Malleus Maleficarum
translated
by
Montague Summers
Question I. Whether the Belief that
there are such Beings as Witches is so Essential a Part of the Catholic
Faith that Obstinacy to maintain the Opposite Opinion manifestly savours
of Heresy.
Question II. If it be in Accordance
with the Catholic Faith to maintain that in Order to bring about some
Effect of Magic, the Devil must intimately co-operate with the Witch, or
whether one without the other, that is to say, the Devil without the
Witch, or conversely, could produce such an Effect.
Question III. Whether Children can
be Generated by Incubi and Succubi.
Question IV. By which Devils are the Operations of Incubus and
Succubus Practised?
Question V. What is the Source of the
Increase of Works of Witchcraft? Whence comes it that the Practice of
Witchcraft hath so notably increased?
Question VI. Concerning Witches who
copulate with Devils. Why is it that Women are chiefly addicted to Evil
superstitions?
Question VII. Whether Witches can
Sway the Minds of Men to Love or Hatred.
Question VIII. Whether Witches can Hebetate the Powers of
Generation or Obstruct the Venereal Act.
Question IX. Whether Witches may
work some Prestidigatory Illusion so that the Male Organ appears to be
entirely removed and separate from the Body.
Question X. Whether Witches can by
some Glamour Change Men into Beasts.
Question XI. That Witches who are
Midwives in Various Ways Kill the Child Conceived in the Womb, and Procure
an Abortion; or if they do not this Offer New-born Children to Devils.
Question XII. Whether the Permission of Almighty God is an
Accompaniment of Witchcraft.
Question XIII. Herein is set forth
the Question, concerning the Two Divine Permissions which God justly
allows, namely, that the Devil, the Author or all Evil, should Sin, and
that our First Parents should Fall, from which Origins the Works of
Witches are justly suffered to take place.
Question XIV. The Enormity of
Witches is Considered, and it is shown that the Whole Matter should be
rightly Set Forth and Declared.
Question XV. It is Shown that, on Account of the Sins of Witches,
the Innocent are often Bewitched, yea, Sometimes even for their Own Sins.
Question XVI. The Foregoing Truths
are Set out in Particular, this by a Comparison of the Works of Witches
with Other Baleful Superstitions.
Question XVII. A Comparison of
their Crimes under Fourteen Heads, with the Sins of the Devils of all and
every Kind.
Question XVIII. Here follows the
Method of Preaching against and Controverting Five Arguments of Laymen and
Lewd Folk, which seem to be Variously Approved, that God does not Allow so
Great Power to the Devil and Witches as is involved in the Performance of
such Mighty Works of Witchcraft.
Question I. Of those against whom the
Power of Witches availeth not at all.
Chapter I. Of the several Methods by
which Devils through Witches Entice and Allure the Innocent to the
Increase of that Horrid Craft and Company.
Chapter II. Of the Way whereby a
Formal Pact with Evil is made.
Chapter III. How they are Transported from Place to Place.
Chapter IV. Here follows the Way
whereby Witches copulate with those Devils known as Incubi.
Chapter V. Witches commonly perform
their Spells through the Sacraments of the Church. And how they Impair the
Powers of Generation, and how they may Cause other Ills to happen to God's
Creatures of all kinds. But herein we except the Question of the Influence
of the Stars.
Chapter VI. How Witches Impede and
Prevent the Power of Procreation.
Chapter VII. How, as it were, they Deprive Man of his Virile
Member.
Chapter VIII. Of the Manner whereby
they Change Men into the Shapes of Beasts.
Chapter IX. How Devils may enter the
Human Body and the Head without doing any Hurt, when they cause such
Metamorphosis by Means of Prestidigitation.
Chapter X. Of the Method by which
Devils through the Operations of Witches sometimes actually possess men.
Chapter XI. Of the Method by which they can Inflict Every Sort of
Infirmity, generally Ills of the Graver Kind.
Chapter XII. Of the Way how in
Particular they Afflict Men with Other Like Infirmities.
Chapter XIII. How Witch Midwives
commit most Horrid Crimes when they either Kill Children or Offer them to
Devils in most Accursed Wise.
Chapter XIV. Here followeth how
Witches Injure Cattle in Various Ways.
Chapter XV. How they Raise and Stir up Hailstorms and Tempests,
and Cause Lightning to Blast both Men and Beasts.
Chapter XVI. Of Three Ways in which
Men and Women may be Discovered to be Addicted to Witchcraft: Divided into
Three Heads: and First of the Witchcraft of Archers.
Question II. Introduction, wherein
is Set Forth the Difficulty of this Question.
Chapter I. The Remedies prescribed by
the Holy
Church
against Incubus and Succubus Devils.
Chapter II. Remedies prescribed for Those who are Bewitched by the
Limitation of the Generative Power.
Chapter III. Remedies prescribed for
those who are Bewitched by being Inflamed with Inordinate Love or
Extraordinary Hatred.
Chapter IV. Remedies presribed for
those who by Prestidigitative Art have lost their Virile Members or have
seemingly been Transformed into the Shapes of Beasts.
