The Malleus Maleficarum

The "Malleus Maleficarum," or "Hammer of Witches," is a 15th-century text written by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. It served as a manual for identifying, prosecuting, and punishing supposed witches during the European witch hunts. The book outlines beliefs about witchcraft, methods for interrogating suspects, and the legal procedures for trials. It contributed to widespread fear of witches, leading to thousands of executions. Although largely discredited today, its influence on witch hunts and societal attitudes toward magic and superstition in the early modern period is significant in understanding historical perspectives on justice and gender.