Customer Reviews

The Malleus Maleficarum

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Rating the MALLEUS MALEFICARUM is an exercise is frustration. One cannot "enjoy" this book; like MEIN KAMPF, one reads it for its historical importance. This book should form a part of every thinking person's library as a warning beacon, if for no other reason that it is a seminal textbook on the inhumanity of humanity.

First written in 1484 by the Friars Kramer and Sprenger, (and reprinted endlessly), the MALLEUS was immediately given the imprimatur of the Holy See as the most important work on witchcraft, to date. And so it remains.

The MALLEUS MALEFICARUM is a compendium of fifteenth century paranoias, all the more frightening for its totalitarian modernity. ("Anything that is done for the benefit of the State is Good.") In form, it is a "how to" guide on recognizing, capturing, torturing, and executing witches. In substance, it is a diatribe against women, heretics, independent thinkers, romantic lovers, the sensitive passions, human sexuality, and compassion.

"Vanity of vanities" indeed. In writing the MALLEUS, Kramer and Spenger claimed to be doing "God's work"; these men, and those who followed them worshiped only their own arrogance. Read it and Be Afraid, my friends.

Forming a portion of every working law library for 300 years, there is no estimate of how many women and men were put to death through the mechanism of this benighted book. Some historians estimate that the numbers may run into the millions.

The text is rife with "caselaw" examples of witchcraft, some of which are clearly delusional and some downright silly, or would be, if they hadn't ended in gruesome deaths for the accused. Take the case of the poor woman who was burned for offering the opinion that "it might rain today" shortly before it did.

Of note are Kramer and Spenger's assertions that prosecutors are (conveniently) "immune" to witchcraft, and their instructions to Judges to tell the truth to the witch that there will be mercy shown (with the mental reservation that death is a mercy to those prisoner to the devil). Such twisted logic is the cornerstone of the MALLEUS.

The translator, Rev. Montague Summers, waxes rhapsodic on the "learning" and "wisdom" of the authors of the MALLEUS. He was apparently of a mind with Kramer and Spenger, and wrote two embarrassingly effusive and bigoted introductions (in 1928 and 1946), praising the "brillance" of this work and its importance in this "feministic" era.

Summers' commentary is as frightening as anything Kramer and Spenger wrote in the text proper, the more so for being 20th century, and particularly post-World War Two. Like the Papal Bull of VIII which is now considered integral with the MALLEUS, future commentators will make much of the statements of Summers, a "modern" man.

In short, the MALLEUS MALEFICARUM was a license to kill. And it was used far too often and far too freely.

Kramer and Spenger's madness did not die with them; but how many have died with their madness?

This infamous text is essential for any serious student of witchcraft in early modern Europe. Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer were two Dominican monks who wrote this `guide' to witchcraft in 1486. It served as a guide book for inquisitors during the Inquisition, providing information on identifying witches, wringing confessions from them and discussing suitable punishment of offenders.
This text has become the definitive example of misogyny in the witch-hunts. Throughout the book there are negative references to women such as `When a woman thinks alone she thinks evil', `She is a liar by nature', `she is more carnal than a man as shown by her carnal abominations'. It also goes on to describe women as defective, weak, and basically claims any misfortune from illness through to crop failure was due to malign magic. Nothing had a natural cause in their view. Witches, according to Kramer and Sprenger, were responsible for all this plus infanticide, cannibalism, consorting with demons and any other abominable behaviour they could imagine.
Putting the misogyny aside, this text gives an in depth, if somewhat harrowing, view of what was involved when identifying, interrogating and punishing the unfortunate accused. It is not a comfortable read to say the least, showing as it does mankind's complete inhumanity to fellow man during this period. This is no lightweight, quick read but it is divided into manageable sections that make it less onerous to study and an excellent contents section makes it very simple to find particular topics. As a primary source it is an invaluable study aid and is a book that is a `must have' on any historians bookshelf.

I really must admit that I'm amazed at the people who either are horrified that this book exists or think it's the absolute truth. This book was written nearly 400 years ago, and needs to be viewed in context, which too many of the reviewers are incapable of doing. But enough of the soapbox, on to the book...

First off,... ignore the introduction. Rev. Summers has some truly bizarre and unsupportable beliefs about the prevalence and organization of witchcraft in the middle ages. Fifth column working to overthrow the whole of Christendom? ...

Once you get past the oddly humourous intro, the book begins to bog. It's a slow, dull read. However, the material is vital in getting an understanding of the Church's then-current philosophy on dealing with witchcraft. You're not going to get a better picture unless you read the original Latin, which I doubt few of us are prepared for anymore. How much of this is necessary to the casual reader is debatable. There are multitudes of general histories written with a slant towards any position you favor that cover the same ground. They also don't get into as much detail as this, but then, how much do you need? It's primary source material for the truly dedicated.

Taken for what it is, a historical document, it gets 5 stars. Take off a half-star for the sometime ...[bad] printing you get from Dover. Take off another half-star for lingering doubts about the translation. Anybody with as much of an axe to grind as the Rev. Montague Summers may have 'aided' the translation a bit, but that is simply speculation on my part.

The Malleus is a timepiece. It reflects the views of certain men at a specfic time. Recent historical research has proved the Malleus to have been of limited use to actual judges in deciding the veracity witchcraft accusations. Most of these judges were not even Catholic, as the authors were. Evidence suggests that even the more rabid judges were loathe to use a document as vitriolic as the Malleus. Although it is an important look at the terrifying possibilities of ignorance and hate, the Malleus should never be seen by anyone as a window into the hearts and minds of all men or persons in authority at the time. As a woman, I am nearly as amused as I am offended by it. (Including the rediculous intro by Montague) Certainly, however, it should never be held up by modern witches as an emblem of medieval/early modern prejudice against their religion. Accused witches of the "burning times" were overwhelmingly Christian women caught up in social or political conflicts of a very local nature. To assign them beliefs that, if confronted with, they would have rejected out of hand (and did)is a grave disservice to the victims. Read it, but also read Sharpe, Larner, Thomas and Underdown.

