Description
Book SynopsisEnglish translations of two important fifteenth-century writings on witchcraft by Johannes Hartlieb and Ulrich Molitoris. Introduction discusses the writings, the authors, their historical environments, the ways they used sources, and their influence on the development of ideas about witchcraft.
Trade Review“These two little-known fifteenth-century texts are here expertly translated into English for the first time by one of the world’s leading authorities on medieval magic and witchcraft. They document the involvement of laymen in the early prosecution of witchcraft and provide valuable context for more famous works such as the Malleus maleficarum. The introduction deftly introduces the authors and places the works in the long tradition of manuals for princes. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of magic, witchcraft, heresy, or ‘aberrant’ beliefs.”
—Daniel Hobbins,author of Authorship and Publicity Before Print
“The two essays presented for the first time in English in Richard Kieckhefer’s Hazards of the Dark Arts show a comparable but refracted view of early modern opinion, reminding us to never underrate its intricacy.”
—Camille Ralphs Times Literary Supplement
“This is a very useful and engaging volume, and deserves to be widely used in teaching on magic, witchcraft, and courtly culture in the medieval and early modern periods. As a model for similar Magic in History Sourcebooks we might hope to see in the future, it is very encouraging.”
—Catherine Rider Speculum
“A great boon to the study of witchcraft.”
—Cliff Cunningham Sun News Austin
Table of ContentsContents
List of illustrations
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Johannes Hartlieb, The Book of All Forbidden Arts
[A.] Prologue
[B.] Powers of the Devil
[C.] An example from Caesarius of Heisterbach
[D.] Moral exhortation
[E.] Nygramancy (necromancy)
[F.] Geomancy
[G.] Correlation of arts with elements
[H.] Hydromancy
[I.] Aeromancy
[J.] Pyromancy
[K.] Chiromancy
[L.] Spatulamancy
[M.] General prohibition
Ulrich Molitoris, On witches and pythonesses, in German “Unholden” or “Hexen”
Letter
[Part I]
1. Weather magic
2. Harm to humans and infants
3. Impotence
4. Change of form
5. Riding on sticks or wolves
6. Intercourse of Devil with women
7. Children born to demons and witches
8. Foretelling future things
[Part II]
Chaps. 1-3 resumed
Chap. 4 resumed
Chap. 5 resumed
Chaps. 6-7 resumed
Epilogue
Short bibliography
