The Malleus MaleficarumAlso known as "The Witch Hammer," The Malleus Maleficarum was a handbook for hunting and punishing witches-written by Inquisitors HEINRICH KRAMER (c. 1430-1505), an Alsatian clergyman, and JAMES SPRENGER (c. 1436-1494), a Swiss monk-to assist the Inquisition and Church in exterminating undesirables. Mostly a compilation of superstition and folklore, the book was taken very seriously at the time it was written in the 15th century and became a kind of spiritual law book used by judges to determine the guilt of the accused. While some of the articles covered in "The Witch Hammer" are humorous to modern audiences, they were a matter of life and death in the mid-1400's. Anyone interested in religion, the Inquisition, or the witch hunts that ravaged Europe will find this 1928 translation, by MONTAGUE SUMMERS (1880-1948), an unbelievable and enlightening read. |
Contents
1 | |
8 | |
Question III | 21 |
Question IV | 28 |
Question VI | 41 |
Question IX | 58 |
Question XII | 66 |
availeth not at | 89 |
RELATING TO THE JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN BOTH THE ECCLESIASTICAL | 194 |
QUESTION I | 205 |
Question VII | 213 |
Question XIII | 222 |
Of the fit Time and of the Method of the Second | 230 |
Question XIX | 236 |
Question XXII | 242 |
Question XXIV | 246 |
Of the Way whereby a Formal Pact with Evil | 99 |
Chapter IV | 109 |
Chapter I | 164 |
Question XXIX | 257 |
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Common terms and phrases
abjure according accused actual afflict animals answer apostasy apostils appear argument Aristotle asked beasts bewitched Bishop Blessed bodily body Book called Canon Canon Law Catholic cause cerning chapter charms Christ Church concerning confession creature crime cure death devil diocese diocese of Constance Divine Doctors effect error evil example excommunication exorcisms fact faith fore Giovanni d'Andrea glamour gloss God's permission grace happen harm Henry of Segusio heresy heretics Holy human images imagination Incubi influence injuries Inquisitors John Chrysostom John Damascene Judge judgement Lord lust manner matter means ment method mind namely opinion person proceed proved punishment question reason remedies Sacrament Secondly secular Court semen senses sentence shown sins sort soul speak spells spirit stars Succubi suspected suspicion things third Thirdly Thomas tion torture true truth unlawful virtue Wherefore wicked wish witchcraft witches witnesses woman women words