15TH CENTURY WITCH THEORY AND WITCH HUNTING
I.
The "New Crime" of Witchcraft in 15th century
Fusion of: Secular crime of maleficium with
Spiritual crime of apostasy (devil worship)
Fusion of: Popular image of the witch (malefica) with
Learned theory of witchcraft as diabolism
II.
WITCH HUNTING BY KRAMER AND SPRENGER
1481-1486 38 executed in German Rhineland
1484: Papal bull of Innocent VIII (“witch bull”) SUMMIS DESIDERANTES AFFECTIBUS
authorizes Dominican Inquisitors Kramer and Sprenger
to stamp out witchcraft (maleficium) and devil worship
1487 MALLEUS MALEFICARUM ("The Hammer of Witches")
Epigraph: "NOT TO BELIEVE IN WITCHCRAFT IS THE GREATEST OF HERESIES"
Organization of book:
Pt 1 Definition of Crime: Devil, Witch, Divine Permission
Pt
2 Witchcraft
i. How it operates (diabolical pact)
ii. How it may
be opposed (remedies)
Pt
3 How to try a witch (judicial manual)
Witchcraft as CRIMEN EXCEPTUM (exceptional crime: not subject to ordinary rules)
Circulation: 1486-1520 = 13 editions
1574-1669 = 16 editions
MALLEUS
MALEFICARUM: AUTHORITY & EXPERIENCE
Authoritative character of the work
1.
Academic reputation of authors:
scholastic theologians at Cologne University, Sprenger as University Dean
2.
printed with book:
Papal Bull "Summis Desiderantes" 1484
letter of support from Theology Faculty at Cologne
Appeals to authority within the work
1. Textual
authorities:
Scripture, Church Fathers, Scholastic Theologians
2. Appeal to "experience" as evidence:
a) their own and others' witch trial experiences: especially witches' confessions
(parallel to Nider's quotation of Judge Peter Von Greyerz / Stedelen trial)
but also randon information gathered from witnesses
b) "common knowledge" about witches, including popular stories, jokes
3. Issues
of reality versus illusion -- K & S decide
for nightflying as real (against Canon Episcopi)
against "shape shifting" as demonic illusion
against castration by witches as illusion