On the Demon-Mania of Witches

by Jean Bodin

Jean Bodin's On the Demon-Mania of Witches (De la démonomanie des sorciers) was published in 1580 and quickly became one of the most widely read and translated works on witchcraft in Europe. Bodin (1529/30-1596), a lawyer and scholar, was greatly admired by his contemporaries. His works on politics, history and religion, especially his encyclopaedic Les six livres de la république (1576), contributed ideas and theories that have continued to attract the attention of researchers in a wide range of disciplines. The Demon-Mania is a passionately argued treatise on the reality and dangers of magic and witchcraft, which Bodin saw as a growing threat to the state. His treatise also makes detailed recommendations to judges for the effective prosecution of witchcraft cases. Professor Pearl's introduction to the text situates it in the full context of Bodin's thought and the historical experience of his age. The notes by the editors give the reader access to Bodin's vast network of theological, classical, historical and legal sources. The Demon-Mania, appearing here in its first English translation, provides sharp insights into the mentality of a complex and bitterly divided age.

Genres: Occult, Witchcraft, Nonfiction

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1580

About the author

Jean Bodin (1530–1596) was a French jurist and political philosopher, member of the Parlement of Paris and professor of law in Toulouse. He is best known for his theory of sovereignty; he was also an influential writer on demonology.
Bodin lived during the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation and wrote against the background of religious conflict in France. He remained a nominal Catholic throughout his life but was critical of papal authority over governments, favouring the strong central control of a national monarchy as an antidote to factional strife. Toward the end of his life he wrote, but did not publish, a dialogue among different religions, including representatives of Judaism, Islam and natural theology, in which all agreed to coexist in concord.

Jean Bodin (1530-1596) était un juriste et philosophe politique français, membre du Parlement de Paris et professeur de droit à Toulouse. Il est surtout connu pour sa théorie de la souveraineté; il était également un écrivain influent sur la démonologie.
Bodin a vécu au lendemain de la Réforme protestante et a écrit dans le contexte du conflit religieux en France. Il resta un catholique nominal tout au long de sa vie mais critiqua l'autorité papale sur les gouvernements, favorisant le contrôle central fort d'une monarchie nationale comme antidote aux conflits entre factions. Vers la fin de sa vie, il a écrit, mais n'a pas publié, un dialogue entre différentes religions, y compris des représentants du judaïsme, de l'islam et de la théologie naturelle, dans lequel tous ont accepté de coexister dans la concorde.

Reviews

[Alex Grenfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is for the translation of this book and its value for understanding the persecution of those deemed to be “witches” in the early modern period. Bodin’s opinions are, in today’s world, monstrous, but I did find his correlation between the plague and witchcraft poignant for understanding one of the multifarious reasons underlying the subsequent witch trial phenomenon. Scott’s translation is excellent.

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For the impotent nature of women burns with an incredible vengeance, and she cannot hold her tongue if she has the power to do ill whenever she threatens." pg 200.

Oh man, this was wild. Very repetitive and the language could get archaic and convoluted, so maybe not for the casual fan of witchcraft, but for the connoisseur this should be required reading because Bodin is WILD. In a century when the rest of Europe was kind of drawing back from burning witches (among many other tortures), Bodin is a firm believer and some of the things he believes... part hilarious, part horrifying for the thought of what these women (and men, but mostly women) suffered.

Whatever hallucinogenics Bodin and his ilk were on, I want to try. Just once. Because if they're seeing men transported naked to fields miles from their houses, women burying livestock under doorframes without anyone else noticing, flight, werewolf transformations all as part of the regular witches' toolkit, then it's something I need to taste while I'm still young and dumb enough to maybe get away with it.

Highly recommend for the very particular kind of researcher who would be amused by reading about craziness at the end of the 16th century from a man who was actually there.

[Val Pullin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never read a book that made me so angry such as this did. Excellent source for understanding the toxic views and beliefs against those who were accused of witchcraft during the late 1500s.

[Brianna McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my rating for this book for its value as a primary source.

[Debbie Means Rosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of information about superstitions during Bodin's time (1580s). The witch craze has begun and it's as if no one has any common sense. This just proves how ignorant humanity gets when fear grabs a hold. If you thought "The Crucible" was bad, you haven't seen nothing yet.