Devil's Kiss

During the years of the witch hunts, many believed that witches worshipped him homage by kissing his ass. Often referred to as the "osculum infame", the devil's kiss is mentioned in nearly every single recorded account of a witches' sabbat and countless confessions. It was called the kiss of shame because it was generally regarded as an act of degradation. According to the allegations, witches would give the kiss of shame at the beginning of the sabbat, after the devil had read the names of his followers. They would approach him by crawling or walking backwards, turn, bow and kiss his posterior. It was believed that this kiss was required for a new witch to be initiated, and the kiss was followed by feasting. Our general culture's attitudes about sex and pleasure are often deeply rooted in the shadows of shame.