THE SCENE: What’s it like to have sex with the devil? This confession of an accused 17th century witch provides some insight.
THE TEXT: As I was going betwixt the towns of Drummdewin and the Headis, I met with THE DIVELL, and there covenanted, in a manner, with him; and I promised to meet him, in the night time, in the Kirk of Auldern, which I did. And the first thing I did there that night, I denied my baptism, and did put on of my hands to the crowne of my head and the other to the sole of my foot, and then renounced all betwixt my two hands, over to the Divell. He was in the Readeris dask, and a blak book in his hand. Margret Brodie, in Aulderne, held me up to the Divell to be baptized by him; and he marked me in the shoulder, and sucked out my blood at that mark, and spouted it in his hand, and, sprinkling it on my head, said, “I baptize thee, Janet, in my own name!” And within a while we all removed. The next time that I met with him was in the New Wardis of Inchoch, and had carnal cowpulation [copulation] and dealing with me. He was a meikle (very) blak, roch (hairy) man, very cold. And I found his nature as cold within me as spring-well-water. Sometimes he had boots and sometimes shoes on his foot; but still his foot are forked and cloven.
– Confessions of Issobell Gowdie, spouse to John Gilbert, in Lockloy, 17th Century AD
