The witch-hunt representing mass prosecution of the people suspected of classes by sorcery was one of the most gloomy pages in the history of Christianity. Emergence of the book "Hammer of Witches" initiated the beginning of this hunting in the widest scales.
Witch-hunt
"The hammer of witches" represents the medieval treatise about fight against sorcery written in 1486 by inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. "The hammer of witches" became the reason of mass persecutions of inquisition on the persons suspected in connection with powers of darkness.
The book consists of three parts, each of which is directed to the solution of a certain task. Its impact on the European minds was had is so big that the Pope issued the bull "In Every Way Souls" calling for extermination of witches and sorcerers. In total during witch-hunt, proceeding about two centuries, more than hundred thousand processes as a result of which not less than 50 thousand people suffered took place. The main number of the victims were the share of Germany, France and Switzerland. Even in the territory of America there were several loud processes, for example events in the town under the name Salem.
The history of trials of witches originates in an extreme antiquity. For two thousand years BC. The code of Hammurapi demanded the death penalty for sorcery.
Book contents
The book by Kramer and Sprengera was quite competently structured. In its first part constructed in the form of questions and answers it was in detail proved that sorcery actually exists that witches are directly connected with evil forces, and their crimes are terrible and inexcusable. Here human sacrifices, eating of babies and a set of other terrible acts are attributed to witches. The first part of "A hammer of witches" was intended for arousing the maximum hatred to sorcerers and witches both at the church authorities, and at secular. The second part of the book is devoted to the detailed description of all ways which witches can harm people and also methods of counteraction to sorcery which treat, in particular, a pilgrimage, repentance, prayers and ekzortsizm. This section of the book lists categories of people against which witches are powerless, and concerns cases of use of sorcery by males.
The last execution of the woman on official charge of sorcery took place in Switzerland in 1782, however became the victims of self-vessels of the witch later.
Final part of "A hammer of witches" represents the code describing technology of conducting trials over the women caught or suspected of sorcery. Methods of collecting proofs, necessary questions and tortures, categories of possible witnesses and also the bases on which any given decision is made are listed. The book actually is the detailed instruction for trial over the witch, and it is made so that removal of a conviction did not cause any difficulties. Kramer calls in question efficiency of various tests which traditionally checked women for participation in a vedmovstvo, providing to make the decision on guilt personally to the judge.