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The Hammer of Witches: Malleus Maleficarum: The Most Influential Book of Witchcraft
The Hammer of Witches: Malleus Maleficarum: The Most Influential Book of Witchcraft | Heinrich Kramer
3 posts | 5 read | 8 to read
The Malleus Maleficarum or "Hammer of Witches" is the best known and the most important treatise on witchcraft. It endorses extermination of witches and for this purpose develops a detailed legal and theological theory. It was a bestseller, second only to the Bible in terms of sales for almost 200 years. It was written by the Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer and first published in 1487. The Malleus elevates sorcery to the criminal status of heresy and prescribes inquisitorial practices for secular courts in order to extirpate witches. The recommended procedures include torture to effectively obtain confessions and the death penalty as the only sure remedy against the evils of witchcraft. At that time, it was typical to burn heretics alive at the stake and the Malleus encouraged the same treatment of witches. The book had a strong influence on culture for several centuries. It was later used by royal courts during the Renaissance, and contributed to the increasingly brutal prosecution of witchcraft during the 16th and 17th centuries.
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Cazxxx
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One of the most interesting yet infuriating and sad things I‘ve ever read. The levels men would go to blame women for absolutely everything and have them tortured and killed is beyond belief, a lot of it in the name of religion. This is such a hard read but part of human history which everyone should know about
I don‘t think I‘ve ever highlighted a book so much!

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veritysalter
Malleus Maleficarum – The Witch Hammer | Jakob Sprenger, Heinrich Kramer
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#FALLISBOOKED - Day Sixteen - #WICKED Today I‘ve chosen a book that is responsible for the deaths of at least 60,000 innocent people, mainly old women in Europe. A book that attempts to define wickedness, but history teaches us that the wickedness was perpetrated by those in authority and the danger of the fear of ‘others‘.

OriginalCyn620 A very good choice for the prompt. Have you read it? Not sure if I could! 5y
veritysalter Yes, I studied History of Art at University and did a course on Alchemy and Witchcraft. I‘ll admit it‘s hard work to read, but I had a fabulous professor to explain it. 5y
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BeansPage
Mehso-so

Despite hating this book, the authors, it's users and everything this book stood for... I would still recommend anyone interested in the subject to give it a read. It is a piece of our human history and a testament as to just how low we can go. Even though the content of this book is so horrible, it's still one of the most infamous books of all time. But it is pretty hard core. READER BEWARE!

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