HIST 421 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Fucine Lake, Renaissance Of The 12Th Century
Document Summary
The witch"s hammer was instrumental in the later witch hunts and put together essential elements to bring about witch hunts. He proved the reality of witchcraft and threatened anyone who didn"t believe that has heresy. He explained diabolical witchcraft so when people had a witch before them, they could ask leading questions. The malleus offered judges guides into how to find witches - it is clear that kramer should use the inquisitorial process. The same kind of thing that was used during the spanish. Rumour was important is kramer"s thinking and he was prepared to accept witchcraft as an explanation for anything unnatural or with no explanation. Traditionally you were not supposed to use torture more than twice, but witchcraft in kramer"s view was an exceptional crime so torture could be used multiple times. Kramer was aware of sexuality in relation to witchcraft. Men were included among practitioners of magic.
