[~How To Hunt a Witch~]

Originally posted by whisperindave
You can get a copy of the famous "Witch's Hammer" in print today for next to nothing. It is not Medieval, but close to it. It describes how witches are found and how to torture them. It my actually be transcribed from the rare book shown in the photo.

Yes, the Witches Hammer, is a cheap knock off text of later versions of witch hunting manuals. (based off writing in the late 1400's to early 1500's) Although a very interesting read it is a more "sensationalized" version than the text I am referring to in this OP. When I say "sensationalized" I just mean that after the earliest known manuscripts where penned on this subject many of the following writers literally over-exaggerated an already exaggerated belief.

It has no base from the text I refer to in the OP because this text has never been translated. Unless the writers of Witches Hammer where able to get one of the 3 known copies and translate tidbits from medieval french, which I highly doubt.

Originally posted by KilgoreTrout
reply to post by korathin

 

but it was the ignorance of the males that allowed the accusations to be taken to court.

That pretty much sums everything up for me. Forget that the majority of the accusations where made by women because Lord knows a womans opinions, deeds and actions matter less somehow? That is what your getting at right? That us males being such infinitely superior beings should know better then to ever trust the word of a woman? What misandry and misogynist bs.

It wasn't until the 19th-20th century that the average person could attend college or university regularly across western civilization. A farmers son had just as much chance of going to a Medieval University has a farmers daughter had. Zero, Squat nil. Hell throughout Europe most people where SERFS! Intentionally kept illiterate and under penalty of death kept from knowing what the Bible even said for almost another hundred- two hundred years.

This whole nonsense of "woe to woman" if all women can't have what the top 1% of men had in any given society is beyond disgustingly BS. In no other civilization have women been such a privileged class as in Western Civilization. The privilege of women in the west began during the Crusades, started off with noble women(who began to fill power vacuum caused by the sheer number of male nobles who fought against the Islamic horde that was hell bent on raping and pillaging across Christiandom). And from there it was steadily extended to all women, until we get to the present over privileged gynocentric Matriarchy that Western Civilization has become.

Hell women are so utterly privileged that they can blame all their historic and present misdeeds on men and everyone is so utterly gynocentric that they agree with it! This is what I hate about ATS and why ATS is ever increasingly becoming a joke. That fact that ATS is a weird junction of right wing and left wing Gynocentrism. Both feeding into one another as well as supporting one another through manginaism, the all girls club, and head in sand syndrome. A disgusting cross between Rad Fem and Stormfront.

reply to post by KilgoreTrout


I believe this text was a seriously pivotal point. You are very correct, labeling witches to be synonymous with the term Waldensian, was the easiest way to classify the behavior as heretic. Johannas Tinctor(Jean Taincture), who I will now refer to as JT, refers to the practice of witchcraft as a sect of Waldensian. A known inquisitor for the Roman Catholic Church, it makes a lot of sense for him to use something that had been previously viewed as vile to help push a new agenda. JT is known to be one of the first to report on the "satanic practices" of witches and possibly can be credited with the whole broomstick myth.

It clearly shows the degree that society will go to follow the behavior dictated to them by those who rule them. (Example: The Catholic Church in the 1200-1400's and farther.)

much like the Nazis Gestapo who would have been powerless if it wasn't for the petty jealousies and gossip of the populace.

That I was not aware of, but seems obvious now that I think about it. Thank you

reply to post by korathin


I am not going to answer for KilgourTrout, but I will make a comment (albeit off topic a bit). First off, their is a misconception that ONLY woman where tried and burned for being witches. Children and Men where also not spared during its heights. I believe this misconception comes from the foundations set by the Catholic Church (which, unfortunately, is heavily misogynistic.) where they viewed women as being inferior and far more likely to fall into the temptation of the devil. (Because of Eve.. ect.) But as time progressed, and state sponsored witch-hunt became more frequent, the gender of the accused became less and less narrow.

Second point being, that I for one agree with you on some points, and I am a woman. I personally feel that the role of a woman (if she chooses to bear children) is to be home with the children. The demand for absolute equality for women in the economic world created more competition and less time to raise children. That is all I wanted to say. I won't off topic this any further.

I really wish I could put all this information other information regarding my thread that has been released since then into the main part. Its hard to keep my thoughts straight sometimes. I want to continue on here and take another quote from the released excerpt and discuss something about it. I view this text as the earliest insight, thus far, into the beginnings of the actual "witch hunt". Whether this is absolutely true is yet to be determined. (I started quoting, with source, in this thread here at Page 5)

"Invectives Against the Sect of Waldensians" - By Johannas Tinctor (Written in 1465)

How the sin of vauderie [witchcraft] is worse than the idolatry of the pagans

It is certain that this crime is entirely new nor was its like ever heard of, and I dare well say that this sin of witchcraft is worse and more execrable than all the detestable errors of the pagans which one finds to have existed from the beginning of the world right up to the present, and I will prove this by two means: first by the immensity of the crime in itself and by the wondrous abundance of its evil; second by the most dangerous scandal which clearly comes from it, if it is not promptly taken care of [suppressed].

"It is certain that this crime is entirely new nor was its likes ever heard of..."

I find it interesting that right off the start of his text, Johannas defines that it is a certainty that suddenly a dangerous form of pagan practice has sprung up out of nowhere. I view this pieces as a means of suddenly inflicting fear (through the use of the belief of God) twisted with a further warped view of what was deemed heretic at the time. Defining paganism, which clearly has been defined by this point in history as despicable by the populace under control, as somewhat of a lesser evil would indeed strike a chord of fear into the hearts of the people and judicial bodies. Both of which whose complete obedience would be required to carry out such a massacre through the ages.

It is interesting that the book the "Invectives" should turn up in Edmonton.

There is a play from 17th century England called "The Witch of Edmonton" (1621). The plot is summarized in the following article. I haven't read the play but from the article, it appears that witchcraft was common and might well have had its root in the desperation of ordinary people of small income in a generally corrupt society.

en.wikipedia.org...

We have a numeric version at the BNF (sometimes we, French, are good at something).

Here is the direct link :

http:// (nospace) gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8449040g/f1.image.r=vauderie.langFR

You can browse it from the website, or download it in pdf on the right panel.
If you are curious and can read old french/latin, gallica is a marvelous website.

edit : ATS doesnt like my url, so you will have to copy/past it. Sorry !