Henricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenger: Malleus maleficarum

The Malleus maleficarum, popularly known as “The Hammer of Witches,” is a seminal work in the history of witchcraft. It was written in 1486 by two Dominican inquisitors, Henricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenger, who were in charge of seeking out and eradicating heretics, or people who held beliefs in contradiction to Catholic doctrine, in the region of Germany east of the Elbe River. In the course of their duties, Institoris and Sprenger were told by witnesses stories of individuals who worked harmful magic (in Latin, maleficia). The authors believed that these individuals obtained the power to do evil by entering into a pact with the Devil and his emissaries, demons who were sent to earth to wreak havoc among the Christian faithful.

The Malleus maleficarum is often referred to as a manual for inquisitors, but its original title, “Treatise about Workers of Harmful Magic,” demonstrates that a manual was not the authors’ intent. In fact, the long work is divided into three major sections, two of which address the reality and practice of harmful magic and only one of which deals with the process of prosecuting its practitioners. Book 1 is a theological justification, in which Institoris and Sprenger use authoritative texts to explain that demons can indeed cooperate with humans to produce harmful effects. They argue that God allows this to occur to test the virtuous and punish the sinful more severely. Book 2 is predominantly a compilation of popular beliefs about harmful magic that the authors gathered in their travels around Germany, complete with anecdotes. Book 3 is the only section that could be called a true handbook for inquisitors; it outlines the judicial process for trying and sentencing those people who engage in harmful magical activities.