Some Portuguese Superstitions: Witchcraft and Sorcery

Part 1

Nov 15, 2024

“The study of the superstitions of a Nation, it’s an interest that goes beyond that Nation, it is of great scientific interest, as a contribution for ethnology and for what the Germans call the “Kulturgeschichte” - the History of Civilization.

Consiglieri Pedroso

I’ve already written about witches in Portuguese folklore, but today I’m writting about what the witches in fact did. These men and women existed in the past, as they do now, and even if their power and ability to change nature is a matter of discussion and belief, their existence is not. In the past their influence was great and sometimes the desire to kill enemies, win the heart of a woman or man, or steal other people’s property led the common folk to seek out their services.

Witch or Sorcerer?

But first, it is important to make a distinction between the witch and the sorcerer, because there’s a clear distinction between the two, even though in modern these terms are used as synonyms - they are not. In the Constitution of the Diocese of Viseu written in the 17th Century, for instance, this distinction is made1:

“The first type of superstition is divided in five species: the first is idolatry, which means to worhip fake gods (…) the second is the magical arts. The third is divination. The fourth is the observance and belief of vain things (…) and the fifth is sorcery.

Both the witch and the sorcerer are in communion with the devil, i.e. they operate according to his will and communicate with him; but the witch is higher in status, because she/he attains “supernatural” powers that, despite having their genesis in the devil, may be used quite freely2, while the sorcerer/sorceress is a regular man/woman who despite having communications with the devil, have no power other than the knowledge of spells and of ingredients for potions and drugs3; the sorcerer, for instance, would not be able to fly, transform himself into an animal or become invisible, or even to pass down “their powers” to others - he/she is a mere man/woman with the knowledge of formulas and spells. These potions “work” because of the spells, not because the ingredients used have beneficial properties by themselves. A witch or a sorcerer cannot be confused with the medieval medical doctor, who used natural plants for healing.

“The magical arts are an illicit power to make marvelous things, with which they show humanity this power by virtue of the Devil; examples of this would be changing things from their places by unnatural means, or restore them, or even deceiving the senses by making marvelous things, or creating similar things by unnatural ways with the assistance of a pact with the Devil or with a magicial or someone who has learnt the art with him. (…) Sorcery is an art, because the power of the Devil is used to do evil, like using drinks or other methods to kill, cause diseases or to heal, to make one love another or to destroy the love of a couple or even by the power of the Devil to unmake a spell with another spell.”

Constitution of the Diocese of Viseu, 1681, Liv. V, Tit. IX, constituições l.a , 2.a e 3.a

Another important distinction is that the witch is more conected with the national popular tradition than the sorcerer, who is much more “erudite”, whose sorcery, even if it may have some popular national elements, is european and even “academic” in its essence4.

How a sorcerer becomes witch

Tradition says that every witch was once a sorceress and, after prolonged communication with the devil, the sorcerer would be enticed by demonic entities to enter a certain ritual. It is said that in this ritual three demons would be present in the form of black goats5. Two would be on each side of the sorcerer and the third would be holding a certain book on which the ritual would be practiced6. In this initiation ritual, that is a satanic baptism7, a satanic creed is said8, similar to a profession of Faith in the Catholic Church, but instead of pleadging alleagence to the Holy Trinity, the sorcerer pleadges their alleadgence to the devil.

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The Meetings

The tradition says that after attaining their status as witches, they will get together, in some versions on Tuesdays and Fridays or in other versions at Saturdays. After greasing themselves with an ointment they say some words and then the devil will take them to the place of his choosing9. These meetings are called Sabbat or Sabá, because the meeting is on Saturday (in some versions), but in Portugal the meeting is also called Senzala10. The following quote was taken by the ethnographer Consiglieri Pedroso from a process against several witches in Portugal in the 16th century. It was one of the few times (in Portugal) the death sentence was given for the crime of witchcraft.11

In the said fields, says the same confession, (the witch) says one could find there many people from many places: such as, Portuguese from the entire Kingdom, Moors, Jews and French, and from many other Nations, speaking many languages, and many women, and men, some of them from the nobility, with young and beautiful daughters, some of them would take food to eat, and the demons would approach them, and in no time would sleep with them, many times carnally (…) and them (demons) also sleep with young virgins, whose mothers, because they are witches, and others are witches themselves, pander to the demons, making the young women to sin, by making them sleep with them (devils), and with the others from their diabolical sect.

In the field where the demons got together, they gave very beautiful women to men to sleep with, those women where the demons in woman form (…) and after enjoying themselves in the fields, the demons and the witches lay a very long table with black boards, on top of the ground, without a towel, and without anything else; then plates with black bread and a very well cooked aand delicate goat meat are brought and throwned on the table for them to eat. (…) At the head of the table was sat the Mayoral on his black back chair, with a robe, with a frizzy hood, and sometimes his hair was very black and his beard long: and like a king they worshipped him, and the others obeyed him and served him on their knees, and on the table many evil spirits were serving.(…) And while they were in this leisure, a black rooster, that was probably a demon, crows in the fields, as it always did at midnight. In an instant the party was gone, the leisure and all demons disapeared, and those who brough their friends and young women, in an instant, returned them to their houses.

