Black Mass

English

Noun

Black Mass (plural Black Masses)

1. A ritual, allegedly celebrated by witches, characterized by the inversion of the Traditional Latin Mass celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church.
   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 101:

     An enormous number of monks and priests gave themselves up to sorcery, and there was no lack of apostate priests to perform the ceremonies of the Black Mass.

   • 1970, “War Pigs”, in Paranoid, performed by Black Sabbath:

     Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses

Related terms

• black art, black magic, black Sabbath