The Witch and Witchcraft in Popular Demonology - Foundational Depictions of Witches in Early Print
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- One could argue that the Witch truly entered the late medieval popular imagination with the print publication of Molitor's 1489 De Lamiis et Pythonicis Mulieribus ("On Witches and Diviners"). Written as a response and implicit criticism of the fanatical Malleus Maleficarum published only a few years prior, Molitor's work would go on to over 40 editions in the ensuing period of the witch trials making it the most popular demonological textbook of the period. Indeed, its six woodcut images of witches and witchcraft would form the basis for nearly all future such depictions in the western world and still influences us today.
#witch #witchcraft #occult #demonology
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Recommended Readings:
Molitor - De Lamiis et Pythonicis Mulieribus - archive.org/de...
Kieckhefer - Hazards of the Dark Arts - 978-0271078403
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8 is great, very interesting work and knowledge.
Nueva suscriptora! Saludos desde Buenos Aires
Some men were so intent on destroying certain women that they judged to be witches that they couldn't even see the devil in themselves! Great video ❤️
Some things don't change.
@@kellysouter4381 truth!
"Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin. / And he saw corruption everywhere except within."
@@nyxshadowhawk aww you beat me to it .
Yes women were victims but there were also children and men though not as great as women were
“May his name be blotted out.” That’s so savage, I love it!🎉
"Erased may be your name and memory." Is another one
I burst out laughing when you said she told him "I hope you get epilepsy." Maybe not an appropriate thing to laugh at, but it really caught me of guard. Very interesting video.
she literally said 'the falling sickness' but, yeah.
As someone who has suffered from epilepsy that crap can be rough.
@@Raiden-the-Goat32 i only get epilepsy on restaurants, its stop with cooking home.
"I'll just watch abit of Esoterica before bed"
4 hours later I'm still 3 minutes in fascinated by the title page of Hammer of witches, and now have a whole new area of research. These videos are an esoteric researchers dream. Deep down the rabbit Hole 🐰🌙 Thank you!
I know! By watching his vids, I fall down the research rabbit hole a LOT! 😂❤😊
I think the Monty Python witch trial scene perfectly sums up the witch hysteria and absurdity of the superstitions at that time.
Right!!
She turned me into a newt!
@@hemidas I got better
BUILD A BRIDGE OU OF ER!
@@Protogonas Yes! Iirc, perhaps what's missing from Monty p is that some of the very first witch trials were women who'd fallen into hard times economically (which became more an issue since taking away the commons impacted women more, since that's where they would grow vegetables, and have somewhere to meet to discuss their problems away from the influence of the men), the devil worship stuff got tacked on later. Remembering that the start of the witch trials was an attempt to punish and discipline the poor after the peasant uprising. Divide and conquer. Paraphrasing Caliban and the Witch (probably badly) here by Federici (note for gender essentialism, but otherwise a helpful book)
De Laniis: "But, how do you know she is a witch?"
Malleas Malefecarum:"She turned me into a newt!!!"
“I got better…”. 😅
Well, she did in fact weigh the same as a duck and is therefore made of wood, and therefore... 🧙
I wrote a 15 page paper in a folklore class called "The Traditional Image of the Witch" and I almost got it published but I had a bunch of issues with internet sources and would have taken alot of revision. But I love this topic
do persevere, it's worth it
Such a delight! (in a somber sense) thank you for posting the link to the woodcuts. Back in the good old days at University, studying art history, I tried (unsuccessfully) to delve deeper into medieval woodcuts depicting the inquisition. My professors did not consider them art. It would have been fascinating to really look into them, outside the usual religious art and do a quasi (very speculative) study on social constructs of the period and region. I love this kind of stuff and your presentation as always is top notch! Thank you 😊
Thanks! The printing of the first (few?) editions were done in the shop of Johann Otmar, though it's really a mystery (1) who did the woodcuts and (2) why don't they actually reflect the sentiments of the text and, sometimes, contradict it? I think it's possible that the wood cut artist only has a summary sense of the text (maybe even the first set of questions at the beginning) but not Molitor's answers as the text was printed. Thus the artist just worked off a general sense of what the book was about rather than actually illustrating Molitor's points and arguments. It's be so, so wonderful to have a coffee-table style books with both a cultural history of this kind of imagery but also lushly illustrated with these and other woodcuts of the period!
@@TheEsotericaChannel fascinating! Thank you for the info! It would be wonderful to have such a book. I know woodcuts aren't considered "high" art, but they definitely have a lot to say 😊
@@darkartsbyadrienne early reprints do appear on the market - a complete first edition? ~$80,000-100,000 ;) you can also get it in modern reprints as well for a bit cheaper!
