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.

Once there, they would greet the devil with an obscene kiss, and recount the evils they had done in his honor. The sabbat would commence with wild dancing and orgies, and culminate with a sacrificial meal, usually desecrated hosts or babies' flesh.

Many of these fanciful accusations were recycled from anti-Jewish libel; similar charges werre leveled in the trials of the Templars. Scholars are divided as to whether or not the sabbats were wholely fantasy- the product of overimagiunative inquisitors and of confessions elicited by torture, or if some of the elements of the sabbat were misunderstood remnants of pre-christian fertility rites, shamanic ritual, and pagan mystery rites..

It has also been suggested that some of the common elements of the testimony given in witches' interrogations stemmed from the use of delerient drugs; as several accounts from accused witches mention the use of "flying ointments" to accomplish their magical travel; which may have been hallucinations brought about by these preparations. As many of the accused were women who worked as herbalists or healers in their communities, it is not unlikely that these women also had experience with the preperation of drugs.

In modern Wiccan and Neopagan practice, the sabbats are any of eight important holidays marking turning points in the year, based on ancient pagan solar calendars. (The "Sabbath" comes to modern Neopaganism through European witchcraft folklore.) The eight Sabbats together are known as the "Wheel of the year," as they form a spoked wheel when displayed as a traditional solar calendar.

The typical Wiccan sabbats are:

Samhain
Yule
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane
Litha
Lughnasadh
Mabon

Related Resources:

• Druidry/Neopaganism
• Sabbat Gallery
• Ritual Magick