The malleus maleficarum, usually translated as the hammer of witches, is the best known treatise on witchcraft. Buy malleus maleficarum montague summers translation by jakob sprenger from waterstones today. This paperback makes the full translation accessible to the readers as a single volume. Malleus maleficarum the wiki of the succubi succuwiki. Maleficarum in english latinenglish dictionary glosbe. More information about this seller contact this seller 9. Malleus maleficarum, the medieval witch hunter book thoughtco. The malleus maleficarum has been blamed for the death of tens of thousands of women and men, and its instructions on the. Summers read theology at oxford university and worked as a teacher of english and latin before turning to writing, producing wellreceived scholarly works on 17th century theatre and publishing new editions. At the very least, the malleus maleficarum the witch hammer offers to us an intriguing glimpse into the medieval mind, and perhaps gives us a taste of what it might have been like to have lived in those times.
In our rare book collections we have a number of curious works by montague summers 18801948, an eccentric catholic clergyman, occultist and authority on english restoration drama. The malleus maleficarum and the witchhunts in early modern europe. Ive been trying to find an english translation of the compendium maleficarum without any luck. Estimates of the death toll during the inquisition worldwide range from 600,000 to as high as 9,000,000 over its 250 year long course. Disponible ahora en ediciones orion 1975 condicion del libro.
Malleus maleficarum is one of the most bloodsoaked works in human history, in that its very existence reinforced and validated catholic beliefs which led to the prosecution, torture, and murder, of tens of thousands of innocent people. Jacobus quetif and jacobus echard, scriptores ordinis. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk. Collegii ambrosiani typographia, 1626 scanned by claudio. Mackays highly acclaimed translation, based on his extensive research and. Scholars have debated how much sprenger contributed to the work. It was written by the catholic clergyman heinrich kramer under his latinized name henricus institoris and first published in the german city of speyer in 1486.
Valerius maximus tells how, when phoroneus, the king of the greeks, was dying, he said to his brother leontius that there would have been nothing lacking to him of complete happiness if a wife had always been lacking to him. Compendium maleficarum in tres libros distinctum ex. The malleus, in other words, proposed a basic shift in the way in which the. Read download malleus maleficarum pdf pdf download. The malleus maleficarum was published in 1487 by heinrich kramer latinized institoris and james sprenger also known as jacob or jakob sprenger. The malleus maleficarum latin for the hammer of witches is a famous treatise on witches, written in 1486 by heinrich kramer, an inquisitor of the catholic church, and was first published in germany in 1487. The malleus maleficarum 1 is considered by many to be the definitive medieval text on witchhunting and the trials of the roman catholic inquisition. Oftenknownasthehammerofwitches, the malleus consists of a demonstration of the existence of witchcraft and a discussion of both the practice of witchcraft and cures for the. The book had a strong influence on culture for several centuries. According the da vinci code, the catholic inquisition published the malleus maleficarum instructing the clergy how to locate, torture, and destroy the freethinking women. Malleus maleficarum montague summers translation by jakob. Compendium maleficarum in tres libros distinctum ex pluribus authoribus by francesco maria guazzo. And when leontius asked how a wife could stand in the way of. The malleus maleficarum the hammer of witches is one of the most infamous and controversial books of the early modern period.
The malleus maleficarum is the most famous early modern text on witches and witch hunting. Serious discussions of witches powers, poisons, crimes, more. Jacob sprenger is also often attributed as an author. Compendium maleficarum is a witchhunters manual written in latin by francesco maria guazzo, and published in milan, italy in 1608.
