Margaret Alice Murray

“ The sacrifice of a child was usually performed as a means of procuring certain magical materials or powers, which were obtained by preparing the sacrificed bodies in several ways. Scot says that the flesh of the child was boiled and consumed by the witches, for two purposes. ”

“ Child-Sacrifice among European Witches.
By M. A. Murray.
In studying the cult of the witches, plain and irrefragable proof is found that the personage called by Christian writers “the Devil,” was considered by the witches themselves to be God incarnate as a man. To this deity they made sacrifices of various kinds, the most important of such sacrifices being that of a child. The child was either a witch’s child, or was unbaptised ”

“ A variant occurs in both France and Scotland, and is interesting as throwing light on the reasons for some of the savage rites of the witches: “Pour ne confesser iamais le secret de l’escole, on faict an sabbat vne paste de millet noir, avec de la pondre du foye de quelque enfant non baptisé qu’on faict secher, puis meslant cette poudre avec ladicte paste, elle a cette vertu de taciturnité: si bien que qui en mange ne confesse iamais.” ”

“ Boguet says: “Les Matrones & sage femmes ont accoustomé d’offrir à Satan les petits enfans qu’elles reçoiuent, & puis les faire mourir auant qu’ils soient baptisez, par le moye d’vne grosse espingle qu’elles leur enfoncent dans le cerueau.” ”