@@TheEsotericaChannel lol! Just need to win that lottery I don't play 😅
Me and you both, sister ;)
“As to fortune telling, because of their great old age, demons can make reasonable guesses about the future...”
This is such a hilariously mundane explanation. No sinful scandalous sex, no cannibalized fetuses... just asking grandma what she thinks is gonna happen :p
Sounds like my nine yr olds explaining demons lol
it kinda struck me tbh its a cool concept, i love concepts about how an immortal or very very old being, such as a vampire or in this case demon, sees the world. its so cool to me to think about what we would be like if we lived a few hundred years longer, how would our wisdom change and what would our outlook on the world be. knowing so much about the world that you can reasonably predict things, not from magic or powers but from being alive for so long, is so interesting bc of its mundanity. its simultaneously more relatable because its not magic and is just an extreme extension on what humans already do in pattern recognition and prediction, and also harder to imagine because how do you imagine what you'd think like if you were thousands of years old? anyway
Well thats actually an incredibly simplified way of summing up what demons do. They observe and also manipulate human behavior. They can influence a person(s) actions, creating the appearance of having foretold a future event when in actuality its the other way around.
What a world we live in.....authentic and carefully curated esoteric knowledge at our fingertips. Thank you for such a treasure of a channel
Biased.... Don't forget that. Goddess worship is real.
@@malekkushimuzik3580 ....and you posses the true, final, comprehensive knowledge on the subject?
I'm a printmaker and seem to get more obsessed with medieval art and illuminated manuscripts every day.
Thank you for this. It's a real pleasure to find a channel approaching this subject with rigour rather than simply quoting the most sensational passages from the best known books and taking them at face value. I look forward to exploring the rest of your work.
Yeah, we try to have scholarly rigor around here
One of my Grandmothers was Hung on Salem Hill.. She was just a desolate poor old widow... Rest forever Margaret Scott
I love how this video appeared underneath every news vid I watched with Liz Truss in it today! Great vid too
"Witch In A Wimple"... I think I'm a gonna steal your idear and start a Rock band with just that name... Love your sense of humor. Keep up the great work!
As a Wiccan, I'm personally quite fed up with the stereotypes pertaining to witches. We don't even believe in a devil, much less worship it. Curses are rarely performed due to the Law of Reciprocity (a bit like karma in that what you send out, good or ill, comes back to you) and the fact that "harm none" is our primary tenet. The depiction of evil, ugly, wart-nosed hags is just demeaning. I hope one day it will come to an end. Meanwhile, bit by bit, perceptions and attitudes are changing as people begin to see that witches are just ordinary people and witchcraft-based faiths are almost universally benevolent. The stains of history and the hate of many Christian sects make it hard to erase the stereotypes altogether, but hopefully one day the false "wicked witch" image will be absent from Hollywood and popular culture.
Would be interesting seeing the diversion in conception between the conception of witchcraft in 16-17th century Catholic vs Protestant. Keep up the good work!
Protestants largely copied the elaborated theory of witchcraft while claiming not to have done so, see the video on King James' Demonology.
I saw a mini documentary about witches in Scotland and they said during the reformation there was an effort from each side to show how holy they were and one of the ways they achieved this was by hunting witches. Be good to know more though yes!
Really enjoy your videos, such a great time to shine a light unto the horrors of medieval witch hunting. Religious extremism leaves such terrible results
Dr Sledge, I’m beyond impressed by your knowledge and presentation. Thank you for presenting such interesting content!
I find it really intresting that the witch cursed the monk with epilepsy. I've had one epileptic seizure once and I can easily say that it felt demonic.
Thanks! Awesome channel
Thanks for the donation!
Excellent video. I loved the part about Demons, conning others into thinking that they had power.
I am a believer, that when a male or female "Commands" demons, that the demons KNOW ahead of time, what's gonna be commanded.
Thanks! I love what you're doing, thank you!
Three women dining alone - it must be the devil's works. Today that is called Brunch! - A great documentary. Thank you very much, I learned alot!
This is my favorite of the varied topics you cover. It is important just for the reason Dr. Sledge says. Because "witchcraft" is never truly in the history behind us. The fear of unseen and unknown powers are always present and ripe to be used and reused against the innocent.
@elbowdropgaming5644 No.
Thanks for this great video. I love the info and the wood cuts! Hard to believe that such simple works still inform modern narratives around witchcraft to this day!!!
