The Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch Hammer), first published in 1486, is arguably one of the most infamous books ever written, due primarily to its position and regard during the Middle Ages. It served as a guidebook for Inquisitors The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy. The Inquisition started in 12th-century France to combat religious dissent, in particular the Cathars and the Waldensians. Other groups investigated later included the Spiritual Francisc…Inquisition
When was the Malleus Maleficarum written?
Malleus maleficarum, detailed legal and theological document ( c. 1486) regarded as the standard handbook on witchcraft, including its detection and its extirpation, until well into the 18th century. Its appearance did much to spur on and sustain some two centuries of witch-hunting hysteria in Europe.
What was the purpose of the Malleus Malificarum?
Malificarum means harmful magic, or witchcraft, and this manual was to be used to hammer out such practices. The Malleus Maleficarum documented beliefs about witches and then enumerated ways to identity witches, convict them of the charge of witchcraft, and then execute them for the crime.
Is the Malleus Maleficarum The Hammer of witches?
She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. The Malleus Maleficarum, a Latin book written in 1486 and 1487, is also known as "The Hammer of Witches." This is a translation of the title.
Is it Maleficarum or maleficorum?
Otherwise, it would be the Malleus Malefic o rum (the masculine form of the Latin noun maleficus or malefica, 'witch'). In Latin, the feminine maleficarum would only be used for women, while the masculine maleficorum could be used for men alone or for both sexes if together.
What was the purpose of Malleus Maleficarum?
Malleus maleficarum, (Latin: “Hammer of Witches”) detailed legal and theological document (c. 1486) regarded as the standard handbook on witchcraft, including its detection and its extirpation, until well into the 18th century.
What is the Malleus Maleficarum and why is it important in relation to witchcraft?
The Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch Hammer), first published in 1486, is arguably one of the most notorious books ever written. It served as a guidebook for Inquisitors during the Inquisition, and was designed to aid them in the identification, prosecution, and dispatching of witches.
Where was the Malleus Maleficarum written?
Speier, GermanyThe Malleus Maleficarum was first published by Peter Drach in Speier, Germany, in 1487.
What language is Malleus Maleficarum?
LatinMalleus Maleficarum / Original languageLatin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area around present-day Rome, but through the power ... Wikipedia
How many witches were killed?
Witch hunts The number of trials and executions varied according to time and place, but it is generally believed that some 110,000 persons in total were tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 to 60,000 were executed.
Who was the last person executed in the Salem Witch Trials?
Martha CoryOn September 22, Martha Cory went to the gallows along with seven other convicted witches, in what would be the last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials.
What does the word maleficarum mean?
The Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches, is the best known treatise on witchcraft. It was written by the German Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (under his Latinized name Henricus Institor) and first published in the German city of Speyer in 1486.
Who was the first person to be hanged in the Salem witch trials?
Bridget BishopIn Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Bridget Bishop, the first colonist to be tried in the Salem witch trials, is hanged after being found guilty of the practice of witchcraft.
What were witches blamed for in the Middle Ages?
Many of them were burned at the stake. Witches were persecuted by the Church, State or local communities for being perceived as different, rebellious or not in line with the dominant religious beliefs. Often they were blamed for things like natural disasters, famine and child deaths.
How do I cite the Malleus Maleficarum?
Citation DataMLA. Institoris, Heinrich, 1430-1505. Malleus Maleficarum. Nurenberg :Anton Koberger, 1494.APA. Institoris, Heinrich, 1430-1505. ( 1494). Malleus maleficarum. Nurenberg :Anton Koberger,Chicago. Institoris, Heinrich, 1430-1505. Malleus Maleficarum. Nurenberg :Anton Koberger, 1494.
What was the swimming of the witches?
Witch swimming was the practice of tying up and dunking the accused into a body of water to determine whether they sink or float. Sinking to the bottom indicated that the accused was innocent while floating indicated a guilty verdict.
Who wrote the Hammer of Witches?
Heinrich KramerJacob SprengerMalleus Maleficarum/Authors
What did the Papal Bull say about witchcraft?
