Weighing sample
The weighing test , also called the witch scales, was a variant of the witch test to convict witches . It was believed that witches could fly and swim like wood on the water (see Witches Bath ), so they had to be lighter than normal people. According to the people of the time, the lower weight was due to the fact that the witch had lost her "innermost soul" to the devil.
The woman accused of being a witch was placed on a scale and weighed against a predetermined weight. If she weighed less, there was a charge. However, if she weighed more, she was accused of having bewitched the scales by the power of the devil .
However, it is also known that in some more enlightened regions accused could get an exonerating opinion about a normal human weight, which was recognized by the judiciary. An example of this is the small town of Oudewater in the Netherlands .
Trivia
The cult film The Knights of the Coconut shows a weighing sample with an absurdly low counterweight.