These videos get me through the day. Thank you again
🤙Aloha I get caught up in the Spooky Season hype & you be the Voice of Reason. "There are no Witches" only people who were burned for being bold or different - sobering my friend Mahalo
Yeah, what a horrible time.
If by "witch" we mean what was understood by the society at that time (the satanist conspiracy). Of course, there were practitioners of folk magic (and there still are in many places in Europe), and even practitioners of _pagan_ rites (the Basque priestesses of the Basque folk religion that survived until at least the Modernity)
@@Joe-sg9ll
She isn't a witch, that has nothing to do with witches.
@@Joe-sg9ll
Age is irrelevant, she isn't a witch. There's no point in using her as an example of something she isn't. That's like claiming that a heterosexual man who abuses children is evidence of gay men being inherently horrible parents. Or using a male serial killer, who killed people because he got rejected during dates when he was younger, as an example of a warlock.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this. I’m bringing some students to Salem next week, and in talking with them and perusing the internet, I’m amazed by how little has been made accessible to confront literal, medieval fear-mongering and conspiracy theories.
Thank you for introducing the word "convivium" to my vocabulary. Great word.
Just found your channel and omg THANK YOU GOOD SIR!!!! I’m in love with ALL.OF.THIS!! I shared your channel all over the place. Ty for sharing your work & knowledge!
We know now that the Pythonesses were also known as “Sibyls” and they were exterminated to the extent that their history was almost completely lost. However: There is a book on the Sibyls and their history by Mama Zogbe. I would like to know more research on them from @Esoterica
Thanks
Excellent episode (as usual). Really enjoyed the Mythvision episode last night too.
I just bought a spell book for Christmas. It's fascinating to think I would have been burned to death for it a few hundred years ago
Great job expounding the idea here. It's impressive. I don't agree but have enjoyed the historical facts and logical progression of points to support this view point. Thank you for defusing the emotional aspect and laying bare the various historical points and possible conclusions
Wonder how those who wrote The Farmers Almanac got away from persecution?? Thats got to be the need for the Farmer & his Pitch fork..for protection!!
They were men.
I have always been fascinated with witches. My birthday is three days before Halloween. I have gained so much knowledge from your videos. Thank you.
another absolute banger. great work dr. sledge 👏👏
Always love your videos!!
Thanks and thanks for your support!
I still today, and over the last decade would occasionally, encounter people who are genuinely worried about being cursed by a witch.
It's Christians who mostly are afraid of witchcraft
Just something i thought was really interesting is the kind of indirect anticipation of meteorology. Like the idea that if one could in fact soar to the heavens they could see far off clouds and other phenomena and therefore be able to predict the weather is... give or take basically how it's done today. It almost sounds like some modern fantasy/scifi fusion novel where some naturalistic explanation of standard fantasy magic tropes is given in some otherwise internally consistent and realistic universe where a species called "demons" just so happens to exist, but I wouldn't think this would actually be thought up at the time. Idk, just kind of surprising to hear and interesting to think about.
So our satellites are demons.
As a “weather witch” no soaring to the heavens is necessary. I usually feel temperature changes in my “waters” (belly area) or with an aggravation of my arthritis.
Or just by observing the horizon as my father taught me to do.
I predict storms with a fair bit of accuracy because they effect my nervous system making me feel antsy, anxious or overly energised
In the Middle Ages my trauma issues and somatic reactions would have had me burned for sure.
@@harkonen1000000 yeah i mean basically
I am a Celtic witch 4th generation. We don’t fly on brooms and we certainly are not servants of the devil. What we practice is intention using our will and our words. Some of us use herbs, some crystals, some the moon…there are many tools that we use to bring about positive change. There are no demons or devils involved. All of these “holy” men used this to control people and bring them into the fold. There were many reasons to do this…thank you for your documentary concerning this dark time in history
We can assume that as witches are humans and humans have a wide variety of people ethically, that at least some witches surely must will malice. What, as a witch, do you believe stops one becoming a witch that wills 'evil' or negativity on others?
@@bobecks66 Yes there are those who will malice, I agree. We go by a code of harm none…that is actually a pagan belief but something that we have incorporated into our belief system. I think it has to do with one’s character…the elements that make a person who they are which I believe comes from several different factors., upbringing being one of the factors. We were taught that all life is precious and to have respect because we are all connected.
Just found the channel and holy the amount of in depth content man!
You rock ! Love your content !
Another great video, thank you so much for putting this together.