In a bull of 1484 Innocent acknowledged belief in witchcraft, condemned it, and then dispatched inquisitors to Germany to try witches. In 1486 he persecuted one of the chief exponents of Renaissance Platonism, Pico della Mirandola, by condemning his theses and prohibiting his defense.
What is the malleus?
The middle ear consists of the tympanic membrane and the bony ossicles called the malleus, incus, and stapes. These three ossicles connect the tympanic membrane to the inner ear allowing for the transmission of sound waves. The malleus is the first ossicle and attaches to and moves with the tympanic membrane.
What does the word maleficarum mean?
The Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches, is the best known treatise on witchcraft. It was written by the German Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (under his Latinized name Henricus Institor) and first published in the German city of Speyer in 1486.
What was the swimming of the witches?
Witch swimming was the practice of tying up and dunking the accused into a body of water to determine whether they sink or float. Sinking to the bottom indicated that the accused was innocent while floating indicated a guilty verdict.
What was the significance of the Malleus Maleficarum?
It was a foundation for treating witchcraft not as a superstition, but as a dangerous and heretical practice of associating with the Devil — and therefore, a great danger to society and to the church.
What did Malleus Maleficarum do?
The Malleus Maleficarum documented beliefs about witches and then enumerated ways to identify witches, convict them of the charge of witchcraft, and execute them for the crime.
What is the name of the book that the inquisitors produced to help them hunt witches?
Their title was Malleus Maleficarum . The word Maleficarum means harmful magic, or witchcraft, and this manual was to be used to hammer out such practices.
Why was witchcraft considered heresy?
It also strongly argued that witchcraft was heresy not because it was a superstition, but because it represented a different kind of heresy. Those practicing witchcraft, the book argued, made agreements with the Devil and cast harmful spells.
What was the witches hammer?
The Witches Hammer. During the 9th through 13th centuries, the church had established and enforced penalties for witchcraft. Originally, these were based on the church's assertion that witchcraft was a superstition. Thus, belief in witchcraft was not in accord with the church's theology.
Why was the Inquisition established?
The Roman Inquisition was established in the 13th century to find and punish heretics, seen as undermining the church's official theology and therefore a threat to the very foundations of the church. At about that same time, secular law became involved in prosecutions for witchcraft.
Who is the author of The Hammer of Witches?
The European Witch Hunters' Manual. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. The Malleus Maleficarum, a Latin book written in 1486 and 1487, is also known as "The Hammer of Witches.".
Who signed the Malleus Maleficarum?
This part of the Malleus is titled "The Approbation of The Following Treatise and The Signatures Thereunto of The Doctors of The Illustrious University of Cologne Follows in The Form of A Public Document" and contains unanimous approval of the Malleus Maleficarum by all the Doctors of the Theological Faculty of the University of Cologne signed by them personally. The proceedings are attested by notary public Arnold Kolich of Euskirchen, a sworn cleric of Cologne with inclusion of confirmatory testimony by present witnesses Johannes Vorda of Mecheln a sworn beadle, Nicholas Cuper de Venrath the sworn notary of Curia of Cologne and Christian Wintzen of Euskirchen a cleric of the Diocese of Cologne.
How many editions of the Malleus Maleficarum were published?
Between 1487 and 1520, twenty editions of the Malleus Maleficarum were published, and another sixteen between 1574 and 1669. The Malleus Maleficarum was able to spread throughout Europe rapidly in the late 15th and at the beginning of the 16th century due to the innovation of the printing press in the middle of the 15th century by Johannes Gutenberg. The invention of printing some thirty years before the first publication of the Malleus Maleficarum instigated the fervor of witch hunting, and, in the words of Russell, "the swift propagation of the witch hysteria by the press was the first evidence that Gutenberg had not liberated man from original sin ."
Why did the Malleus suggest torture?
The Malleus suggests torture to effectively obtain confessions and the death penalty as the only certain remedy against the evils of witchcraft. At the time of its publication, heretics were frequently punished to be burned alive at the stake and the Malleus encouraged the same treatment of witches.
Why did Kramer write the Malleus?
Kramer wrote the Malleus following his expulsion from Innsbruck by the local bishop, due to charges of illegal behavior against Kramer himself , and because of Kramer's obsession with the sexual habits of one of the accused, Helena Scheuberin, which led the other tribunal members to suspend the trial.
