Mass of Saint-Sécaire

The Mass of Saint-Sécaire is a legendary black magic ritual similiar to the Black Mass but having some unique elements - it was believed to have been practiced in certain areas of France in the past but there is controversy as to whether the accounts were factual or merely the result of ancient superstitions.

The Ritual
According to the recorded account, the mass could only be said in a ruined or deserted church. At precisely the first stroke of 11 o’clock the corrupt priest, with only his lover as attendant, would begin to recite the mass backwards, being sure to finish at precisely the last stroke of midnight. Among other details intended to parody the normal practice of the Mass, the host used would be triangular and black, rather than round and white, with three points instead of the usual four; the priest would not consecrate wine but instead drink water from a well into which an unbaptized infant had been thrown. Bladé's informant also reported that the sign of the cross would be made by the priest with his left foot on the ground before him. At the very end the officiant would pronounce the name of a victim who, it was believed, would soon simply waste away and die, with no cause that could be understood by medicine.