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, Kevin Mackey, The Cure: Recollections of an Addict, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1972, page 93:
      Elmos and Maureen had draped their room in some old purple rags and were about to start a black mass when the police arrived.
    • 1970, “War Pigs”, in Paranoid, performed by Black Sabbath:
      Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses
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