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Period: 1429 to
1429-1692: Witchcraft Treatises Introduction
This timeline describes how witchcraft treatises and texts informed several communities throughout Europe and the Americas. These works created a deeply-rooted cultural understanding of witchcraft as a practice, as well as detailing how witches could be avoided, discovered, interrogated, and killed. The treatises in this timeline were used as references during the famous Salem Witch Trials, and some of their theories are still present in popular culture today. -
1430
Germany: Heinrich Kramer (Henricus Institor) Born
Heinrich Kramer (Latin Henricus Institor) was born in Germany. He would later author "The Hammer of Witches". Contemporary accounts credit Kramer as the author, along with another unnamed person. Source: Kramer, H (2009). The Hammer of Witches: The complete translation of the Malleus Maleficarum (C. MacKay, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1486). -
Period: 1442 to 1509
Kramer's Life: Dominican Monk--Death
At some point during his early life, Kramer joined the order of Dominican monks. He went on to study theology, but was more interested in serving the parish than in academic pursuits. During this time, he began writing The Hammer of Witches to persuade local priests to preach seriously on the topic of witchcraft. Source: Kramer, H (2009). The Hammer of Witches: The complete translation of the Malleus Maleficarum (C. MacKay, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1486). -
1450
Germany: Gutenburg Press Invented
The "Gutenburg Revolution" begins after the advent of the printing press. Books can now be published more efficiently and with more quality, creating a culture of print that will spread across Europe. Source: Lamb, A. Lesson One: The Book, Part 1. OneDrive. -
1486
Germany: The Hammer of Witches is Published
Kramer publishes the Malleus Maleficarum (translated, The Hammer of Witches) in an effort to warn parishes about the dangers of witchcraft and recommended interrogation, torture, and death as remedies for sorcery. The book was immediately successful and spread throughout Europe by press, where it was read and referred to for several decades. Kramer's description of witches riding broomsticks can still be found in our modern-day perception of the witch! Source: Kramer, H. (ibid) -
1542
England: Witchcraft Act Passed
King Henry VIII passes the Witchcraft Act, which made it illegal to practice sorcery and punishable by death. Source: UK Parliament. Witchcraft. https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/religion/overview/witchcraft/ -
1580
France: On the Demon-Mania of Witches
A treatise on witchcraft written by Jean Bodin. The text was first published in France before evolving into twenty-six separate editions. Bodin's work expounded upon how evidence could be collected against witches, recommending the interrogation of the accused's children and family members. Torture was also the recommended option when trying to gain information. Source: Timbers, F. (2019). A History of Magic and Witchcraft. Pen and Sword History. -
England: King James' Daemonologie
King James publishes Daemonologie after experiencing an outbreak of witchcraft accusations first-hand in Scotland. The text describes how to identify a witch and their practices, and advocates several trials to determine the witch's guilt. One of these involved tying the accused by the hands or to a device to see if they sink or swim. This practice was illegal but still performed. Source: Timbers, F. (2019). A History of Magic and Witchcraft. Pen and Sword History. -
Italy: Book of Witches
The Book of Witches is published in Italy by Francesco Maria Guazzo. Guazzo added to the prescribed tell-tale "signs" of witchcraft which had already been established by Kramer, Bodin, and other. Guazzo warns readers to look for a devils mark on the flesh of an accused witch- this, he writes, prove that they made a pact with the devil. The offender should then be killed immediately. Source: Timbers, F. (ibid) -
American Colonies: The Salem Witch Trials
The witch hunt craze extends from Europe to the Americas, and several lives are lost throughout the colonies. Many of the accusations and 'proofs' provided in court are based on information gained from the books listed on this timeline.