Witch hunts are a terrible stain on our collective human history. They account for the murders of up to 60,000 women, and the Malleus Maleficarum justified the witch hunts more than any other text.
Clergyman Heinrich Kramer published the manuscript in 1486. In the years that followed, he used the book as a blueprint for witch trials throughout Europe. Publishers added Jakob Sprenger as a co-author to Kramer’s text decades later.
The Malleus translates to “The Hammer of Witches.” It served as the authority on witchcraft for nearly 200 years. This book’s history is both long and dark. In truth, it’s responsible for countless tragedies.
The book is still in print today, but it’s more of a novelty now. Most reject it as a spiritual guide. Christians even rejected the Malleus when Kramer first published it.
The Church Originally Rejected the Malleus Maleficarum
Though the Malleus Maleficarum lists both Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger as authors, the story of this book follows Kramer. Some historians believe Sprenger had no part in writing the manuscript at all.
Kramer served the Dominican Order primarily in Austria and Germany, where he authored the Malleus. A floating claim states that Pope Innocent VIII commissioned the manuscript, but historians disagree.
Experts think Kramer created his book out of frustration. The author was recovering from a series of failed witch hunts in 1484 when he wrote the text. And scholars say Kramer filled it with bitter tones and personal revenge.
The Malleus didn’t align with Catholic doctrine of the time, and it drew focus from the Church’s immediate targets. Inquisitors rooted out heretics. Witches weren’t on the docket. Of course, Kramer was determined to destroy witches anyway.
Members of the clergy thought Kramer was out of touch. This view of him was common in those early years. A bishop in Austria once booted Kramer from the town of Innsbruck because he couldn’t stop raving about witches. The bishop called him senile and sent Kramer on his way.
Even Inquisitors were against the Malleus at first. They believed it was unethical. This says a lot since torturing and killing non-Christians was a big part of their work. The Church went so far as to call the book false three years after Heinrich Kramer wrote it. Despite this, they let Kramer continue working as an Inquisitor. He had a free pass to hunt witches.
Sprenger and Kramer Were Given Papal Authority to Destroy Witches
Pope Innocent VIII probably didn’t commission the Malleus. Though, he did order Sprenger and Kramer to destroy witchcraft throughout Germany. The order was given by decree in 1484.
Kramer’s early attempts at fulfilling the order failed. But this gave him the time needed to write his manuscript and spread darkness over the European continent.
Local churches handled witchcraft cases before Kramer published the Malleus Maleficarum. These churches sentenced “witches” to light punishments like spending time in the stocks. Inquisitors didn’t burn them alive in troves.
It took a while for the Malleus Maleficarum to gain traction. Once it did, witchcraft became an unforgivable sin. Using folk remedies to fight sickness was deadly. Inquisitors could burn you at the stake for being a midwife or dancing in the moonlight.
The text motivated the populace to search for witches in everyday life, and the patriarchal worldview of the Renaissance turned society against women.
The Malleus Maleficarum Drove Witch Hunts for Centuries
It wasn’t long before the Malleus Maleficarum invaded the common sphere. This forced the issue of witchcraft onto both the clergy and lay people. But that’s exactly how Kramer designed this text.
The book’s first section demanded that the population follow suit. Here’s how: Part one of the Malleus insisted evil creatures were real. This includes demons, the devil, the incubus, and witches. Then, it condemned anyone who didn’t believe in these forces as heretics.
Before the Inquisition burned witches at the stake, they killed heretics. The Malleus‘s new standard for belief in evil forces was impactful because it meant authorities could execute you for not believing in witches.
Many Christians and non-religious folk would’ve opposed witch hunts if that looming threat hadn’t prevented it. To speak out against Kramer and the Church could’ve led to persecution.
Kramer’s design of the Malleus mixed with gender issues drove witch hunts into the 18th century. The book became so widely popular that it spawned 28 different editions by 1600. The general public relied on the Malleus for information and spiritual defense regardless of denomination.
Even so, the Malleus Maleficarum wasn’t the root cause of witch hunts. Historians generally believe panic from a shifting social order was the main force behind them. The Malleus simply supplied an excuse for following through with these mass killings.
The Malleus Maleficarum Contained Everything Needed for Hunting Witches
The deadly book contained everything needed to hunt witches. Since the Church wasn’t actually hunting witches, the manuscript was exceptionally helpful.
We mentioned that the first part of the text prevented anyone from speaking out about witch hunts, but it did something else, too. It allowed anyone to testify against a witch. Witnesses didn’t need to be credible. They needed to exist.
The second part of the Malleus Maleficarum is for identifying witches by outlining their spells and how to spot them. It tells tales of demonic powers and rituals as a collection of dramatic stories. Kramer claims these are confessions from earlier witch trials. But they probably weren’t.
The final part of the book is the most disturbing. It’s written as questions and answers that show witches as a danger to society. It also tells the reader that they must destroy witches at all costs.
Part 3 calls witches agents of the devil and makes them enemy number one. As such, the Malleus justifies using underhanded tactics to make them confess to their crimes. It approves of lying, trickery, and torture.
These “tools” are known as human rights abuses today because they draw false confessions. Many people knew these tactics were immoral during the Malleus‘s time as well. The Inquisition simply didn’t care. Remember, they weren’t hunting evil—they were hunting women.
Sprenger and Kramer Targeted Women in the Malleus Maleficarum
As we already know, women were the primary target of the witch hunts throughout Europe and the colonies. They were executed far more often than men. According to the Malleus Maleficarum, this is because demons easily influence women.
The book claims that women become witches because they’re weaker than men. They don't have the same spiritual strength. The Malleus also states that women invite demons in by being promiscuous.
Authorities likely knew they were killing witches. They targeted outspoken women who challenged the status quo. Or they picked them as scapegoats.
Renaissance society was threatened by women speaking their minds. People believed that women with a voice were infected by evil.
Some People Still Believe in The Hammer of Witches
People today don't generally believe in witches and witch hunts. However, a few believers still hold these old spiritual beliefs. There aren't many, but they do exist.
Some of these people believe witches used demons to control childbirth. They also equate modern medical practices with demons used to cause abortions. Just like the Malleus Maleficarum, this idea smells like an attack on women.
Obscurix has recently reached out to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for a statement about the Church’s official stance on the Malleus Maleficarum. As of this time, we haven’t received a statement. We’ll keep trying and post the conclusion as soon as The Church gets back to us.