Part 3 Witchcraft In Literature - 2 Pro Witch Hunting Flashcards
What is the title of the first major work pro witch hunting and when was it first published?
Answer: The first major work is “Malleus Maleficarum” (The Witches’ Hammer), first published in Germany in 1486.
Who are the attributed authors of “Malleus Maleficarum,” and what order did they belong to?
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Answer: It is attributed to two inquisitors of the Dominican order, Kramer and Sprenger, who were empowered by the Pope to prosecute witches
How successful was “Malleus Maleficarum” in terms of publication and circulation?
Answer: “Malleus Maleficarum” had at least 34 editions between 1486 and 1669, with 30,000 to 50,000 copies in circulation, making it second only to the Bible in sales for many decades
How is “Malleus Maleficarum” structured, and what are the main themes of each part?
Answer: It is structured in three parts. Part 1 attempts to prove the existence of witchcraft, Part 2 describes how evil acts are done and can be undone, and Part 3 deals with the legal procedures for prosecuting witches.
What were the arguments used in Part 1 of “Malleus Maleficarum” to counter skepticism about the reality of witchcraft?
Answer: The first argument is that each act of maleficium results from the cooperation of an evil spirit and a maleficus, with the permission of Almighty God. The second argument is that not believing in the existence of witchcraft is considered heresy.
How does Part 2 of “Malleus Maleficarum” define witchcraft, and where did Kramer derive descriptions of maleficium?
Answer: Part 2 provides a definition of witchcraft through descriptions and examples derived from specific cases and confessions obtained during inquisitions conducted by Kramer himself or from other material on witchcraft written by other inquisitors.
Question: What is Kramer’s unique approach to justifying women’s susceptibility to witchcraft in Part 2?
Answer: Kramer uses the etymology of “femina” (woman), tracing it to the words “fe” (‘faith’) and “minus” (‘less’), concluding that women are naturally less faithful and less reliable.
According to Kramer, why does he believe women are more prone to witchcraft?
Answer: Kramer argues that women are more credulous, more impressionable, and more ready to receive the influence of a disembodied spirit. He attributes this vulnerability to women’s supposed intellectual likeness to children and their greater carnality compared to men.
What is the impact of “Malleus Maleficarum” on witch trials, and how did the Roman Catholic Church initially respond to it?
Answer: “Malleus Maleficarum” influenced witch trials for almost 200 years. Although the Roman Catholic Church condemned it as fraudulent in 1490, its impact persisted as a guidebook for both Protestants and Catholics, inquisitors, judges, and later scholars who used it as a basis for their works
Who wrote “Daemonologie,” and what makes it distinctive among studies of witchcraft?
Answer: James VI wrote “Daemonologie,” and it is distinctive as the only study of witchcraft written by a monarch.
What theory did James VI develop in his works on absolute monarchy, and when were these works published?
Answer: James VI developed the theory of the divine right of monarchy, published in “The Trew Law of Free Monarchies” in 1598 and “Basilikon Doron” in 1599.
What event in 1590 prompted James VI to publish “Daemonologie,” and who was the major culprit in the investigation?
Answer: In 1590, James VI believed his life and his wife Anne of Denmark’s life were threatened by a group of witches from North Berwick (Scotland). The major culprit in the investigation was Agnes Sampson.
What were the four separate plots revealed by Agnes Sampson during her interrogation?
Answer: The plots included raising a storm while James was at sea, magically consecrating a picture of the King, creating a wax image of James, and expressing venom from a toad to harm the King.
How was James VI personally involved in the questioning of Agnes Sampson, and what was his view on the use of torture in witchcraft cases?
Answer: James VI authorized the use of torture in Agnes Sampson’s case, believing that further experience proved the reluctance of accused witches to confess without torture.
When James VI became King of England in 1603, how did the people’s curiosity about witchcraft change?
Answer: Witchcraft gained increased interest, and “Daemonologie” was published twice in London in 1603. It was subsequently translated into Latin, French, and Dutch.
