A malevolent entity has possessed somebody you know. In the Christian tradition, that demon must be cast out through the rite of exorcism. But what exactly does that involve?
In the year 1307, the Knights Templar stood accused of heresy, necromancy, and diabolism. In their secret rituals they had allegedly spat on crucifixes, kissed each other obscenely, and revered a demon named Baphomet. Some confessions described a mouldering, severed head that spoke to the knights, issuing orders and instructions.
In the medieval period, belief in demons was strong. These malign shadows were angels cast out of heaven for rebelling against God. If they took hold of somebody in the community, then only a priest, or somebody of great holiness, could do battle with the demon. Because an exorcism was about going head-to-head with the Devil – the lord of darkness in person. So, this was not for the faint hearted.
The bible included many descriptions of exorcisms. Jesus Christ, himself, had cast out demons and we see an example in the image below. His devil-beating deeds were to be emulated by holy folk throughout history.
FIND OUT MORE: Witchcraft and the Knights Templar
Saints performing exorcisms
Demons have a grudging respect for holy figures, especially Christ and the saints. In the 12th century, a priest was struggling to perform the rite of exorcism as the devil kept interrupting. Through the mouth of the possessed he sneered: ‘I am not moved by your words or your chatter; I will save my exit for Erminold, for he has the powers to expel me.’
The spectators gathered around the priest, to watch him in action, were confused and alarmed by these words. Who was this Erminold? Then suddenly a voice from the back of the congregation piped up. Erminold had been the abbot of a Benedictine monastery and had given away all the food to the poor, leaving the monks under his charge to starve.
One furious monk, fed up of listening to his own tummy grumbling, struck Erminold over the head with a large piece of wood, killing the abbot. That was the Erminold in question. As the well-informed parishioner stopped talking, the devil responded: ‘He is the one I was talking about.’
It was as if the possessing demon wanted a well-matched fight. I’m unclear as to whether the abbot was still alive at this point – and could come in person to deal with the demon – or if it was a case of the dead abbot interceding from heaven.
In another case, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux had to cast out a demon who was mischievously preventing a piece of masonry being lifted by sitting on it. Almost a poltergeist-like activity. See the illustration below. His favoured tactic for tormenting a demon was to sprinkle holy water on the possessed person’s lips.
In the Middle Ages, women saints were at the forefront of wrestling with demons. Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) ran a Benedictine abbey and was quite the polymath – doctor, musical composer, writer, and mystic. She was called on by Gedolphus, abbot of Brauweiler, to cast the devil out of a female noble. Gedolphus had to perform an exorcism himself but the demon had mocked him. Hildegard took on the case and freed the lady concerned – who had been possessed for an astonishing seven years.
Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) experienced ecstatic visions, received the marks of the stigmata on her body, and in 1366, married Jesus Christ in a spiritual ceremony. She used his foreskin for a wedding ring! Satan reportedly described Catherine as his greatest enemy in the world and priests would bring the possessed to her feet. She claimed to find exorcism an unbearable task: ‘Alas! Every day I am tormented by evil spirits: do you think I want anybody else’s?’
FIND OUT MORE: Top medieval witch hunters
Removing the demon in an exorcism
An exorcism would involve the priest, or saint if one was available, making the sign of the cross, reciting a prayer, and laying their hands on the victim. If this didn’t yield results, then the possessed person might be beaten. Their screams were construed to be those of the demon and not the human being who had been possessed. Though presumably once the demon had exited, the poor unfortunate victim would be covered in bruises – and possibly worse.
In the Catholic rite of exorcism, salt plays a surprising role. Blessed grains of salt, mixed with holy water, are apparently very effective in chasing out the devil. Here are words to be recited in an exorcism using salt from a present day priest’s website:
O salt, creature of God, I exorcise you by the living (+) God, by the true (+) God, by the holy (+) God, by the God who ordered you to be poured into the water by Elisha the prophet, so that its life-giving powers might be restored. I exorcise you so that you may become a means of salvation for believers, that you may bring health of soul and body to all who make use of you, and that you may put to flight and drive away from the places where you are sprinkled; every apparition, villainy, turn of devilish deceit, and every unclean spirit; adjured by him who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.
Getting the devil to leave the possessed is not always a straightforward matter. Saint Bernard wrote a biography of the Irish archbishop, Saint Malachy (1094-1148). At an exorcism in Coleraine, the demon left a possessed woman only to jump into the body of another woman nearby. He exploded: ‘I did not repel you so you could settle in another body. Leave her body too.’
Only now, the demon jumped back into the original woman. And so this went on until Malachy attacked the demon ‘with all his might’, expelling it from both women. Quite what this involved, Bernard does not relate. But demons re-entering bodies was a problem in exorcisms. The trick was to get the devil to leave the possessed and then fly away. But that was easier said than done.
If you would like to know more about the Knights Templar, then get your hands on a copy of my book: The Knights Templar – History & Mystery. Published by Pen & Sword and available on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and WHSmith. Don’t miss out on your copy!
One thought on “So, you want to do an exorcism?”