A witches' mark, also known as a Devil's mark or a witches' teat was a supposed mark on the body indicating (to those participating in witchhunts) that an individual was a witch. Witches' marks were commonly believed to include moles, scars, birthmarks or superfluous nipples. Individuals suspected of being witches were often carefully scrutinized over their entire bodies for evidence of witches' marks, which some believed to be indicators of a pact with Satan.
In fact, witches in England were never burnt, but were hanged; burning of witches was practiced on the European continent (additionally, many aspects of Wicca are of modern origin and were not part of the historical Pagan practices).
In addition, all witches who did not attend the meal to be identified would be called to account later on by their master, who had risen from the dead, and who would force the witches by means of drums to go to the graveyard, where they would die.
The most prominent 'witch hunt' of the 20th century is perhaps the McCarthy Era of 1950-1954, in which Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many prominent American citizens of being Communist sympathizers (or Communists themselves).
Also we must notice that a good many suspected witches were subjected to the ordeal of cold water, but as the sinking of the victim was regarded as a proof of her innocence, we may reasonably believe that the verdicts so arrived at were generally verdicts of acquittal.
Gregory VII in 1080 wrote to King Harold of Denmark forbidding witches to be put to death upon presumption of their having caused storms or failure of crops or pestilence.
In a witch trial on a large scale carried on at Toulouse in 1334, out of sixty-three persons accused of offences of this kind, eight were handed over to the secular arm to be burned and the rest were imprisoned either for life or for a long term of years.
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