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Devil’s Mark

Folklore
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A physical sign—often a mole or scar—believed to be branded by the Devil upon a witch or sorcerer as proof of their pact.

Detailed Definition
Devil’s Mark in poetry symbolizes the body as a site of spiritual conflict. It appears in Puritan and Gothic verse as a metaphor for inherited shame, where society sees sin in skin, and the self is judged not by deed, but by mark.
Example
Example in poetry:
Devil’s Mark; In a colonial-era ballad: “They found the Devil’s Mark—a mole shaped like a crown—on her left shoulder, and burned her for the sin of being born”;
Additional Notes
Devil’s Mark is a physical sign—mole, scar, or birthmark—believed to be branded by the Devil upon witches during their pact. During the witch trials, these marks were sought and "pricked" to confirm guilt. In poetry, the Devil’s Mark symbolizes the inescapability of sin, the body as a site of divine judgment, or the internalization of persecution. It is a metaphor for stigma, inherited trauma, or the indelible mark of trauma. Poets use it to explore bodily autonomy, misogyny, and the violence of accusation.
Also Known As
Mark of the Devil Witch’s Mark
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