This is just info to go whith the History of Witchcraft
The Malleus Malleficarum
The Malleus Malleficarum is in three parts, the first of which treats \"the three necessary concomitants of Witchcraft are the Devil, a Witch, and the permission of Almighty God.\" Here the reader is first admonished that to not believe in Witchcraft is heresy. Points are then covered on whether children can be generated by Incubi and Succubi; Witches' copulation with the Devil; whether Witches can sway the minds of men to love or hatred; whether Witches can hebetate the powers of generation or obstruct the venereal act; whether Witches may work some prestidigitatory illusion so that the male organ appears to be entirely removed and separate from the body; various ways that the Witches may kill the child conceived in the womb, etc., etc.
The second part, \"Treating of the methods by which works of Witchcraft are wrought and directed, and how they may be successfully annulled and dissolved;\" deals with \"the several methods by which devils through Witches entice and allure the innocent to the increase of that horrid craft and company; the way whereby a formal pact with evil is made; how they transport from place to place; how Witches impede and prevent the power of procreation; how as it were they deprive man of his virile member; how Witch midwives commit horrid crimes when they either kill children or offer them to devils in most accursed wise; how Witches-injure cattle, raise and stir up hailstorms and tempests and cause lightning to blast both men and beasts.\" Then follow remedies for the above.
The third part of the book \"Relating to the judicial proceedings in both the ecclesiastical and civil courts against Witches and indeed all heretics;' is perhaps the most important. It is here that the order of the trial is dealt with. \"Who are the fit and proper judges for the trial of Witches?\" is the first question. It goes on to \"The method of initiating a process; the solemn adjuration and re-examination of witnesses; the quality and condition of witnesses; whether mortal enemies may be admitted as witnesses.\" Here we are told that \"the testimony of men of low repute and criminals, and of servants against their masters, is admitted… it is to be noted that a witness is not to be disqualified because of every sort of enmity:' We learn that, in the case of Witchcraft, virtually anybody may give evidence, though in any other case they would not be admitted. Even the evidence of young children was admissable.
It is obvious from the above that the authors of the Malleus Maleficarum had certain obsessions. A large number of the chapters are, for example, concerned with sexual aspects of Witchcraft…. who were the authors of this infamous work? They were two Dominicans named Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich (Institor) Kramer.
Witchcraft Ancient and Modern
Raymond Buckland
HC Publications, N.Y. 1970
