Witch hammer - illustrations

by whaattodo

Hi,

I original posted this in whatsthatbook, but they recommended to ask here instead since it's a fairly old book. ;)

My sister professed an interest in getting a copy of the "original illustrated version" of the malleus maleficarum or witch hammer.

I've been googling and trying to figure out which version actually first contained the illustrations as it seems that the original version did not contain them? (Or maybe I'm wrong?) Illustrations such as this one: http://matthias-blazek.eu/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/kupferstich_hexenhammer-191x300.jpg and this one: http://austria-forum.org/attach/Wissenssammlungen/Damals_in_der_Steiermark/Jagd_auf_Hexen/Hexen.jpg

At this point, I've come to the conclusion that they are not from the same issue. There were 29 versions within the first few years of its original publications and I'm guessing different versions have different illustrations.

Right now I'd be very grateful if anyone could point me to the original version containing either of the pictures, a list of the different publications of the first say 20-40 years or a coffee-table book of medival witchcraft/witchhunting prints including the ones from the malleus malifecarum.

Sir_David_S

First off, as you said, there is indeed no "original illustrated version" of the Malleus. It is a scholastic treatise, and these texts were usually not illustrated. The earliest prints probably all looked much like this (1496): http://digitale-sammlungen.ulb.uni-bonn.de/content/pageview/1858245

Later, after illustrated title pages became common, you may find editions like this one (1519) https://books.google.de/books?id=TTg8AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false But, again, there are no illustrations within the text.

The second image you linked is in fact not part of the Malleus. It's from Ulrich Tengler's Laienspiegel (written in 1509, the image itself can be found in a pirated copy from Strasbourg, 1510). The first is a bit trickier. I find a number of collections (of questionable reliabilty, such as: http://www.akg-images.co.uk/Package/2UMEBMAIHRV7#/SearchResult&ALID=2UMEBMAIHRV7&VBID=2UMES6WHBC34Q&POPUPPN=46&POPUPIID=2UMDHUJXYBA) claiming it's found in a print of the Malleus from Cologne, 1511. The only edition printed in Cologne that year, however, again does not contain any illustrations (http://www.e-rara.ch/doi/10.3931/e-rara-11123).

As I don't know of any illustrated editions up to the end of the 16th century (cf. this print from 1588, still not illustrated: http://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/fs1/object/display/bsb11110484_00007.html), I don't think there's a large chance of there actually being an illustrated edition that was produced before the Malleus became a matter of myth.

If you are interested in illustrations of Early Modern witch trials more generally and don't mind them not coming from the Malleus itself, I recommend you look into pamphlets/leaflets from the 16th century (which were aimed at the public and could therefore be quite sensationalist) or illustrated books of law like the Laienspiegel I mentioned.

You can probably easily find coffee-table books on witch trials and similar matters, but I can't point you towards anything specific. Sorry to disappoint there, but I hope this gives you at least a starting point for further research.

workerdrones

I work in a library that has a sizable folklore collection, including a few copies of the Malleus. I don't think we have an original, but we do have some earlyish editions. I'll see what we have and hook you up today or Monday.