A New Perspective

As I have read the chapters in this book my perspective and understanding of what a witch was considered to be and the acts they were accused of has significantly changed. Coming into this course, I didn't have much background concerning this subject matter, but what I thought reflected what I would consider the stereotype of witches: casting spells, dancing around fires and being burned alive. Now, especially after reading the excerpts from The Malleus Maleficarum, I realize that the crimes that witches were accused of went beyond just casting spells. An example of my new understanding is the horrible things they were accused of doing to infants. While it is always disturbing to harm infants in any way, I have noticed a significant shift from chapter 2 to chapter 6 of this text. For instance, in chapter two they were said to transfix the corpse of an unbaptized infant onto a tree with a stake in order to prevent the child from emerging and injuring others. That has since progressed to:

“[After killing the infant in its cradles or next to the parents’ side and making it look natural] we secretly take them from their graves and cook them in a cauldron, until the whole flesh comes away from the bones to make a soup which may easily be drunk… whoever drinks [this] immediately acquires much knowledge and becomes a leader in our sect” (Kramer and Sprenger 193).

Prior to reading this book, and having discussions in class, my knowledge concerning the history of witchcraft did not include knowing that witches were said to eat and/or drink babies or create illusions that made men think their “virile members” disappeared.

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