I have to admit your witchcraft videos I sometimes have to pause. They're heavy stuff but I'm extremely grateful that you made them so everyone can know that many thousand women died because of some horny 1500s creepypasta writers and their desire to meme their religion.
It is stunning that such a massive persecution of working class people doesn't get more recognition and discussion. I think part of the reason might be that the patriarchal system it helped worsen, we still live in today.
You have a wonderful channel!
I feel sad for the wolf too. Made me smile.
There's something really funny and meta about Molitor dedicating De Lamiis to Archduke Sigismund and then putting a woodcut image of himself giving Sigismund the book in it
“Wow nice book, love this cool book. [flipping through it a little] What's this here on page 5?”
“It's me and my boy Konrad giving u the book”
Thank you so much for these extremely timely observations. As a feminist and visible weirdo, I am always waiting, pretty much, for the next pulse of moral panic to attach itself to whichever subculture or minority is in disfavour at the mo: I mean, women are the OG scapegoats, but it could gay, goth, fetish, drag, pagan, Jew- it's just a wheel of misfortune, isn't it? We are always witches in the minds of sweaty basics, and anyone who doesn't fit the prevailing norm would do well to always keep the breadth and reiterative nature of these panics in a corner of their minds. People suck. Just saying.
as a modern witch/pagan i find this video absolutely fascinating, really makes you think about how easy it is to convince people that something is evil
The scolar Neil Price have some interesting lectures here on TH-cam, The Children of Ash, where he takes a look at viking age burial rites, religion and world wiev. It seems to me that a lot of what is called witchcraft in northern Europa, has its origin here. He has also written about magic in the viking world, war magic as a part of it. The roles of men and women in these rituals.
There is also an early report of witchcraft used by William the Conqueror in the siege of the town Eely.
Great video! What I don't quite understand though, is why, if the witch can't really affect anything (everything is an illusion via demons), why was witchcraft seen as such a bad thing that warranted death?
People who actually believed in the demonic power of witchcraft made it responsible for floods, draughts, hail etc. causing extreme economic damage. The height of witch trials coincided with what is termed now the „small ice age“, a phase of bad weather and cold winters, for several years around 1600. Actual magic manuscripts after that mention influencing the weather in this way interestingly. People sceptical of actual witches did go into a early scientific direction already and either called it out as nonsense and natural influences or blaming demons influencing people with hallucinations.
It's worth having a read of Caliban & The Witch to see how the witch trials got started because the devil worship stuff got added on later as the era got going. Note for gender essentialism (🤯) with that otherwise good book
I’ve been wondering about this for a while, awesome
Man where were you when I was still at uni? I would have loved to do an essay on this in my anthropology of religion module! Amazing stuff, and very cool beard!
Fantastic channel, thank you so much for your work and effort
I do enjoy these videos. Would you consider doing something on Santeria?
Hi hope you're well. I had covid over it's now. You seem better which I glad to hear your back with exilent content. You have a brilliant balance view. X
Apparently some people can smell ozone,which when pressure/weather system's interchange,causing rain,can be senced,oxygen/ozone sence-death sentence.great show
Petrichor...the smell just prior to rain.
Love your show ... Idea for an episode the historical difference between daemon and demon
one is spiritual and one runs on a computer?
your channel and your hard work are a gift to us all. I can't imagine all the work that went into your education. Do you have to discipline yourself to read all the source materials or is it a passion of yours?
Eh, it's a job....an interesting one, though. Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you very much. This is very cool
If you excuse me, I'd like to politely ask you if it would be possible for you to add english subtitles on your videos. I am not a native english speaker, and while I can understand english well, you speak about ancient, medieval themes and words, and in those moments it gets a little more complex for me, so I need to hear again and again. Subtitles would help a lot ^^. Anyway awesome video as always. And sorry for the time.
You can add captioning to TH-cam. In the upper right corner is a box with “cc” in it. That’s for closed captioning or subtitles.
@@loriallen67 CC is not accurate though, and will have trouble with the more difficult words.
Q: why do we STILL teach children to fear witches, instead of the religious nut men who burned women alive?
Maybe these books more gave people a common view on witches, than a view at all? There was many folk-tales and stories around but the printed books gave one coherent picture instead of thousands of different believes around Europe.
Very interesting and clearly explained
"...cheap Halloween costumes attempts at being ... sexy" You make that sound like a bad thing! 🤣🤣🤣
I really enjoy your channel. Good work sir.
