Bookshelf: Hazards of the Dark Arts (Kieckhefer)

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Although the title is somewhat general, Richard Kieckhefer brings us two very important treatises aimed at the education of princes: Johannes Hartlieb`s "Book of All Forbidden Arts" and Ulrich Molitoris "On Witches and Pythonesses".

Largely forgotten but nevertheless an intellectual force of his time, Johannes Hartlieb is one of those cleric advocates against magic and witchcraft, whose vast knowledge in the field makes us wonder, much like in the case of Abbot Trithemius, if he was a closeted practitioner of the arts he publically denounces. His treatise is dedicated to the Margrave Johann of Brandenburg and seems an unfinished exposition of certain species of magic that was never carried out in full.  Each book discusses seven magical disciplines, more or less accurately, with high empasis on divinatory practices: Nigramancy (calling forth demons and dead people), Geomancy (casting lots), hydromancy (divination and magical experiments by water), aeromancy (the same, involving air), pyromancy (fire), chiromancy (the study of the hand) and spatulamancy (divination via examination of a shoulder blade bone). 

His work is also important for citing contemporary works on magic, much like Trithemius in his Antipalus Malleficarum: The Seal of Solomon, The Key of Solomon, The Hierarchy, Shemhamphoras, Kiranides, De annulis inpensis of Pseudo-Arnaldus, The Consecrated Book, The Ars Notoria, Liber razielis, Picatrix, The Book of the Holy Three Kings and The Book of Lots of Pythagoras.

Hartlieb`s attitude towards these discipline is skeptical and rooted in logic, doubled by ecclesiastical maledictions. When the witches and wizards are not merele tricked by the devil with various illusions, they are mere charlatans. The description of the practices of a certain woman widely rumored to make accurate predictions is scrutinised by our skeptic and concluded as cold reading, one of the first occurrences in history of this technique. 

In the other pole of the spectrum, in his treatise constructed as a dialog between Archduke Sigismund of Austria and himself, Ulrich Molitoris makes claims of the vanity of magic and witchcraft in a more sensationalist manner.

 He quotes biblical passages, legends of saints and even fables or myths to make his point, much to the Archduke`s skepticism, who oftentimes concedes. 

In some cases, such as the interactions between women and demons, he comes to even more complicated conclusions. When his patron inquites if the demons can copulate with mortal women, as many stories attested, including a chapter in Genesis, Molitoris rejects it stating that demons have no semen of their own. When his patron argues that some demonologists tell of demons having sex with men, gathering their seed and copulating with women, thus impregnating them, Molitoris argues that the Devil merely makes the woman think she is pregnant for nine months with "a swelling wind", then come time of birth, the devil steals a baby from some other woman in another part of the world and makes his consort think that it is her offspring. How can that occur? Unbaptised, thus vulnerable babies, of course. A delightful piece of logic of the times. 

While Hartlieb`s logical and healthy-skeptical treatise circulated as a manuscript for a time and was forgotten, the sensationalist and well-illustrated treatise of Molitoris was widely published and distributed. With tragic consequences, oftentimes. 

Richard Kieckhefer`s volume is a must-read for any history student and a must-have for any student of the history of magic and superstition. Not to mention psychologists.