The Witch Trials of early modern Europe were the confluence of many factors. Among the most important were the complex shifts in the theological, philosophical, and legal understanding of evil, magic, witchcraft, and heresy. In this episode I explore the period of the demonological development from Augustine to the period just before the publication of the infamous witchhunting manual the Malleus Maleficarum. By seeing the subtle shiftings in these demonologists and inquisitors, we can gain a better appreciation of the origins of the concept of the 'witch' and the early modern European Witch Hunts more generally.

#demonology #witchtrials #magic

Recommended Readings:

Levak Witchcraft Sourcebook 9781138774971
Kors & Peters Witchcraft in Europe, 4001700: A Documentary History 9780812217513
Nider Formicarius https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Wc...
Eymeric Directorium Inquisitorum https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RJ...