An Examen of Witches/Chapter 20
Chapter XX.
Of the Place of the Sabbat.
Some have observed that the Sabbat is always held in some conspicuous place, marked by trees or a Cross; but for my part I do not know what to say about this. For the witches of Longchamois used to meet in a meadow on the high-road to Saint Claude, with the ruins of a house in sight; while those of Coirieres held their Sabbat by the village of Coirieres near the water, in a place called és Combes, where there are no roads at all. Pierre Gandillon, George Gandillon and Antoine Gandillon met at a place called és Fontenelles near the village of Nezan, which is a conspicuous enough place; and Jacquema Paget and Antoine Tornier said that the witches of Mouille held their Sabbat in the courtyard of the Priory of that place. So it will be seen that it is useless to consider too much of the place where witches hold their Sabbats and assemblies. For witches have no trouble in finding the place since Satan guides and conveys them to it. Yet I shall say that, according to Antoine Gandillon’s statement, there must be water in that place; for when she was asked if she had been at la Georgiere, she answered that the Sabbat was not held there because there was no water. And I think that the reason for this is that, in order to cause it to hail, witches usually beat water with their wands; and, when there is no water, they make a hole in the ground and piss in it, and beat their piss.