A technique used by Witchfinders. They used a device called a bodkin (it looks like an icepick) to stab a suspected Witch repeatedly in order to find a “Devil’s Mark,” indicating that the person was a Witch.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...