attending sabbats in person or in 'spirit' through the use of flying ointments.

Continue