Hocus Pocus Fidibus - Three times a black tomcat

A fidibus is a resin-rich wood chip or a folded strip of paper that was once used as a lighting aid to transport a flame in the household, especially for lighting pipe tobacco.

These lighting aids were kept near fireplaces and hearths, e.g. in fidibus vases, before the spread of matches.

The origin of the term, which arose in the second half of the 17th century, is unknown; however, it is said to be an expression from student language. The German dictionary suspects that this is a variation of the French fil de bois "thread of wood".