A witch's body being examined in order to locate any devil marking.
According to hunters during the height of the witch trials, the witches’ mark indicated that an individual was a witch. The witches' mark and the devil's mark are both terms applied to essentially the same mark. The beliefs about the mark differ depending on the trial location and the accusation made against the witch. Evidence of the witches’ mark is found earliest in the 16th century, and reached its peak in 1645, then essentially disappeared by 1700.
The Witch or Devil's mark was believed to be the permanent marking of the Devil on his initiates to seal their obedience and service to him. He created the mark by raking his claw across their flesh, or by making a blue or red brand using a hot iron. Sometimes, the mark was believed to have been left by the Devil licking the individual. The Devil was thought to mark the individual at the end of nocturnal initiation rites. The witches' teat was a raised bump somewhere on a witch's body. It is often depicted as having a wart-like appearance.
The mark itself can range from scars, skin tags, blemishes, superfluous nipples, birthmarks to even moles. These markings would be hidden upon any cavity of the body including underneath arm pits to even under eyelids. And during the witch hunts, witches would be stripped naked and every inch of their body would be shaven in order not only to rob the witch of her power, but also to expose any devil markings the witch may have. If discovered, pins would be driven into the areas for sensitivity and if an insensitive area was found the witch was condemned.