Europe 1450-1750:
Malleus Maleficarum (1453)
Primary Source
Questions
Who wrote it? Why?
Two German Monks
James Sprenger
Heinrich Kramer
Published in an act of revenge for the common belief that witches werent real and the lack of authorities that took Kramer and Sprenger serious prior to publication
Created to help Christian authorities
identify and then punish or persecute
witches within the community.
Whose perspective does it reflect?
One that is religious and is
heavily against any form of
witchcraft.
Powerful but misogynistic men
that believe women are destined
to be evil and sin.
Whose perspectives are omitted/questioned/challenged?
The Christians of the period
who did not believe in the
existence of witches.
Anyone who qualified as a
witch under Kramer and
Sprenger's standard.
A feminist perspective
People who are
non religious.
A feminist perspective
A feminist perspective
Which questions can this source help me answer? Which can it not?
Can Answer
Provides context on the ways
in which gender inequalities
impacted women during the time period.
Cannot answer
Why was the law so different
from how it is now? What
caused the change?
Are Sprenger and Kramer important or significant aside from the Malleus Maleficarum?
What does it look like?
Is in the form of
a chapter book
Separated by its numerous
sections and chapters
Yellowed paper with relatively
large print that let to only a dozen
(more or less) sentences per page
Written in Latin and
most commonly translates
to The Hammer of Witches
Includes complex drawings of
examples of witchcraft
How does the author
communicate ideas?
In the form of an
educational book that is
to be followed exactly.
Includes a table of contents
Step by Step guide
What are the big ideas?
Outlines the process to become a witch, the signs of witchcraft, and the most effective methods of rooting out community witches.
Death and torture are the means of punishing and torturing any witches.
Witches and witchcraft are
sinful and forbidden
There are different types of
witches that require
different approaches.
Witches are the enemy and need to be eliminated.
Women of a lower status are evil and likely withces.
What ideas are left out?
Add your text
Significance
Questions
What attitudes or
beliefs of this era did
the primary source
reveal?
Women were not respected and were viewed as below men.
The devil and demons weren't a theory, they were a reality to all people.
Women weren't supposed to display emotion
The church had a hand in laws that were passed
Add your text
Add your text
Add your text
Add your text
What change did the
primary source cause?
It became so famous it was
reprinted 13 times in forty years.
Increased the belief that witches are real, leading to the recognition of witch craft from King James I in 1603
Led to a major rise in the
punishments being administered
to the "witches"
The pope authorized executions of witches.
Add your text
Add your text
Add your text
Add your text