In the shadowy valleys of the Western Alps during the 1430s, a terrifying new narrative emerged that would reshape European understanding of witchcraft forever. What began as isolated tales of individual maleficium transformed into something far more sinister—organized gatherings where witches supposedly flew through the night to renounce Christ, feast on children, and pledge allegiance to Satan himself.
Journey with us into the dark imagination of medieval Europe as we explore the birth of the witches' sabbath. These weren't just stories—they were detailed testimonies that religious authorities believed revealed an existential threat to Christendom itself. From the inlands of Switzerland to the remote mountaintops of France, discover how ancient fears and folklore about nighttime spirits coalesced into a conspiracy theory so powerful it would color centuries of witch hunts.
But the sabbath's influence didn't end in medieval Europe. Follow its dark legacy across the Atlantic to the Salem witch trials, where Puritan New England became gripped by visions of devilish sacraments in village pastures. How did these European fantasies of organized devil worship take root in American soil, and what does their evolution tell us about the fears that drive societies to see enemies lurking in their midst?
Buy the book: Origins of the Witches Sabbath by Michael D. Bailey
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