Catalan tradition distinguished between bruixeria ("witchcraft") based on an explicit compact with the Devil, and fetilleria (deriving from a word related to "fetish", and Old Portuguese magic worked through charms and fetishes.The former was considered inherently evil, the latter might include the working of magical cures.
Witches supposedly have "the mark of the devil" on their buttocks, made by a forceful bite of the Devil's teeth. By the full moon of October and of January, witches were said to
make marks on their buttocks, by means of which they maintain and strengthen their malign powers, which otherwise diminish and cool down by the action of time and age. In October, they were said to pray to the Devil with a rosary that had the cross broken off. -
Legend also has it that the
Devil can mark the witch's eye in various ways: with horns, or
by making it empty, or with two pupils.-
According to Catalan tradition, one can wash marks on the skin with holy water in order to know whether they are the Devil's work: the Devil's mark will not wash off.
Witches were also said to have a heart-shaped mark on their left side; for a witch of great abilities, the heart-shaped mark would be hairy. -
Witches were said to fly mounted on forks, poles, and especially brooms; in each case, the flying object was first anointed with an unguent provided by the Devil. It was said that, because in the past witches were always persecuted and garroted with brooms, the Devil had given them this particular power in order to be able to escape -
According to one Catalan tradition, a person who wants to become
a witch should go to the seashore, undress completely, and roll around on the sand. After giving seven full revolutions, stand and make three circles -
Witches were said to take the form of cats, in order to more easily enter houses and to enable them to take items of clothing, shoes, needles, and so forth. They supposedly stole in order to be able to bewitch and to do harm; they did not steal money nor valuable objects -
Witches were said to climb up on top of the clouds, and make it rain or, especially, hail (which was particularly bad for the crops). One could ward this off by making certain signs of the cross or singing certain hymns, so that the devil would have to take the cloud elsewhere. -
The storm in Yung Rapunxel.
More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan..._about_witches
AZ has spoken many times about practising Brujería which closely follows Catalan Mythology.
