Johannes Dillinger

The Political Aspects of the German Witch Hunts

This essay examines how the complex political structure of the early modern German empire influenced witch hunting. Various legal jurisdictions and juridical structures could either promote or prevent rampant witch hunts from developing. Above all, the fractured political state of the empire allowed for opportunities for witch hunting to arise.

‘Species’, ‘Phantasia’, ‘Raison’: Werewolves and Shape-Shifters in Demonological Literature

This chapter discusses various concepts of animal transformation in the demonological literature of the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. It focuses on five most prolific advocates of witch-hunting: Heinrich Kramer, inquisitor and author of the Malleus maleficarum; Jean Bodin, celebrated jurist, intellectual founding father of the modern state and ardent propagandist of witch hunting; Nicholas Remy, a career administrator de facto in charge of law enforcement in the duchy of Lorraine for several years; Martin Delrio, a theologian and jurist who wrote an almost encyclopaedic treatise on magic; and Pierre de Lancre, a judge with extensive experience with concrete witch trials and a marked interest in werewolfery.1 Other authors will only briefly be dealt with. As this chapter concentrates on authors who contributed to the witchcraft doctrine the medicinal debate about lycanthropy as a mental condition is largely left out.2 Firstly, the text will briefly sketch the conditions of the debate on the werewolf: It will review fundamental theological statements concerning animal transformation and early demonological writings provoked by the nascent witch-hunts of early fifteenth-century Switzerland. After that, the chapter will deal with each demonologist in turn in chronological order, giving the main arguments of each and exploring the interrelations between authors. The chapter focuses narrowly on animal transformation, especially werewolves, but tries to integrate the discussion of shape-shifting in the wider context of concepts of reality and plausibility in the witchcraft doctrine.

Wahrnehmung, Wille und Fremdkontrolle in der Hexenlehre

Dieser Text befasst sich mit der Frage, inwieweit die Beeintrachtigung des freien Willens eine Rolle in der fruhneuzeitlichen Hexereidebatte spielte. Zunachst sollen Grundzuge des Hexenglaubens und der Damonologie skizziert werden. Dann werden die Bedingungen dargestellt, unter denen – damonologischen Autoren des Spatmittelalters und der Fruhen Neuzeit zufolge – bose Geister das Verhalten von Menschen manipulieren konnten. Dabei wird kurz auf die der Hexerei benachbarte Vorstellung der damonischen Besessenheit eingegangen.

Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany (review)

Johannes Dillinger, Review of Lyndal Roper: Witch Craze. Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany

Witchcraft and Magic in Europe—and Beyond

There can be no doubt that historians needed a handbook of witchcraft and magic. It tells us a lot about the progress the historiography of magic and witchcraft has made in recent years that no older work can still be used as a handbook. Lynn Thorndike’s monumental work is partly outdated and too limited in outlook.1 If we look for a comprehensive account of magic, Keith Thomas’s classic study still comes to mind. Thomas, however, concentrated almost exclusively on Britain, and as the book was first published more than thirty years ago, it has hardly anything to say about witch hunting that does not need revision.2 Stephen Wilson’s Magical Universe largely ignores the witch hunts, and the scrapbook fashion of his account seems old-fashioned and not suitable for the student audience.3 Wolfgang Behringer does not want his short new account of witchcraft in premodern Europe and contemporary Africa and Asia to be a handbook.4 Richard Golden’s Encyclopedia of Witchcraft is certainly very helpful, but an encyclopedia cannot replace a handbook, or