a sign that a woman was a
witch. it was
standard practice during the
witch hunts in europe and
the americas to strip
the accused during an arrest and interrogation, and search her body for any suspicious-looking marks. moles,
warts,
birthmarks and
scars were often mistaken for witch's
tits; sadly, these alone were often all the '
evidence' needed to condemn the accused.
once a suspicious mark was found, it was pricked with a
bodkin (witch pricker). if the mole bled, the accused was human. if it did not hurt, the woman was a witch. and yes, some
witch finders used retractable bodkins so that they could collect more "
bounty."
it's a wonderful world.
why were extra
nipples a sign of being a witch? it wasn't just because of the obvious
freakishness factor. in those days witches were thought to be
handmaidens of the devil.
the devil in turn would send them animals, called
familiars, to protect and serve them. most familiars would suck on extranummary teats present on the witch's body, presumably for nourishment.