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Urbain Grandier was a French Catholic priest who was burned at the stake after being convicted of witchcraft, following the events of the "Loudun Possessions."
In 1632, the nuns of the convent of Loudun began to suffer an extraordinary sickness. Doctors were brought in to examine them, but could not determine the cause. Their behavior became increasingly erratic, and rumors began to circulate that they were possessed by demons. On the 11th of October, the church employed an exorcist to drive the unholy spirits out of the girls. The process caused them convulsions, but the exorcist was able to communicate with the demon that was possessing the girls. He gave his name as Asmoday, saying he had possessed the nun as a result of hatred, and was employed at the behest of a magician named Urbain Grandier.
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