Black
Mass
Black
Mass, parody of a Roman Catholic mass
involving the worship of Satan,
or the Devil.
Accounts
of the black
mass come primarily from literature and legend. They
describe a number of rituals that generally contradict the
message in a proper mass. Participants may suspend a crucifix
upside down, recite traditional prayers backward, perform
a mock blessing with filthy water, use a naked woman as
an altar, sacrifice animals, or perform a variety of bizarre
sexual acts.
The
legend of the black mass probably originated during the
Middle Ages, when some people combined Christian rituals
with magic. Observers may have connected such practices
with witchcraft or satanic
worship.
Some
scholars believe that the modern image of the black mass
has developed since the 1600s, when many people in Europe
and the American colonies were executed as witches. Courts
may have forced people accused of witchcraft to admit to
practices described in the early legends.
Organized
societies of witchcraft do not acknowledge the practice
of the black mass.
-
see also 'the
Black Mass explained' -
Contributed
By: John A. Saliba, S.J., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Religious
Studies, University of Detroit. Contributor to Anthropologica
and other publications.
"Black
Mass," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
© 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
