001 - The Hammer of the Witches

The Malleus Maleficarum, the 'Hammer of the Witches', was the lifes work of Papal Inquisitor Henricus Institoris, who held a particular hatred of witchcraft and those who practiced it. For him, witchcraft was the fruit of female sexuality and the corrupting influence of the Devil, only occasionally finding men guilty of the crime. His work was either a seminal work on witchcraft theory, or a fabricated mess worth barely any mention, depending on who you ask. This episode primarily made use of the following texts, among others: Henricus Institoris and Jacob Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum, (1487) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices