Our Fake History Episode #237 - What is the Hammer of the Witches?
Oct 21, 2025
Delve into the dark history of the Malleus Maleficarum, a witch-hunting manual that primarily targeted women. Discover how its controversial authors wielded misogynistic theories to legitimize witch hunts and scapegoat the vulnerable. Explore the shocking statistics on female victims and the societal shifts that fueled these atrocities. The episode also connects the decline of female brewers to rising anti-witch sentiments, unveiling the terrifying intersection of fear, gender, and power dynamics in medieval Europe.
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Malleus Defined The Modern Witch
- The Malleus Maleficarum fused theological heresy with folk beliefs to create the "modern witch" archetype.
- It framed witches as promiscuous women who made pacts with the devil sealed by sexual acts.
Assume Witchcraft Before Natural Causes
- The Malleus argued that witches cause many misfortunes and should be suspected before natural causes.
- This shifted communities toward assuming malevolent human agency for disasters.
Sexualized Misogyny As Theoretical Basis
- The Malleus explicitly argued women are constitutionally prone to witchcraft due to carnal lust and weakness.
- It used theological and classical authorities to present misogyny as scholarly argument.