What we have here in Kramer and Sprenger is an artifact. And as an artifact it is a splendid example of historical Christian thought. Part I; Question XIV contains a subheading that summarizes the point of this tome: "That Witches Deserve the heaviest Punishment above All the Criminals of the World."

The "Hammer" was written to offer a protocol for trying and adjudicating (read: killing) alleged witches. It is safe to say that Salem and other incidences of spurious witch trials would not have been legitimized but by reference to this 15th century work of folklore. There is no doubt that Kramer and Sprenger were learned canons of the Church and they were attempting to remedy the problem of falsely accused witches being lynched by torch-and-pitchfork mobs. What they accomplished instead was bringing witch-hunts under the authority of the Church. The Malleus Maleficarum facilitated the further enmeshment of Church and State by prescribing the manner in which these cases should be adjudicated in the ecclesiastical and civil courts.

If you enjoy studying mythology or Church History (they often overlap)this is a compelling read. More than any other single artifact, this book sheds light on what was plaguing the collective mind of Christendom in the late middle ages. A read well worth the time.

PAX

E

Montague Summers' translation of the Malleus Maleficarum is a must have for any library focused on the occult and its history. The myths and bigotries associated with the medieval invention of diabolical witchcraft become quite clear through this biased translation of the original Latin text compiled by James Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer. Summers' frightening laud of the original is elemental in understanding how this work could have been born out of the fear and ignorance of medieval Europe. Summers' earnest belief in diabolical creatures such as werewolves and vampires heartily fuels his praise of the terrible work carried out under the Bull of Pope Innocent VIII which lead to the persecution, torture, forced admission and grusome execution of perhaps thousands of innocent people. If you are planning on becoming a witch hunter, you would do better to brush up on your Latin and look to the original text or await Christopher Mackay's much anticipated translinear edition. I would also suggest researching as many primary sources as possible, such as the work of King James I. That said, the Summers edition is a significant look through the types of eyes that might have composed the original work, and the views that were (and possibly are) being harbored in more contemporary times on this controversial and esoteric subject.

The Malleus Maleficarum is not a book you would read for the sheer pleasure of it. Even considering the dark nature of its subject material, the style is interminably monotonous. The authors were considered pre-eminent in their day and attempt to present a reasonably thorough defence of killing people. They also use numerous examples from cases that are known to them in order to demonstrate their points.

The book presents a fairly cold and calculating side when dealing with the punishment of people. References to villages in which dozens of souls were executed are without emotion or the slightest tinge of regret.

For people interested in the Medieval period and its fears, beliefs and the world that people saw around them, this book presents a unique insight into their mentality. It is also a testimony to the way in which religion can be used to justify even the most despicable treatment of human beings by people.

At once fascinating and disturbing, this book is both special and vile. You won't feel good and there are no happy endings. However, the deepened knowledge and the lessons one can learn for today are worth the effort.

It is somewhat ironic that of all Summer's works, his translation of the Malleus Maleficarum would become what he is most famous for. Most people who would call themselves occultists in our time would, also ironically, like to see every last copy burned. What fascinates me is not only the fact that the book's survival is now ensured, but that Summers goes to great lengths to actually defend the book and the Inquisition in his 1948 introduction. It is possible that he chooses his translation's second printing for this because that by 1948, the Malleus was no longer history's most infamous book.

As to the actual content set down by Kramer and Sprenger, it provides a most interesting look into the minds of fifteenth-century biblical scholars-- and at the time these were considered two of the best. Presented primarily in a 'point/counterpoint' format, the text itself, though fascinating, often seems to be endless, but one must understand that this was the style of the time. Though it is doubtful that an actual witch (a better word would be "malefactor") was ever punished with this book's help, it remains a wonderful look into history and I for one am glad it will be around for future generations.

This book and Compendium Maleficarum is not written by modern authors. These are reprints of books used in witch hunts in europe, lies created by the pope, and the church, to hunt down many pagans. This was done to help win a religious battle with pagans because many people became pagans instead of christians, due to the celebrations. I myself am not christian, nor am I wiccan, or any other religion for that matter, I am atheist. It doesn't bother me that people give this book 1 star, but their reason isn't the best reason. They say it's filled with hate, which it is, but when a book is written to hunt down and kill people it is going to be filled with hate. This was created by a paranoid church, and it seems some people think it was written for modern times. This book should only be bought for those interested in the witch hunts of europe, and not those looking for a history, or to understand wicca. This book should be read to educate people of probably the most horrific time in the christian church(though there have been many). Not to be taken as a modern work, in how to deal with witches.

The Malleus Maleficarum is a wonderful book for the insight it gives the reader into the medieval mindset of extremists within the Catholic Church. However, it should not--like any work--be taken as representative of every person under the Catholic umbrella at the time of its writing, and especially not of the present institutional Church. Understand: the Malleus is an artifact of its time. If you are of an extreme, absolutist Christian penchant, in the Malleus Maleficarum you will find justification for your views. On the other hand, if you seek shaky grounds on which to cast stones at the modern Catholic Church, you too will be rewarded. Readers who seek true knowledge of modern Catholic theology should consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the works of Hans Kung. For a comprehensive and balanced account of Church history, consult William Bausch's Pilgrim Church: A Popular History of Catholic Christianity.