When it comes to the mark of Satan, he can get pretty tricky, and the devil's mark - or witch's mark - is to be feared. But don't worry too much about being able to ID it; folks in the 16th and 17th centuries really got a handle on how to identify witches and those sympathetic to witchcraft. You see, while the devil would bite, lick, or scratch his victims, he would always leave a definitive mark. It may be in the most hidden nooks and crannies of the body, but it will be there - and you need to know how to find it. And while it won't necessarily involve carrying Satan's child, it definitely has its own set of identifiable and markers and consquences.
It's often camouflaged as a mole or a freckle, but that shouldn't stop you from going to extremes to unearth the evidence. According to the "wisdom" of centuries past, with any suspicion of witchcraft, a pricking is in order. That is, going over the suspect with a huge needle and pricking every inch of skin. Why? Well, ancient tips will help you unearth these tell-tale signs that they've been marked by the devil.
When the devil leaves his mark on you, you can tell. He marks by scratching you, clawing you, or - if he's feeling really diabolical - licking you. But the resulting place is obvious. This is partially true because no matter how much you prod it or cut it, the spot doesn't bleed.
It's basically dead skin. So the first test would be to attack a suspicious area and see how resilient it is.
Not only does it not bleed, but an area marked by the devil also will not feel pain at all. How can you tell? Well, poke a victim all over with a bodkin, which is essentially a blunt needle. Though they'll probably scream in agony and bleed everywhere, if you come across a spot that doesn't bleed and doesn't feel pain, that's the devil's mark.
Now they may pretend to feel pain, but you know better. Moles are especially suspect, as are any birth marks or scars.
The devil is tricky, of course. So he's going to leave his mark in places no one will see. That's why extra precautions are necessary and must be undertaken to check in hard to reach places - like under one's eyelid. Prick it. With a pin. Under their eyelid. Show no mercy.
Under your eyelid isn't the only secret body part thought to be frequented by the devil, but where else would he try to covertly do his thing? Under the armpits is also a popular spot to look for the mark, as is the inside of basically any orifice. Back in the days of public witch hunting, many of these searches would be done very publicly, with the suspect being stripped naked, shaved hairless, and examined for all to see.
And any odd reactions on the part of the searchee were thought to be proof. Because no innocent person would react oddly to being stripped and poked with a needle in front of everyone they know.
The devil's mark can camouflage itself in what looks like other ailments. For example, calluses and dead skin are two obvious candidates. Because those can't appear naturally without some kind of obvious sensation or cause, it's definitely the devil. Also blisters, boils, and anything on the skin that looks unusual is probably covering the devil's mark, so be careful. And poke extra hard there.
It's not just blisters. Any bumps, mumps, sumps, or unusual markings on the body can be disguising the devil's mark. This is why many would not only be strip searched, but they would also be shaved of all their body hair to have every inch examined.
And any side effect of illness on the body is probably not a side effect of illness; it's something much more sinister.
