Literary Analysis Essay on Malleus Maleficarum

Introduction

From Malleus Maleficarum part 1 and chapter VI 1-4, women are observed as more witches as compared to their male counterparts. Kramer proposed that women practice more witchcraft as compared to males. In Western Europe, women over present in witchcraft due to the roles of their gender (Kramer 2). Krammer also stated that women are more likely to be witchcraft since women do not practice moderation; they are either good or bad. Besides, women are also observed to be more superstitious. And this is the nature that created the weak faith to accommodate the devil to prey on easily.

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Witch Craze in Europe

Witch craze in Europe can be told as prosecution, torture, and execution that took place in Europe to people that were believed to be witches. Witch craze, thousands of people were executed; it took place between 1450 and 1750 (Karabacak, 2). The situation had worsened, and anybody would be accused of witchcraft and undergo persecution. Those accused were persecuted, and the result was that the mass execution of those who were suspected took place. As suspicion levels arose, people would be tortured so that they could confess whether they had a hand in witchcraft. It's only around the 18th century that people became aware and enlightened that witch hunt came to an end in Europe.

Event That Leads to the Violence in the Craze

In my view, there was a conglomeration of events that took -place simultaneously leading to witchcraft. There were catastrophic events that increased the level of emotions among the people that fueled the violence. There was increased awareness and enlightened among the people that made people more suspicious. People had become convinced that by getting rid of the witches, they would also get rid of their misfortunes. The violence increased as people burnt their compatriots. Various misfortunes taking place around the society, such as poor harvests, deaths, and sicknesses, had been linked to witchcraft, and there was no way people would turn back. They were determined to do away with witchcraft. Associating people practicing witchcraft with that devil also made the violence to increase. Most people were tortured and told to confess as devil worshippers some confesses due to torture, they underwent but not because they were associating with any devil worship. Some of these confessions made people believe that people practicing witchcraft were devil Worshippers.

Climatic Changes

Climatic change can also refer to as the natural fluctuations in the temperatures. Climate changes affect the normal growth of crops and the development of livestock and other living creatures. If the temperatures become high instantly, they may lead to drought and death of animals and livestock. For example, high climate leads to drying up of rivers and other sources of water in the communities. As a result, food and other plants that are used to feed livestock also dry.

On the other hand, if the rainfall is excess, it destroys plantations and causes flooding, which also leads to drought. In either way, people end up having stress on where to get food to eat, how to survive, and how to save their dying livestock. Precisely, the change of climate improves the level of stress in people.

Differing Views of Witches in Antiquity, The Middle Ages, And Modern

Practicing witchcraft in Europe ranges from antiquity all through to middle ages up to modern times. In antiquity, there have been documentations, and prosecutions took place practicing of witchcraft was punishable and was considered a capital offense. In the middle ages, there was swearing on oaths when one was accused then defended by trial by combat where the accuser had to pay a fine. The practice was seen as a superstition. During the middle ages, the witches are known to use herbs. They are known to have the ability to heal. They are known to perform an act of magic; they also have strict regulations that they give for their clients to follow. In the modern culture practice of witchcraft is somehow associated with the devil. There is fear for the witch people who view witches as dangerous people in society (Karabacak).

Malleus Maleficarum and Its Sections

Malleus Maleficarum refers to a book that was written in 1486. The book contains documented beliefs about witches; the book also talks more on how to identify them, convict, and even execute witches. The book is also known as Hammer of witches. Monks of German origin author the book by the names Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. The book was widely known during the medieval period.

The book was introduced when the accusation and execution regarding witchcraft were on the rise in Europe. It portrayed witchcraft, not as a superstition but a very dangerous practice that could only be linked to the devil it was there for considers unfit in the society and a danger to the church. Malleus Maleficarum was divided into three sections (Kramer, 5). In the first section, it was to prove that witchcraft was not just superstition but was practiced by witchcrafts through engagement with the devil and was meant to cause harm to the people. The second part of the book was to prove that witches caused harm, while the third section was provided a guideline on how witches would be investigated and persecuted (Kramer, 5).

Work Cited

Karabacak, Emre. "The European Witch-Craze. Retrieved 13 February 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323699388_The_European_Witch-Craze

Kramer, Heinrich, and James Sprenger. The Malleus Maleficarum. Cosimo, Inc., 2002 Retrieved 13 February 2020, from http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/downloads/MalleusAcrobat.pdf