Methods used

The methods used are many and varied but I will give a simple explanation of the ones I believe were the most commonly used by the witches in the past and are also different from what is understood as witchcraft.

An important note on witchcraft: its prayers may sometimes invoke Saints and the Holy Trinity other times may invoke devils and Barrabas. When it invokes the Saints and the Holy Trinity it’s always in a very strange way, not in the usual Christian way. I will translate part of some prayers12 so that you can see how it is. These prayers belonged to a witch from the 16th century and they had been inherited by him from his father.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Excerpt of Spell 1
“I curse you x and y
with the devils from the meat shop
and with the devils of the fish shop;
I curse you with the devils of the gardeners
and with the devils of the corrals;
All together get in;
And come together;
Inside of the heart of x get in
(...)"

Excerpt of Spell 2
"alleluia, alelluia,
Let Saint Mark mark you
Let Saint Mark tame you
(...)
When you see me
In me you'll redeem yourself
When you do not see me
You'll groan and sigh."

Touching Cards (Cartas de Tocar)

Touching Cards are part of Iberian witchcraft and they work in a similar way to consecrated stones: after being “prepared” the one in the possession of one of these cards should touch with that card the person they want to bewitch. In that way, he will acquire power over the person touched: the person may be forced to tell them everything he wants to know, or do everything he wants her to do or even to make the person fall in love with him13. This kind of witchcraft is related to the solar cult so, to prepare this card, some observations should be made, such as to pronounce the words written in the card before the sun rises and to touch the person with the card after midday14.

Consecrated Stones (Pedras d’ara)

These consecrated stones are stollen from Catholic places usually from altar stones and are called pedra d’ara. In superstition they acquire a phallic character being used to make and unmake love connections and also to “prepare” a person to have a sexual relationship with another person15. Unfortunatelly it was common to make spells with this purpose, so much so that even lawmakers believed it was important legally forbid it16:

“do not do any kind of witchcraft (…) to bind or to unbind man or woman or to have sexual intercourse.”

Hand of Glory or Dead Man’s Hand

This practice is from erudite black magic, and is well known in Europe, it’s origin is unknown to me. The hand is the hand of a man who was hanged, and after being prepared with herbs and after a spell being cast on it, it will become a powerful talisman for burglary17. The burglars must lit the hand on fire and, after doing so, the owners of the house will not be able to wake up, giving plenty of time for the robbers to do their job18.

These are the most interesting practices, but many more exist. I also intend to write about other types of superstitions, maybe next year. I hope you enjoyed to know more about Portuguese superstitions.

Pedroso, Consiglieri. « I – As superstições populares na legislação religiosa ». Contribuições para Uma Mitologia Popular Portuguesa e Outros Escritos Etnográficos, Etnográfica Press, 2023, https://doi.org/10.4000/books.etnograficapress.8581

PEDROSO, Zófimo Consiglieri, Contribuições para uma Mitologia Popular Portuguesa e Outros Escritos Etnográficos, II- As bruxas na tradição do nosso povo, p. 135-158, Etnográfica Press, 2023

BRAGA, Theóphilo, O Povo Português nos seus Costumes , Crenças e Tradiçoes, pág. 129

PEDROSO, Zófimo Consiglieri, Contribuições para uma Mitologia Popular Portuguesa e Outros Escritos Etnográficos, II- As bruxas na tradição do nosso povo, p. 135-158, Etnográfica Press, 2023

Pedroso, Consiglieri. « VI – Superstições populares num processo da Inquisição ». Contribuições para Uma Mitologia Popular Portuguesa e Outros Escritos Etnográficos, Etnográfica Press, 2023, https://doi.org/10.4000/books.etnograficapress.8600

PEDROSO, Zófimo Consiglieri, Contribuições para uma Mitologia Popular Portuguesa e Outros Escritos Etnográficos, II- As bruxas na tradição do nosso povo, p. 135-158, Etnográfica Press, 2023

BRAGA, Theóphilo, O Povo Português nos seus Costumes , Crenças e Tradiçoes, pág. 52

BRAGA, Theóphilo, O Povo Português nos seus Costumes , Crenças e Tradiçoes, pág. 60

BRAGA, Theóphilo, O Povo Português nos seus Costumes , Crenças e Tradiçoes, pág. 117

BRAGA, Theóphilo, O Povo Português nos seus Costumes , Crenças e Tradiçoes, pág. 92

https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/hand.html (consultado a 15/11/2024)

Triton's Well

Some Portuguese Superstitions: Witchcraft and Sorcery

Part 1

Witch or Sorcerer?

How a sorcerer becomes witch

The Meetings

Methods used

Touching Cards (Cartas de Tocar)

Consecrated Stones (Pedras d’ara)

Hand of Glory or Dead Man’s Hand

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