The superstitions relating to werewolves and the evil eye
are particular forms of the belief in witchcraft, or "black magic."
The Middle Ages could not escape this delusion, which was firmly held by the
Greeks and Romans and other ancient peoples. Witchcraft had, indeed, a
prehistoric origin and the belief in it still prevails in savage society.
FEATURES OF EUROPEAN WITCHCRAFT
Witches and wizards were supposed to have sold themselves
to the Devil, receiving in return the power to work magic. They could change
themselves or others into animals, they had charms against the hurt of weapons,
they could raise storms and destroy crops, and they could convey thorns, pins,
and other objects into their victims' bodies, thus causing sickness and death.
At night they rode on broomsticks through the air and assembled in some lonely
place for feasts, dances, and wild revels. At these "Witches'
Sabbaths," as they were called, the Devil himself attended and taught his
followers their diabolic arts. There were various tests for the discovery of
witches and wizards, the most usual being the ordeal by water.