What is the Hammer of Witches?
The Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches, is the best known treatise on witchcraft.
When was the Malleus published?
The Malleus went through 28 editions between 1486 and 1600 and was accepted by Roman Catholics and Protestants alike as an authoritative source of information concerning Satanism and as a guide to Christian defense [against acts of Satan].
Which method of Satan's final assault motivated authors to write the Malleus Maleficarum?
In this part it is briefly explained that prevalence of sorcery which is a method of Satan's final assault motivated authors to write the Malleus Maleficarum:
What did the Malleus Maleficarum call for?
The Malleus Maleficarum had called for any adult females suspected or known to be involved in witchery to be dealt with in the same manner as person convicted of unorthodoxy, in other words to be burnt at the interest. Whilst unorthodoxy was normally a charge made against work forces they frequently had the opportunity to support themselves. Womans accused of witchery in the great bulk of instances was non allowed to make so. Women would besides fall in in the witch-hunt, possibly to turn out their ain artlessness. Womans were in an inferior societal place to work forces, even adult females from affluent households. In much of Western Europe adult females had far fewer legal rights than work forces, a state of affairs that the Malleus Maleficarum could non be blamed for, yet did nil to change by reversal. Witchcraft was considered to be such an flagitious activity that all rights were denied to those accused of it, unless adult females accused of being enchantresss could happen work forces to protect them, they would normally confront executing ( Willis, 1995, p.12 ) .
What was the purpose of the book Malleus Maleficarum?
Heinrich Krammer and Jakob Sprenger wrote the Malleus Maleficarum as a exoneration of their ain non ever successful or popular enchantress runing activities as portion of their work with the Inquisition. For Krammer and Sprenger the Malleus Maleficarum had to be the most sophisticated manual on enchantress hunting they could perchance bring forth. Both work forces wished that the Malleus Maleficarum should be portion linked with the new thought of the Renaissance ( Maxwell-Stuart, 2001, p.30 ) . The Renaissance would hold assorted affects on Western Europe. On the other manus, it stimulated an rush in spiritual excitement, yet that rush had the effect of the persecution of Jews, Muslims and increased the strength of witch-hunts. The other eventual result of the Renaissance would arguably be increasing secularization, which would cut down involvement in faith and the mystical ( Chadwick, 1990 p. 23 ) . The book was supposed to hold been approved by the University of Cologne, yet the missive attached to transcripts of the book was in fact a counterfeit. Krammer and Sprenger were dishonest plenty to utilize a counterfeit to progress the gross revenues and circulation of their book. In fact, the University of Cologne was unhappy about backing Malleus Maleficarum as they regarded it as being lawfully and theologically flawed ( Wikipedia ) . Krammer and Sprenger argued that to deny the being of witchery was a offense of skip every bit dissident as witchery itself. As the Malleus Maleficarum put it ‘the belief that there are such existences as enchantresss is so indispensable a portion of the Catholic Faith that obstinacy to keep the opposite sentiment obviously savours of unorthodoxy ( Krammer & A ; Sprenger, 1928 ) .
Why did the Malleus Maleficarum kill enchantresses?
Enchantresss had to be hunted down and killed because they had all made treaties with the Satan and that they worshipped him . Although the Malleus Maleficarum does non advert that enchantresss were devil believers, excessively often it did do the correlativity between the treaty with the Satan and that they were all supposed to hold made treaties with the Satan and devil worship seemed more outstanding. Malleus Maleficarum had the effect of doing clerical and secular governments regard witchery as a serious and of all time present menace to their societies. As such the book was the accelerator for spread outing the figure and range of witch-hunts. Alternatively of sing stray adult females and on occasion work forces as being enchantresss, these governments were seeking for big groups of adult females involved in witchery, moral corruption and devil worship. If these groups did in fact exist, so they needed to be destroyed before they could endanger their societies ( Levack, 1995, p.39 ) .
Why is the Malleus Maleficarum important?
