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Compendium Maleficarum: The Montague Summers Edition (Dover Occult)

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This book became famous because of the woodcuts, which display acts of witchcraft. The text itself was not scientific, even by 17 century standards.

This witch hunters manual was written by Guazzo, a rather uneducated italian monk, belonging to an obscure monastery, who had some local popularity among his farmers in northern italy, and who wrote this text to flatter one of his protectors.

It seems, that he compiled his knowledge from a multitude of sources, without integrating them into coherent framework.The structure of the book is rather unclear, and Summers hints, that the original was written in very poor 'monks latin'.Its theory is even more contradictory than the 'Malleus Malleficarum', and therefore it never became an authoritative source - not even inside the vatican.

It seems that this book's first edition in 1608 found very few readers,and that edition 2 in 1626 was published post mortem to commemorate a popular citizen, not to celebrate his 'science'.
It seems that the woodcuts appeared in the second edition to attract readers,because the text itself attracted little interest. By the way, it is possible, but can not be proven, that this book caused the witch hunt in MILANO in early 17th century.
Summary: minor source for history of witch hunt, famous for its superb woodcuts, not for its content,

Like it's famous companion, the Malleus Maleficarum, the Compendium Maleficarum is one of the most famous witchhunting manuals of the late Renaissance. It was written at a time when belief in witches, demons, and devils was widespread across Europe and the Church was obsessed with stamping out heresy, freethinking, and the last vestiges of paganism, all of which it saw as a threat to its power and dominion. This book, which is a reprint of the orginal printed in 1608, is not what many would consider "fun" reading, as the text is long and laborious and filled with examples and effusive details of how to detect, interrogate, and execute witches. It also goes into great detail as to how one supposedly became a witch and the various rites and rituals that went along with it. It should be noted that this is not a guide on how to be a witch, nor does it have anything to do with modern Wicca. In fact, this book deals with superstitious beliefs in witchcraft and demons that clearly show the paranoid mindset promoted by the church and instilled in the generally credulous public in the early 17th century. It shows the fear, yet morbid fascination, that many people, clerics especially, had in regard to these dark subjects and the murderous lengths to which they would go to rid themselves of them. To the people of the 17th century, these beings were real and represented a real threat. The Church, as well as secular authorities and politicians, eagerly took advantage of these paranoias for their own purposes, whether it was to settle an old score or seize large amounts of money and property from suspected wealthy "witches". Even without these added misuses, mass hysteria and delusions were responsible for many thousands of tortures and deaths due to this book and its companions.

This edition includes a rather long and verbose introduction by the famous eccentric Montague Summers, who was well known for his great interest in witchcraft and the occult. Summers wrote and edited a large number of books on these subjects in the early 20th century and is truly an intersting character. His translations and re-editing of this book and the Malleus Maleficarum have made them available to a modern audience. Summers has often been criticized for his supportive views of these works and the actions of the Inqusition during the centuries of the witch hunts. It is interesting to read his thoughts of and praises for the likes of men like Guazzo, Kramer & Sprenger (authors of the Malleus Maleficarum), and the long litany of popes who issued Papal Bulls in support of the deadly machinations of the Inquisiton and their witch hunting offshoots. Keep in mind Summers was writing in the 20th century! It makes one wonder whether Summers really believed the things he wrote or if there was some other meaning behind them.

This is defiantely a book for anyone interested in the history of witchcraft and the occult. It presents a very interesting view on the pre-Enlightenment mindset as people were striving to shed the last superstitious remnants of the middle ages. It offers a frightening glimpse of an intolerant world of religious fundamentalism and widespread fear of the unknown.

Yes, you should know that this book is written from a christian point of view. Yes, it is also a manual on witch-hunting. But this book is an historical masterpiece. You should read it as a critic, don't take it too personal; don't let your ego adhere to its pages. It is a sample of traditions from the past, very interesting; a must read!

The Compendium Maleficarum, a minor treatise on witchcraft, is really a misunderstood book. First, the book reflects popular superstitions and theological opinions of the late medieval/early Renaissance period about witchcraft and many of the latter were never binding upon Cathollics as they were only theories. Some of the book could pass as orthodox Catholic demonology... some of it is quaint, imprecise, and bizarre. Second, the book was not an attack on paganism but upon Satanism as is obvious from even a cursory reading of the book. The literary quality is highly debatable. Fine prose passages filled with imagination, wit, and learning are by far outnumbered by sentimental, awkward, and/or brutal sections. The book is much more popular than academic in style; hence, its at times repetitive and dull examples comprise the bulk of the book. Of interest mainly to students of Church history. Keep in mind that the mishmash of opinions and information imparted by an obscure monk is not the infallible teaching of the Holy Catholic Faith.

Excellent historical view of what it took to torture, maim, and brutalize 'witches'. This book contains some very interesting stories, along with instructions on 'prodding' a witch to tell you what you want, nay, need to hear. This is a book for historians and other sociopaths!

This period of Europe history is the most fascinating to me. We, the heretics, were tortured and hanged or burned. This book is "a guide for witch-hunting" and a historical piece of work. It explains how demons possessed people and how they were purified. Great, simply great.

If you're looking for books relating to the modern religion called Wicca, then this book will probably not be what you're looking for.

It is, however, excellent if you're looking for some insight into the beliefs of the witch hunters and the folk beliefs commonly held regarding witchcraft from that time. Many interesting tidbits for any hunter of lore, but due to the duress under which it was extracted in some cases and the author's tendency to present data that it is doubtful he made any attempt to substantiate even as folk belief, I would not recommend it as a primary research source.

Excellent for understanding some of the beliefs of the witchunters and for the occassional bits of folklore. An interesting read. Good for getting a sense of perspective on the time period.

