The Malleus Maleficarum | Translated and Edited by Peter Maxwell-Stuart
The best known (and most infamous) of the witch hunt manuals. And while stocks last, this issue comes with a ‘Medieval Witch Hunter’ tote bag!
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In 1487, the zealous inquisitor Heinrich Kramer wrote a treatise that would have a remarkable influence on European history. Blaming women for his own lust, and frustrated by official complacency before what he saw as a monstrous spiritual menace, Kramer penned a practical guide to aid law officers in the identification and prosecution of witches.
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Fusing theology, lurid anecdotes and advice for those engaged in combating sorcery, The Malleus Maleficarum transports the reader into the dark heart of medieval belief – where fear and the supernatural converged in a gripping struggle for understanding and control. The book led to the burning of numerous heretics and ‘witches’ and had a lasting impact on the popular image of witchcraft.
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This edition offers a clear, readable translation and an introduction that lays out the context of late-medieval Europe, a time of spiritual paranoia when powerful men suspected women’s sexuality was a tool of the Devil.
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Size: 155 x 235mm (paperback)
Pages: 288
Publisher: Manchester University Press
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