If the accused had any of these markings on their body they would then be pricked witha long pin into their skin. The idea of using this method was that by pricking the accused on these devils marks that they had, no pain would be felt and no blood would be shed showing that the accused was indeed a witch. Even if there was no devil marks the accused would be pricked anyway. Soon this method was stopped as it was found that there were many false prickers falsely identifying witches to collect money.
Methods of Torture
Methods of torturing were common in witchcraft trails. To force a confession the accused would be stripped, binded, whipped or stretched on a rack. Additional tortures could be allowed for special offences which involved the accused having their hands or legs cut off and tearing off their flesh using hot pincers.
Occassional tortures in prisons involved accusers being pressed into a spike chair with fire underneath and scalding them in hot water baths..
Execution methods were used as well which involved witches being burnt by fire.
Witch hunts reached their peak in the 17th century and remained into the 19th century.
