Akelarre

Akelarre is a Basque term meaning Witches' Sabbath (a gathering of those practicing witchcraft). Akerra means male goat in the Basque language. Witches' sabbaths were envisioned as presided over by a goat.

The word has been loaned to Castilian Spanish (which uses the spelling Aquelarre). It has been used in Castilian Spanish since the Basque witch trials of the 17th century. The word is most famous as the title of the witchcraft painting by Francisco Goya in the Museo del Prado, which depicts witches in the company of a huge male goat.

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