The Malleus Maleficarum is one of the best-known treatises dealing with the problem of what to do with witches. It was written in 1487 by a Dominican inquisitor; Heinrich Institoris; following his failure to prosecute a number of women for witchcraft; it is in many ways a highly personal document; full of frustration at official complacency in the face of a spiritual threat; as well as being a practical guide for law-officers who have to deal with a cunning; dangerous enemy. Combining theological discussion; illustrative anecdotes; and useful advice for those involved in suppressing witchcraft; its influence on witchcraft studies has been extensive. The only previous translation into English; that by Montague Summers produced in 1928; is full of inaccuracies. It is written in a style almost unreadable nowadays; and is unfortunately coloured by his personal agenda. This new edited translation; with an introductory essay setting witchcraft; Institoris; and the Malleus into clear; readable English; corrects Summers’ mistakes and offers a lean; unvarnished version of what Institoris actually wrote. It will undoubtedly become the standard translation of this important and controversial late-medieval text.
1904 #File Name: B00COAQV6G
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