the worship of Satan (also commonly known as the DEVIL, (q.v.) and Lucifer). Until the twentieth century the belief in an organized group of individuals who participated in Satanism was a fiction. Satan, the fallen angel, is spoken of in the Old Testament but the concept of Satan in battle with God for human souls was developed in the New Testament. Historically Satanists were believed to participate in a BLACK MASS, (q.v.)—the inversion of the Catholic mass—in which Satan was worshipped. During the witch trials of the late Middle Ages and early modern period, those accused of WITCHCRAFT, (q.v.) were believed to be Satanists. Witches were accused of meeting at sabbats to worship the d evil. At the gathering it was believed unbaptized children were murdered, cooked, and eaten by the participants. In addition, the devil or his incubi and succubae (see INCUBUS,) were believed to have sex with the witches—an act that was described as painful and chilling. In return for worshipping and serving the devil, witches were believed to gain supernatural powers.

Today there are several groups in Western nations that do participate in Satanism. The most famous is the Church of Satan, begun in 1966 by Anton LeVey (1930–97) in San Francisco. In his Satanic Bible LeVey contends that the seven deadly sins—lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, anger, envy, and pride—are really the seven virtues that should be celebrated. The basic theology of Satanism is selfish materialism. None of the known Satanist groups participates in murder or other illegal acts. However, a modern myth of an underground Satanic group that murders children, rapes young girls, and injures other people continues to exist. No evidence has been found to justify this belief.        Rev. by H.A.Be., HELEN A. BERGER, Ph.D.