Strixology is a genre of writing about the reality and dangers of witches, their origins, character and power; often in the context of theology or of demonology.[1] (The Latin word strix can mean "screech-owl" or "witch".[2])

During the early modern period strixologists refuted the reality of witches and contributed to the decline of witch-hunts.[3]

As a systematic study, strixology emerged during the period 1431–1439 at the Council of Basel - an ecclesiastical council where theologians and demonologists met and debated what was seen as the Devil's work, magical observations and confessions of witches.[4] Those issues were not a primary purpose of the council. Nonetheless, the subject of one of the discussions was a peasant named Stedelen who was believed to have committed maleficia[lower-alpha 1] and who said under torture that he was a part of a secret society of Devil-worshippers. This story was disturbing enough to be reported to the council by Peter of Simmental and described in great detail.[5]

This case and similar revelations were later used by the Dominican professor Johannes Nider, a participant at the council's meetings, as examples in his Formicarius (1436-1438) a book that laid the foundations of strixology. Scholars cited this significant work for centuries.[6] Around the time Formicarius was published, there was a relatively small number of witch-hunt victims - estimated to have been in the hundreds.[7]

This changed at the end of the 15th century, partially due to the publication of the infamous Malleus Maleficarum which cemented belief in the reality of witches[7] and in the higher susceptibility of women to take part in witchcraft.[8] The book proclaimed that “evils which are performed by witches exceed all other sin which God has ever permitted to be done.…”.[9] The Malleus Maleficarum adamantly pushed its views on the threat of witches in society. The text boldly claims that "[witches] exist" and "to defend the opposite view steadfastly is altogether heretical"[10]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ harmful acts of witchcraft

Citations

  1. ↑ Pavlac (2009), p. 205.
  2. ↑ See "strix" in Wiktionary.
  3. ↑ Pavlac (2009), p. vii.
  4. ↑ Pavlac (2009), pp. 53–54.
  5. ↑ Pavlac (2009), p. 54.
  6. ↑ Pavlac (2009), pp. 54–55.
  7. 1 2 Pavlac (2009), p. 56.
  8. ↑ Pavlac (2009), p. 57.
  9. ↑ Summers (1971), [Part I., Q. 14], 74.
  10. ↑ Mackay, Christopher (2006). The Hammer of Witches: A Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 9780521747875.

Bibliography

  • Pavlac, Brian (2009). Witch Hunts in the Western World: Persecution and Punishment from the Inquisition through the Salem Trials: Persecution and Punishment from the Inquisition through the Salem Trials. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313348747.
  • Summers, Montague (1971). The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger. Dover Publications.


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