“Whether Witches Can by Some Glamour Change Men into Beasts”

Now online: the full text of the Malleus Maleficarum, an influential 1486 guide to identifying and prosecuting witches. Here is some of the table of contents for Part I:

QUESTION I Whether the Belief that there are such Beings as Witches is so Essential a Part of the Catholic Faith that Obstinacy to maintain the Opposite Opinion manifestly savours of Heresy. QUESTION II If it be in Accordance with the Catholic Faith to maintain that in Order to bring about some Effect of Magic, the Devil must intimately co-operate with the Witch, or whether one without the other, that is to say, the Devil without the Witch, or conversely, could produce such an Effect. QUESTION III Whether Children can be Generated by Incubi and Succubi. QUESTION IV By which Devils are the Operations of Incubus and Succubus Practised? QUESTION V What is the Source of the Increase of Works of Witchcraft? Whence comes it that the Practice of Witchcraft hath so notably increased? QUESTION VI Concerning Witches who copulate with Devils. Why is it that Women are chiefly addicted to Evil superstitions? QUESTION VII Whether Witches can Sway the Minds of Men to Love or Hatred. QUESTION VIII Whether Witches can Hebetate the Powers of Generation or Obstruct the Venereal Act. QUESTION IX Whether Witches may work some Prestidigatory Illusion so that the Male Organ appears to be entirely removed and separate from the Body. QUESTION X Whether Witches can by some Glamour Change Men into Beasts.

Here are my answers. (1) Yes (2) The Devil must cooperate with the Witch (3) Yes (4) Whichever devils, doesn’t matter (5) Hormone fluctuations during ovulation (6) You’re addicted to evil superstitions (7) Definitely (8) Definitely (9) Probably, like a hand job? (10) FOR SURE.

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