Montague summers and the malleus maleficarum in the cardiff rare books collection posted on february 15, 20 by siskg1 3 comments in our rare book collections we have a number of curious works by montague summers 18801948, an eccentric catholic clergyman, occultist and authority on english restoration drama. Rubricated, with lombardic initials in red and blue, occasional pen flourishes, paragraph marks at beginning of chapter headings, some capital strokes. Malleus maleficarum paperback or softback kramer, heinrich. In 1629, a ship intended for the colony at plymouth was blown slightly off course and landed near the massachusetts bay. Despite finding themselves in unfamiliar land, the puritans gave thanks to god for their blessings. They were the unlicensed doctors and anatomists of western history. The misogynistic manual promoted the idea that women are inherently evil and form pacts with the devil. Some say his role was minor while others say there is little evidence for this claim in 1484 kramer made one of the first attempts at a systematic persecution of witches in. Adobe pdf version ebook version ms word version write us the malleus maleficarum the witch hammer, first. Nelson and sons, 1895, scanned book, hathi trust digital library, 43. Heinrich kramers malleus maleficarum was a medieval treatise on witchcraft, describing the nature of witchcraft and the appropriate punishment for accused. The malleus maleficarum, usually translated as the hammer of witches, is the best known.
The word maleficarum means harmful magic, or witchcraft, and this manual was to be used to hammer out such practices. Malleus maleficarum some late medieval theologians, like the dominican inquisitor heinrich kramer institoris, author of the malleus maleficarum the hammer of witches, 1486, imagined witches to be members of a vast conspiracy directed against christian society that was allowed by god to cause immense physical and spiritual hardship. Heinrich kramer jacobus sprenger malleus maleficarum. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk, depending on stock availability. Often known as the hammer of witches, the malleus consists of a demonstration of the existence.
The truth is, although kramer and sprenger were catholic monks, their views were not the views of the church or the. He states that demons can collect semen from one human and transfer it to another. Cant believe this book is as hard to find as it is. It endorses extermination of witches and for this purpose develops a detailed legal and theological theory. This extraordinary document, considered one of the most impor. Apr 07, 2020 in 1487 during the inquisition, two dominican friars, heinrich kramer and jacob sprenger published the witchhunters book, malleus maleficarum hammer of witches. Its been credited with causing an enormous increase in witch trials in the years after it was published, often quoted as being a howto manual for the inquisition or appearing on the bench of every witch hunter throughout europe. Malleus maleficarum by heinrich kramer, james sprenger.
Extraordinary document 1608 on witchcraft and demonology offers striking insight into early 17th century mind. Wherefore on account of these words changed for the worse they say that such an. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. He even questions whether a witch can be born of such a union. Witches, midwives, and nurses feministes radicales. For three centuries this sadistic book lay on the bench of every judge, every witchhunter. The malleus maleficarum witch hunters handbook historic. As, for example, in his summa contra gentiles, book. The malleus maleficarum1 is considered by many to be the definitive medieval text on witchhunting and the trials of the roman catholic inquisition. Download course handbook and bibliography course summary. The malleus maleficarum, first published in 14861487, is the standard medieval text on witchcraft.
Request compendium maleficarum english translation. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Where can i find malleus maleficarum in original latin. Malleus maleficarum some late medieval theologians, like the dominican inquisitor heinrich kramer institoris, author of the malleus maleficarum the hammer of witches, 1486, imagined witches to be members of a vast conspiracy directed against christian society that was allowed by god to cause immense physical and. This volume offers a unique insight into the fifteenthcentury mind and its sense of sin, punishment, and retribution. The malleus is a historical document therefore reflects the views of some people at a specific time. Compendium maleficarum, collected in 3 books from many sources, showing the iniquitous and execrable operations of witches against the human race, and the divine remedies by which they may be frustrated. Sguardo sul medioevo blog vincitore del premio italia medievale 20 sezione multimedia. The malleus maleficarum, first published in 14867, is the standard medieval text on witchcraft and it remained in print throughout the early modern period. Malleus maleficarum puritans, supernaturals, witchcraft. It was the textbook of the day on witchcraft, setting out how it may be discovered and how it may be punished. The malleus maleficarum accuses women of sexually consorting with incubi male demons that have sex with sleeping women and the devil a relationship from which children can sometimes result. Its descriptions of the evil acts of witches and the ways to exterminate them continue to contribute to our knowledge of early modern law, religion and society. I guess the issue is most people want a translationif they even want to read the book at all.