The Malleus Maleficarum is a vital text that allows us to discover why and how witches and witchcraft were revered as such a dangerous, mysterious enemy in 15 th century Europe. Witches were the prime enemy of God and the human race, due to their collaboration with the Devil to commit crimes, and open treason to Christianity.
What is the Malleus Maleficarum?
The Malleus Maleficarum is as much a handbook for inquisitors as it is a personal swipe at Kramer’s opposition.
What is the most important text in the history of witchcraft?
Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger’s Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches), published in 1487, is undoubtedly one of the most important texts in the history of witchcraft study.
Why did the Malleus believe in witchcraft?
They were the devotion of body and soul to evil, sexual relationships with incubi, the renunciation of the Christian faith, and the sacrifice of unbaptized infants to Satan. These were not Kramer’s ideas, showing that a social paranoia towards witches had been rising for some time, and their development continued rapidly thanks to the Malleus. Furthermore, the Malleus included many pathological fantasies, including a witch feeding oats to a nest of castrated male members. This shows the confusion and fear society had towards witchcraft.
Why was the Malleus written?
However, the Malleus was still written to be a thorough guide for investigating and persecuting witches. By the early 1480s the frequency of European witch trials had ...
What were the accusations in the Malleus?
Accusations present in the Malleus such as witches being held culpable for diabolism, weather magic and infanticide were rising in the decades before the 1480s. The Malleus provided a definitive treatise encompassing these concerns.
Why was the Malleus successful?
Even though the Malleus ’ promotion of the hatred of women (thanks to Kramer’s senility and probable lack of total sanity) was ultimately effective, this success may have been due to the misunderstood fear of women lying within the male mythic consciousness, so the Malleus may have had the role of providing an explanation (and antidote) for that fear.
Overview
The Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches, is the best known treatise on witchcraft. It was written by the Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (under his Latinized name Henricus Institor) and first published in the German city of Speyer in 1486. It has been described as the compendium of literature in demonology of the 15th century. The top theologians of the Inqui…
Background
Witchcraft had long been forbidden by the Church, whose viewpoint on the subject was explained in the Canon Episcopi written in about AD 900. It stated that witchcraft and magic were delusions and that those who believed in such things "had been seduced by the Devil in dreams and visions". However, in the same period supernatural intervention was accepted in the form of ordeals that were later also used during witch trials.
Summary of contents
The Malleus Maleficarum consists of the following parts:
1. Justification (introduction, Latin Apologia auctoris)
2. Papal bull
3. Approbation by professors of theology at University of Cologne
Theological foundations and major themes
Jakob Sprenger was an appointed inquisitor for the Rhineland, theology professor and a dean at the University of Cologne in Germany. Heinrich Kraemer (Institoris) was an appointed inquisitor of south Germany, a professor of theology at the University of Salzburg, the leading demonologist and witch-hunter in late medieval Germany. Pope Innocent VIII in Papal Bull Summis desiderantes affectibus refer…
Controversies
Joseph Hansen, a historian who was appalled by the witch-craze and those who carried it out, proposed that coauthorship by Sprenger was a falsehood presented by Institoris (Kramer) and that approbation is partially a forgery. This had never been proposed before until Joseph Hansen in the 19th century.
Christopher Mackay, author of the modern academic translation of the Malleus into English offe…
Authors' whereabouts and circumstances
In 1484 Heinrich Kramer had made one of the first attempts at prosecuting alleged witches in the Tyrol region. It was not a success and he was asked to leave the city of Innsbruck. According to Diarmaid MacCulloch, writing the book was Kramer's act of self-justification and revenge. Ankarloo and Clark claim that Kramer's purpose in writing the book was to explain his own views on witchcraft, systematically refute arguments claiming that witchcraft does not exist, discredit …
Popularity and influence
Sex-specific theory developed in the Malleus Maleficarum laid the foundations for widespread consensus in early modern Germany on the evil nature of witches as women. Later works on witchcraft have not agreed entirely with the Malleus but none of them challenged the view that women were more inclined to be witches than men. It was accepted so that very few authors saw the need to explain why witches are women. Those who did, attributed female witchery to the w…
Reception
Moira Smith writes that the book has been seen as "one of the most infamous and depised of books".