On Fri, 18 Oct 2024 22:30:14 -0400, "186282@ud0s4.net"
<186283@ud0s4.net> wrote:

>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13975159/Scientists-discover-document-Salem-Witch-trials-Massachusetts.html
>
>Sinister source of the Salem Witch trials is revealed on the
>eve of Halloween
>
>A new study discovered that the invention of the printing press
>in the 15th century - which drastically increased the spread
>of information - led to the proliferation of a book that
>contained a detailed explanation of 'demonology.'
>
>The widely-printed book, Malleus Maleficarum - which translates
>to the Hammer of Evil-Doers - depicted witchcraft as a
>'conspiratorial activity against godly society' rather than
>benign 'mischief by village sorceresses, pagans, or ignorant
>peasants.'
>
>This book also served as the first printed guide printed
>guide for witch-hunters.
>
>. . .
>
> Probably some truth to this assertion. The printing
> press created the MSM v0.2 ... and the witch books
> spread the paranoia widely (and, being print, were
> trusted). First the intellectuals, then partially
> spread down to the (seriously) ignorant peasants.

The UK "Daily Mail" tends to try to sensationalise everything, and
does to here by trying to present the influence of the publication of
the "Malleus Malefeficorm" as a new discovery, whereas it is mentioned
in just about every book I've read on the subject.

What this research does show, however, is how the "witchcraft as a
satanic conspiracy" meme "went viral".

Forget all the "Eve of Hallowe'en" hype. It says little that is new
about witchcraft or witch trials, but it says quite a lot that is new
about memes and how they spread.

Some quotations from earlier writers:

Witchcraft trials.
Source: Williams 1959:142.
The 16th century witch trials ordered by the Malleus
Maleficarum differed from earlier ones in that they did not
punish false accusations. "The secular governments of
centuries earlier had been wiser; they had penalized the talk
as much as the act. The new effort did not do so; it
encouraged the talk against the act."
(that's from Charles Williams's book "Witchcraft" first published in
the 1930s)

Witch hunts of pagan origin.
Source: Cohn 1975:147-149.
Maleficium was the doing of harm by occult means, and it was
an ancient custom for those who believed maleficium was being
used against them or their kin to take personal retaliation.
It was common among the Alemanni, the Lombards and the Saxons
when they were conquered by Charlemagne towards the end of the
eighth century. Death by burning continued to be regarded as a
proper penalty.

Witchcraft and magic in the Roman Empire.
Source: Williams 1959:305.
"Before Christendom began, magic, with its lower
accompaniment of witchcraft, preoccupied the whole Roman
Empire; we have forgotten the darkness out of which we came.
It was as popular as it was perilous. It was certainly
regarded by the authorities as a public danger, but, on the
whole, action against it was taken only by private persons in

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk