Malleus Maleficarum
There are lots of [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] scary books in the world, with almost anything written by Stephen King or Sarah Palin pretty much unreadable if you’re afraid of the dark and camping somewhere isolated.
Of course, there’s another type of scary: certain "holy" books that, in my opinion, people do themselves an injustice by taking too literally (and killing non believers in the name of).
And then there are truly terrifying tomes; books such as Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ The Manifesto of the Communist Party and the infamous Malleus Maleficarum, all of which inspired the murders of millions of people.
While Hitler’s screed helped spread his genocidal anti Semitism and Marx and Engels’s work was used as a blueprint for numerous brutal regimes, the less well known Malleus Maleficarum latin for "The Hammer of Witches" is only slightly less blood soaked.
Published in 1487, Malleus Maleficarum was written by Heinrich Kramer, a German Inquistor of the Catholic Church and, in the centuries following his death, it became the Do It Yourself guide for how to identify, torture and kill a witch .
The Malleus Maleficarum is not fiction like The Da Vinci Code; it’s a living piece of history containing some of the most absurd, yet enduring, assumptions about females you’ll ever read.
For example: "Incubus (***ual devils) seem chiefly to molest women and girls with beautiful hair," intones Kramer in his book.
"Either because they devote themselves too much to the care and adornment of their hair, or because they are boastfully vain about it.
Imagine if this bloke ever saw a Sunsilk advertisement?
Reading the Malleus Maleficarum, [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] however, a pattern emerges that scarily reflects attitudes wheeled out nowadays during rape trials and football *** scandals that being the "uncovered meat", "she was asking for it" school of thought.
For example, back in the jolly old 1500s, if a man looked at a woman and became aroused, this could be used as evidence of her "bewitching" him. If a man suddenly couldn’t gain an erection with his wife, well, she was "bewitching" him too.
Back then, being "bewitched" had none of the cutesy connotations we associate with the ’60s American sitcom of the same name; being accused of it often led you to be tortured in horrific ways that make water boarding look humane, then murdered.
Writes Kramer: "When witches . so inflame the minds of men with unlawful lust that they are compelled to travel long distances in the night to go to their mistresses, being too fast bound in the net of carnal desire."
Yes, you read right: If a married man crept out of bed to shag a servant girl in the next town, then got caught, he could claim he’d been bewitched. Goodbye servant girl.
Writes Kramer: "Although far more women are witches than men . men are more often bewitched than women and the venereal act can be more readily and easily bewitched in a man than in a woman."
The fact is, "bewitching" was just a handy defence back then for blokes who couldn’t keep it in their pants, as are modern versions you hear from men who cheat (or rape) and claim they "couldn’t help themselves", that the woman "turned them on" to the point they "lost control".
It’s hardly surprising Kramer took his position when you consider Christianity is built upon the story of Eve tempting poor old hornbag Adam; and thus we men, Adam’s children, are all just penis led plodders with little command over our urges.
As I’ve posted before, similar stories are dotted throughout history from Helen enchanting Paris, to the clawed sirens who lured lusty Odysseus and the message is the same, we men are no match for a good sort in sandals.
So many beautiful medieval excuses for extra marital [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] ***! Young girls stuffed in convents by their parents were fairly prone to claiming demonic possession at that time which was awesome because it not only excused them from prayer and chores, but allowed them to shag with *** abandon and blame the demons 🙂
Only one thing I’ve read the Communist Manifesto and it’s really not inherently frightening like the other ****s Sam mentioned, which make your blood run to ice. I know awful things came of it, but the manifesto itself is actually quite amazing and pretty inspiring.
braces for onslaught of rotten vegetables
Wow!!! Are you out of your mind by comparing Mein Kampf” and the manifesto? Have you read the latest one? It is not scary, it is an essay about how the society was working in the nineteenth century in Europe and how it was unfair that very rich people who did not work were receiving the money of the manufactured work and therefore the people who owned the mean of production should be in charge and decide where to go next in order to reach the so called end of history where mankind should evolve. It sounds a bit scary when you look at the future implementation of it but it is still a very pure idea and it was [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] describing pretty the working condition of the nineteenth century. There is no hate in the book, there is only a mention that the changes will have to be done through fighting and a revolution but in my opinion that’s fair (we are talking about Europe here, that was and is the only way).
The Manifesto of the Communist inspired much evil. So I guess you believe in the abolition of private property and inheritance as well? Sam
I’m in favour of abolishing huge inheritance I think it is the most unfair asset of our society. I don’t see why people would inherit millions of dollars just to be born. It has been calculated that an average person would make around 1.2 millions dollars in their own life (working 40 years) therefore I don’t see why there will be two CLASSES of people, the one with rich parents that will give them the aforementioned amount or more for start and the other who will have to work all their life knowing that they will never reach the same level.
Sam, you [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] promote this in your own way with your focus and advice on men picking up women. If you see a woman you find attractive but don’t try and sleep with her it’s because you’re a wuss, or to use your latest term: "Wet". Not all of us are ruled by our penises.
Oh, and the Malleus Maleficarum didn’t result in the murder of "millions of people", but it was an evil book and even one murder would be too many. I was struck by the intro in the copy I had: "Either the Malleus Maleficarum is a dogmatic exposition of Christ’s vicar on Earth or it is altogether abominable." To me the biggest issue was the claim that if you disagreed with it you were a witch and doing the work of the devil, so there wasn’t much chance for discussion.
Thanks for [عزيزي الزائر يتوجب عليك التسجيل لمشاهدة الرابط للتسجيل اضغط هنا] the reminder Sam, I’ve always meant to read it but never quite got around to doing so. I’ve been fascinated by witches, satanism etc since I was a young tacker. I don’t mean as in "You’ll get yours my pretty" or dancing around in the nuddy in graveyards listening to the Sisters of Mercy, but in what went on in medieval times. I’ve read a lot of things that have referenced Malleus Mallifacarium but not the source itself.
Bit like Mein Kampf really, although at least I’ve tried to read that. It’s just too painful. No wonder the thing didn’t sell until after 1933 when it was basically compulsory (or at least very advisable) to have a copy in the home and workplace.
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