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During the height of the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, common belief held that awitch could be discovered through the process of pricking their skin withneedles,pins and bodkins – daggerlike instruments for drawing ribbons through hems or punching holes in cloth.
This practice derived from the belief that all witches andsorcerers bore awitch's mark that would not feel pain or bleed when pricked.[1] The mark alone was not enough toconvict a person, but did add to theevidence. Pricking was common practice throughout Europe.[2][3][4] Professionalwitch finders earned a good living from unmasking witches, travelling from town to town to perform their services. Hollow wooden handles and retractable points have been saved from these finders, which would give the appearance of an accused witch's flesh being penetrated to the hilt without mark, blood, or pain. Other specially designed needles have been found with a sharp end and a blunt end. Throughsleight of hand, the sharp end could be used on "normal" flesh, drawing blood and causing pain, while the unseen dull end would be used on a supposed witch's mark.[5]
The pricking of a witch forms significant plot points inJohn Buchan 1927 novelWitch Wood and inRobert Neill's 1967 novelWitch Bane.