I did a little research on this topic myself and I found what I think are connections to the demon 'Choronzon'. It mainly has to do with their power over illusion and how they're frequently associated with tornadoes a.k.a. 'dust devils'.
the only time i ever heard of chorozon was when Aleister Crowley spoke of
@@arnyarny77 There was also John Dee and Edward Kelley. I've found some others too. The thing is that Choronzon is a difficult subject to research. There's alot of contemporary fiction based on him too and sometimes I'm not sure if I'm reading about the myth or the recent fictional work.
@@JustinC721 i had no idea i thought it was exclusive to Crowley thx!
Great video for a friday
Very interesting and informative, thank you🤗⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sweet, perfect time of year
"general soothsaying" band name!
these were the same people who called the Aztecs brutal...
Me: I am DONE with "spooky" Halloween themed nonsense for October
ESOTERICA: "The Witch and Witchcraft in Popular Demonology - Foundational Depictions of Witches in Early Print"
Me: OK maybe one more video
Lol
That logic about the existence of evil is sickening.
"God ruined these people to strengthen my faith! Isn't he grand?!?"🤮
A lie runs round the world while the facts are still putting on their shoes.
Thank you for your knowledge.
Oooh what a fun channel! All kinds of stuff.
Great work!
Very informative video, thank you
I am an aspiring "naturalist" witch. This was very informative! Subscribed!
I'm loving this. :)
how do the terms (Latin?) Malleus and Maleficarum relate to the fact that in Latin "malus" can be read as both bad/evil and apple? It seems like the fruit from the garden of Eden wasn't an apple until this pun was made. Also, makes me think that in Snow White the poison apples have some significance this way...thoug ...s it all related to the cyanide in apple seeds which makes it appropriate to name apples as bad?
May 👏 his 👏 name 👏 be 👏 blotted 👏 out 👏
Excellent
Fascinating lecture; I'm relatively new to your channel, but have been eagerly seeking this kind of scholarly analysis of the occult for many years. I was particularly intrigued by your allusion to Spinoza; I'm wondering if you might be able to recommend any literature that explicates this connection further?
I'd also be very curious to hear your thoughts on Silvia Federici's account of late Medieval witch hunts in 'Caliban and the Witch', if you'd ever be willing to do a video on the topic.
Whole episode on Spinoza and federici
@@TheEsotericaChannel Oh wow, my apologies - like I said, I've only skimmed the surface of your catalog thus far. But obviously I need to do a little searching before embarrassing myself again. haha
I look forward to watching it.
Every time I hear the name Hammer of Witches I am reminded of my need for there to be a metal band by that name. Terrible book, great band name.
Flip that around and have "Witches Wielding Hammers" instead.
@@harkonen1000000 That was partly my point. The hammer a witch wields is The Hammer of Witches. It's like reclaiming the phrase and using it against the original idea. Just as many embrace being called a heretic these days, myself included haha.
There's Hammers Of Misfortune which is pretty close.
@@ColinTedford I suppose, and that does have some weight, but I need some witches with hammers dropping some brutal beats.
The depiction of witches riding forked sticks by Moliter is interesting, I wonder if that comes from Stangs (forked staves) used by Cunningmen and women in England.
at 10:20 I had to replay because i thought you said the bishop Gozer :):):):):):) Ah yes, bishop Gozer the Gozerian
Hi so interesting to hear! In 14:35 you mentioned phytonikis moderibus. I cant find anything about it... i'd love to hear about python woemn or just reading a text on it. Thank you for your videos!
check out the movie "coven of sisters" the actress that played the main witch was very beautiful, just amazing
thanks you !
Some believed they were witches. That interest me. The use of hallucinogens helped them perceive their reality. It would only take a few of these witches to convince people there could be more. That is not to excuse the excess inflicted on the victims of witch hunting.
Finally a new video, i was going through withdrawal..... Although, it could be a spell.
Fascinating - as usual! I am currently preppng the role of Saul in a staging of Handel's oratorio, and I thought this would be the ideal place to ask for some details on both Goliath (who has been defeated at the opening of the drama) and the Witch of Endor's calling up of Samuel. Particularly I am interested in how it is that such an outwardly sinister figure as the which (certainly musically sinister, at the least) can be seen to have any power over a prophet of such power as Samuel.
Also of interest would be the various causes of Saul's rage and madness, some driven by David, others (biblically if not musically) seem to have been driven by God or by Demons? Why would God want this for his King? What did the israelites think of this, and how is it later interpreted?
I kind of want some prints of those woodcuts to hang un my house. I love the idea of appropriating the imagery that represents everything that sad, superstitious misogynists were (and, unfortunately still are) afraid of.