anatomical features that accused women of witchcraft in the 17th century

In all accounts of 17th-century witchcraft trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable evidence of witchcraft. It was believed that the devil marked the bodies of witches with symbolic, material signs – such as unusual growths or blemishes. This led to a routine body inspection in witch trials. The discovery of such marks was considered mighty medical and scientific evidence of witchcraft and often sealed the victim’s fate.

Here are just some of the anatomical features that have historically been used to identify someone as a witch:

Are you a woman?

While men were sometimes accused of witchcraft, historical witch hunts overwhelmingly targeted at women – especially women who led an independent lifestyle (e.g. widows and spinsters) or who were open and did not conform to social norms. Historians estimate so over 75% of the accused witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries were women.

Religious teachings at the time reinforced the idea that women were morally weaker and this is why more susceptible to temptation and sin.

By this standard, if you identify as a woman today, you are one of approximately 3.95 billion potential “witches.”

How aged are you?

Age was another factor in the witch trials. Older womenespecially those past childbearing age often suspected of witchcraft – especially if she was a widow, owned property or lived alone.

Records suggest that over half of those accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563 and 1736 were so over 40 years. At that time, the average life expectancy was approx 32 years old.

Currently, there are approximately 1.4 billion women all over the world over 40by historical standards, many more could have come under similar suspicion.

Do you have an extra nipple?

The “witch’s pacifier” was a common feature that witch hunters used to identify someone as a witch. This extra nipple was believed to be used by witches to feed their so-called demonic familiars – it was often imagined to be small animals or pixies. Witch hunters would examine the chest or torso for any abnormalities and classify it as a witch’s nipple.

In fact extra nipples (or polythelia) are bland. They form during early embryonic development and in some people do not disappear completely.

Another feature sometimes confused with an extra nipple was the clitoris. Historical records suggest that women were sometimes convicted based on the size of this body part. Often mentioned in pamphlets of the time, describing the process of identifying the “witch’s nipple”. little performance located near a woman’s “foundation” or “private place” – euphemisms for female genitalia.

It is estimated that about 5% of the world’s population has at least one extra nipple. They appear more often on the left side of the chest and are more common in men. Harry Styles, who spoke openly about ownership four nipplesperhaps in the 17th century he would have been much less inclined to share these details about himself.

Do you have a birthmark?

In the 17th century, any type of mole or skin discoloration could be called a “devil’s mark”. Matthew Hopkins, the infamous “Witchfinder General,” wondered some unusual placea freckle or birthmark is a sign of a pact with the devil. Witch hunters often pricked these marks with pins, believing that the mark of a true devil would not bleed or cause pain.

About 80% of people today they are born with some form of birthmark – making it a surprisingly common trait of so-called witches.

Pigmented moles, such as moles or cafe au lait spots (flat, lightweight moles), are caused by clusters of pigment cells that are created during development. Vascular types, such as port wine stains (which are flat and red or purple in color), result from deformation of diminutive blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Port wine spots appear in only about 0.3% of children – but they do exist it occurs twice as often in girls.

Do you have moles or moles on your skin?

Where possible, moles and skin tags were also observed traces of the devil. Witch hunters also tested moles by trying to cut or puncture them. As with moles, if they didn’t bleed, it meant the person was bleeding considered a witch.

Today we know that moles are just there clusters of pigment cellswhile skin tags are diminutive, harmless growths that form when the skin rubs against itself. However, in the 17th century, these innocent signs spelled disaster.

Do you have an extra digit?

Polydactyly, or an extra toe or finger, is another uncommon but suspicious condition. The extra digit was seen as a supernatural aberration – supposedly increasing the witch’s power “gift” from the devil.

In fact, polydactyly is a harmless genetic mutation – affecting approx one in 500-1000 births. But in the past, this uncommon trait made those who had it take notice of it witch-hunting associations.

Do you have red hair?

Red hair, an unusual feature, was considered ominous in some regions – especially Europe. Some theories suggest that red hair is uncommon and associated with a fiery temperament or pagan origins contributed to its stigmatization. The renowned Malleus Maleficarum (“The Hammer of Witches”), a 1468 treatise on witchcraft, people warned against redheads as potential witcheslinking them to “tempting powers” and “wild spirits”.

Today, less than 2% of the world’s population has red hair – although about 6% of people have the genetics of red hair. However, in the 17th century, this unusual feature may have increased suspicions that someone was a witch.

So you are a witch?

If you didn’t have any of these traits, you would probably be safe and sound from the witch hunters of early current times. However, if you had one or more of these anatomical features, you may have been suspected.

Fortunately, all the British witchcraft laws were in place repealed in 1951 – which means that these common features are now just anatomical quirks and nothing more.