Compendium Maleficarum

Compendium Maleficarum is a witch-hunter's manual written in Latin by Francesco Maria Guazzo, and published in Milan (present-day Italy) in 1608.^[1]

It discusses witches' pacts with the devil, and detailed descriptions of witches’ powers and poisons. It also contains Guazzo's classification of demons, based on a previous work by Michael Psellus.

Contents

The work is extensive and divided into three books. The first one is dedicated to explaining what magic consists of and what types of magic exist. It also describes various practices of witchcraft, such as pacts with Satan, witches' sabbaths, and sexual encounters with incubi and succubi demons.^[2] The same volume includes Guazzo's classification of demons.

The second book is devoted to the diverse powers of witches, such as love spells, the creation of poisons and potions, and the ability to cause and cure diseases.

The third and final book explains the various ways in which witchcraft can be cured or removed. It also explains the difference between possession and bewitchment, and details how to recognize a person possessed by a demon.

Translations

The book was not translated into English until 1929, when this was accomplished under the direction of the eccentric witchcraft scholar Montague Summers.^[3]

References

External links

•  Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article: Compendium Maleficarum
• Media related to Compendium Maleficarum at Wikimedia Commons
• Compendium Maleficarum—Online version of Latin text and scanned pages of Compendium Maleficarum published in 1626.

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