Familiar

Familiar (English familiar, French familier) — a magical theriomorphic (mythical ability of a person to transform into other animals by reincarnation) spirit, according to medieval Western European beliefs, served witches, sorcerers and other practitioners of magic.

The familiar is a supernatural creature from the legends of England in the 1500s and 1600s. They were referred to as the witch's little helper animal.

This animal was used for espionage or intimidation. It was believed that these were demonic entities in animal form. For medieval European witches, the standard familiars were black cats, black dogs, hedgehogs, hares, owls and mice. In very rare cases, a familiar was used not in the form of an animal, but in the form of a person, but he was easily identified by his very pale skin, black clothes and malicious behavior.

In return for their help, the familiars demanded blood, most often from an animal. When they received this animal, they attacked it, tore it apart and greedily drank its blood.