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"Mackay has done a splendid job with the translation of this important work, and his commentary is a book in itself...provides useful information to both the general reader or undergraduate student and to graduate students or other scholars...sure to take its place among several recent and well-done translations of important demonological texts." --Jane P. Davidson, University of Nevada: Sixteenth Century Journal
Product Description
The Malleus Maleficarum, first published in 1486–7, is the standard medieval text on witchcraft and it remained in print throughout the early modern period. Its descriptions of the evil acts of witches and the ways to exterminate them continue to contribute to our knowledge of early modern law, religion and society. Mackay's highly acclaimed translation, based on his extensive research and detailed analysis of the Latin text, is the only complete English version available, and the most reliable. Now available in a single volume, this key text is at last accessible to students and scholars of medieval history and literature. With detailed explanatory notes and a guide to further reading, this volume offers a unique insight into the fifteenth-century mind and its sense of sin, punishment and retribution.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book--a kind of how-to manual for late-15th century witch hunters--offers a fascinating (and sometimes horrifying) look into the minds of men who really believed in witches and really believed they ought to do some pretty terrible things to protect good Christian folk from the threats that witches posed.
I was overjoyed to discover this reasonably priced edition. Until now those of us who don't have £160 (even with the Amazon discount) to spend on a book had to make do with reading the hardback version in libraries.
The translation is both accurate and readable, and the introductory notes provide invaluable perspective. An absolute must for anyone interested in this field.
I was overjoyed to discover this reasonably priced edition. Until now those of us who don't have £160 (even with the Amazon discount) to spend on a book had to make do with reading the hardback version in libraries.
The translation is both accurate and readable, and the introductory notes provide invaluable perspective. An absolute must for anyone interested in this field.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mackay's Hammer of Witches is an accurate and reliable, not to mention an exciting and emminently readable, translation of the Malleus Maleficarum (the single most important primary source in the history of the medieval European witch craze - it's a historical treatise written by 2 inquisitors of heretical depravity about how to hunt down, try, and ultimately execute witches, dangerous women (and a few men) who have maliciously entered into pacts with Satan himself to the mortal peril of all those around them. This translation is far superior to any other translation available today: Maxwell-Stuart's translation is modern and readable but only provides excerpts while Summers translation is woefully inaccurate. The text of the Hammer of Witches, together with the informative introduction, offers a valuable window into the medieval mind, enabling a better understanding of the historical underpinnings and motivations for the witchcraze with enough salacious anecdotes (e.g., the famous incident concerning the size of the village priest's penis, the episode where the priest is unable to find fault with the devil's sermon, and the tale of the possessed son) to keep most readers engaged. And I'm very pleased to finally see this in paperback.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was bought for my daughter for reference for her history a level and she says that it is excellent
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