Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

204 Pact with the Devil
certain unguents from the bones and limbs of
children; especially those who have been
baptized; by all witch means she will be able
to fulfil all her wishes with his help. (Kramer
and Sprenger 1970, 99–100)
To provide evidence for the Devil pact notion,
the Office of the Inquisition was apparently not
above creating documents. For example, one
document that has survived the centuries is a
contract between Satan and the priest Urbain
Grandier, written in blood, in which Father
Grandier supposedly asserts,
This is the famous written pact drawn up by the many
devils (whose reversed signatures witnessed the pact) and
Urbain Grandier, in Loudon 1634. (Fortean Picture
Library)
and crimes, at the risk of their own souls.”
Medieval witch-hunting manuals, such as the
influential Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch
Hammer, 1486), contained lengthy discussions of
the Devil pact. Thus at a witches’ sabbat, convened
for the purpose of initiating new witches, Satan
asks the novice,
whether she will abjure the Faith, and forsake
the holy Christian religion . . . and never
venerate the Sacraments; and if he finds the
novice or disciple willing, then the devil
stretches out his hand, and so does the novice,
and she swears with upraised hand to keep
that covenant. And when this is done, the
devil at once adds that this is not enough; and
when the disciple asks what more must be
done, the devil demands the following oath of
homage to himself: that she give herself to
him, body and soul, for ever, and do her
utmost to bring others of both sexes into his
power. He adds, finally, that she is to make
My lord and master Lucifer, I acknowledge
you as my god and prince, and promise to
serve and obey you while I live. And I
renounce the other God and Jesus Christ, the
saints, the church of Rome and all its
sacraments, and all prayers that the faithful
may offer me; and I promise to do as much
evil as I can and to draw all others to evil; and
I renounce chrism, baptism, and all the merits
of Jesus Christ and his saints; and if I fail to
serve and adore you, paying you homage
three times a day, I give you my life as your
own. (Cavendish 1967, 321)
This piece of “evidence” was presented at
Grandier’s trial in 1634, along with an endorsement
signed in hell:
We, the all-powerful Lucifer, seconded by
Satan, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Elimi, Astaroth,
and others, have today accepted the pact of
alliance with Urbain Grandier, who is on our
side. And we promise him the love of women,
the flower of virgins, the chastity of nuns,
worldly honors, pleasures, and riches. He will
fornicate every three days; intoxication will be
dear to him. He will offer to us once a year a
tribute marked with his blood; he will
trample under foot the sacraments of the
church, and he will say his prayers to us. By
virtue of this pact, he will live happily for
twenty years on earth among men, and finally
will come among us to curse God. Done in
hell, in the council of devils.