Chapter V. Prescribed Remedies for those who are Obsessed owing to
some Spell.
Chapter VI. Prescribed Remedies; to
wit, the Lawful Exorcisms of the Church, for all Sorts of Infirmities and
Ills due to Witchcraft; and the Method of Exorcising those who are
Bewitched.
Chapter VII. Remedies prescribed
against Hailstorms, and for animals that are Bewitched.
Chapter VIII. Certain Remedies
prescribed against those Dark and Horrid Harms with which Devils may
Afflict Men.
The Third Head. Which is the last Part of this Work. How the
Process is to be Concluded by the Pronouncement of a Definite and Just
Sentence
General and Introductory.
Who are the Fit and Proper Judges in the Trial of Witches?
Question I. The Method of Initiating
a Process
Question II. Of the Number of
Witnesses
Question III. Of the Solemn
Adjuration and Re-examination of Witnesses
Question IV. Of the Quality and
Condition of Witnesses
Question V. Whether Mortal Enemies
may be Admitted as Witnesses
Question VI. How the Trial is to be
Proceeded with and Continued. And how the Witnesses are to be Examined in
the Presence of Four Other Persons, and how the Accused is to be
Questioned in
Two Ways
Question VII. In Which Various Doubts are Set Forth with Regard to
the Foregoing Questions and Negative Answers. Whether the Accused is to be
Imprisoned, and when she is to be considered Manifestly Taken in the Foul
Heresy of Witchcraft. This is the Second Action
Question VIII. Which Follows from
the Preceding Question, Whether the Witch is to be Imprisoned, and of the
Method of Taking her. This is the Third Action of the Judge
Question IX. What is to be done
after the Arrest, and whether the Names of the Witnesses should be made
Known to the Accused. This is the Fourth Action
Question X. What Kind of Defence may
be Allowed, and of the Appointment of an Advocate. This is the Fifth
Action
Question XI. What Course the
Advocate should Adopt when the Names of the Witnesses are not Revealed to
him. Ths Sixth Action
Question XII. Of the Same Matter,
Declaring more Particularly how the Question of Personal Enmity is to be
Investigated. The Seventh Action
Question XIII. Of the Points to be
Observed by the Judge before the Formal Examination in the Place of
Detention and Torture. This is the Eighth Action
Question XIV. Of the Method of Sentencing the Accused to be
Questioned: and How she must be Questioned on the First Day; and Whether
she may be Promised her Life. The Ninth Action
Question XV. Of the Continuing of
the Torture, and of the Devices and Signs by which the Judge can Recognize
a Witch; and how he ought to Protect himself from their Spells. Also how
they are to be Shaved in Parts where they use to Conceal the Devil's Masks
and Tokens; together with the due Setting Forth of Various Means of
Overcoming the Obstinacy in Keeping Silence and Refusal to Confess. And it
is the Tenth Action
Question XVI. Of the fit Time and
of the Method of the Second Examination. And it is the Eleventh Action,
concerning the Final Precautions to be Observed by the Judge
Question XVII. Of Common
Purgation, and especially of the Trial of Red-hot Iron, to which Witches
Appeal
Question XVIII. Of the Manner of
Pronouncing a Sentence which is Final and Definitive
Question XIX. Of the Various
Degrees of Overt Suspicion which render the Accused liable to be Sentenced
Question XX. Of the Firth Method of Pronouncing Sentence
Question XXI. Of the Second Method
of Pronouncing Sentence, when the Accused is no more than Defamed
Question XXII. Of the Third Kind
of Sentence, to be Pronounced on one who is Defamed, and who is to be put
to the Question
Question XXIII. The Fourth Method
of Sentencing, in the Case of one Accused upon a Light Suspicion
Question XXIV. The Fifth Manner of
Sentence, in the Case of one under Strong Suspicion
Question XXV. The Sixth Kind of
Sentence, in the Case of one who is Gravely Suspect
Question XXVI. The Method of
passing Sentence upon one who is both Suspect and Defamed
Question XXVII. The Method of
passing Sentence upon one who hath Confessed to Heresy, but is still not
Penitent
Question XXVIII. The Method of
passing Sentence upon one who hath Confessed to Heresy but is Relapsed,
Albeir now Penitent
Question XXIX. The Method of passing Sentence upon one who hath
Confessed to Heresy but is Impenitent, although not Relapsed
Question XXX. Of One who has
Confessed to Heresy, is Relapsed, and is also Impenitent
Question XXXI. Of One Taken and
Convicted, but Denying Everything
Question XXXII. Of One who is
Convicted but who hath Fled or who Contumaciously Absents himself
Question XXXIII. Of the Method
of passing Sentence upon one who has been Accused by another Witch, who
has been or is to be Burned at the Stake
Question XXXIV. Of the Method of
passing Sentence upon a Witch who Annuls Spells wrought by Witchcraft; and
of Witch Midwives and Archer-Wizards
Question XXXV. Finally, of the
Method of passing Sentence upon Witches who Enter or Cause to be Entered
an Appeal, whether such be Frivolous or Legitimate and Just
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