This book was a handbook for discovering, torturing and executing witches. Its a nice piece of history, and will serve as a reminder of the horrors man is capable of.

Well, this is susposedly one of 2 works by Christian priests on how to be a Witch hunter. This is basically what started the killing of witches when the Chirtian church started to become the prominent religion around the world. They had to force their religion onto the common folks by killing them if they would not comform. I read this in disgust but i had to remind myself that back then, this is how the Christians tried to make people join their religion. Most of the accounts retold in this book made me laugh and some made me cry to think of how our ancestors were tortureed because of the stupidity of each other. You also have to ask yourself how accurate are these stories.

The Milanese Monk of the Ambrosini, Francesco Maria Guazzo (also known as "Guaccio")didn't so much WRITE his famous best-selling Demonological compendium of the first decade of the 17th century as COMPILE it, taking from myriad more authoritative sources various tasty selections to appease his dark ecclesiastical appetite for outlandish and freakish historical incident and intrigue. His two main sources constantly cited and relied upon to bail him out at difficult moments of religious versus scientific/physical debate, are Martino Del Rio and Nicholas Remy, whom I believe after making an intensive study of his works to be his favorite authors; yet he cites throughout from such varied sources as theological works such as Trithemius; hermetic philosophy such as Ficino; as well as Scientific sources such as the immense 39 volume work of Pliny the Elder's, "Natural History"! All in all I would ask readers not to judge Guazzo's Witchcraft anthology from an ethical standpoint, though this may be difficult for Modern Pagans, but I would plead what benefit can come from serving the servants? I find it sadly ironic and telling that in our so-called "Enlightened" contemporary-day of supposed sympathetic mercies some would burn at the stake the very secular and ecclesiastical court leaders who persecuted and were actually demonic enough, centuries ago, to carry through and burn the Witches of the Renaissance era! Those persecutor of the Renaissance are the greatest historical examples of Black magicians in my humbled opinion! They are the ones who terrified yet controlled by almost magical manipulation sometimes vast crowds that thronged the executions, usually on Friday or Saturdays for local entertainment of course! (which is so sick)... I would beg people (Pagan, Christian, or otherwise) of today not to submit themselves to the very sickness and demonological excess & debauch that allowed our forbears to justify their deplorable actions, and Not Regress to their unreasoned state of disenchanted hatred. Know that GUAZZO however, had nothing or very little to do with any actual burnings or persecutions unless he be blamed for printing this work which caused and spread hysteria even further than it should have ever gone. For that is the power of the written word which the renaissance learned by tragic error and the very trial of souls burned at those almost sacred poles which have become as sacred relics, remnants of human barbarity testifying to the crimes women especially have suffered (see Jule`s Michelet's beautiful history of Witchcraft and Satanism for a profound, poetic & learned sociological History of Women). It is the secular courts that ultimately are responsible for the burnings; though admittedly Pope Innocent VIII's papal Bull put this power into the hands of local authorities so the church is really just as responsible for what happened, and continues to happen in one subtle form of prejudice or genuine hatred in our own day. The hanging of criminals in the Old West or the commie Witch hunts in the Pacific Northwest in the 1920-50's differ only in scale from what was slowly but surely dissolving when guazzo printed his COMPENDIUM MALEFICARUM, one of the most colorful Demonological texts ever printed, and that on a wide level of dispersion, yet not nearly the equal of the dreaded Malleus Maleficarum, published in many tongues, which I personally hold responsible for 1000's of known deaths, many more perhaps unrecorded. My studies of Guazzo's work is in relation to THE ORIGINS OF GOTHIC LITERATURE, English & German mainly, as my interpretation of his and many another Malefic treatise is in relation the BIRTH OF FICTION, or BOOKS READ FOR ENTERTAINMENT, which Guazzo's was I assure the world not read strictly by Theologians or Lawyers! For his Literary bent is evident on every page! It really is exemplary prose in the Horrific realm of Mysterious and Murderous fictions, and what can easily be termed ROMANCE permeates every page regardless how "R-E-A-L" or Superstitious & illusive were those things reputed or recorded therein! The invention/innovation of Guttenberg's press revolutionized the dispersal rate of Malefic works such as Guazzo's and all the 'Hammer's of Heresy' of the Inquisition, and the equivalent of criers would read aloud to the illiterate the innumerable entertaining stories Guazzo's work stocks like there's no tomorrow, as changes being made were evident even in 1608-9 yet I doubt Guazzo was highly aware or much cared for what went on outside the monastic walls that surrounded and guarded him. He was the perfect candidate for Gothic fiction: Cloistered, religiously devout, with a tendency for exaggeration, with very poetic/romantic sensibilities. Irrefutable is his highly polished and stylized poetic-prose which has enough literary merit I feel to warrant John Rodker's legendary press (who printed many another work beside just Guazzo's!---with catholic scholar Montague Summers writing introductions for most of them) in re-printing this classic work in 1929, as well as Dover Press doing so again in 1988. It shall stay in print I imagine for many centuries to come as its historical value is of the highest category, whether in Art/Literary History, Cultural/Sociological/Anthropological studies, even Legality and of course medicine has come into question along with scientific history; and folklorists have a goldmine to plunder in the encyclopedic Compendium of Guazzo's! "Magic", Richard Keickhefer says, "is the crossroads of History". Guazzo's COMPENDIUM MALEFICARUM is a famous alley of various rowdy bars of great learning & blasphemous rumor, as well as immense lore circulating in Italian Renaissance storytelling fashion where one can hear innumerable fantastic and grotesque tales from all over Europe and elsewhere being told on every page of the Ambrosian Monk's great contribution to the History of Human intellectual & Spiritual Evolution through the colorful stained lens of prose as intricate as the church windows of the Gothic cathedrals...