This essay
will focus on the extract from Jean Bodin’s book ‘On the Demon-Mania of
Witches’, and on the significance of its place in history, bearing in mind
context of the time period and events which were occurring across Europe. I
also aim to analyse how, and if so, why his work was so popular within society.
Bodin was born in 1530 in France, and became a prominent figure within
education, politics and philosophy, and it has been said that he held ‘various
high offices’[1],
showing his influence within society. Furthermore, his law skills would have allowed
him to form his persuasive argument against witches, as he would have known how
to present a case which would be favourable to his desired outcome. The fact
that Jean Bodin was an educated and well known figure allowed his book to be
taken seriously and reach popularity as he was seen as an intelligent free
thinker. And he reached a wide religious audience, as it has been said that ‘he
was variously thought during his lifetime to be a Calvinist, a Jew, a
free-thinker and an atheist, but he was a Catholic when he died', meaning that
no religious group was alienated from his audience, yet he stood completely against
the concept of witchcraft.
Bodin has a clear line of argument at the beginning of the source, ‘that witchcraft is treason against God is the centre of his very severe approach’ and summarises by stating that the fifteen crimes are ‘detestable’ and ‘the least of which merits a painful death’[2], showing that the aim of this document was to apply harsher punishments to those suspected of witchcraft.
Although
tolerant of all faiths, Bodin hates the concept of witches. He says that ‘For
the witch whom I have described does not just deny God in order to change and
take up another religion, but he renounces all religions’[3],
which could display Bodin’s belief and fear of a satanic power similar to the
spiritual power of God, but for an evil purpose.
The tone of the document shows that Bodin was writing with urgency, and saw the issue as a terrible threat. From the opening paragraph, in which he is described to be an ’implacable enemy of sceptics of witchcraft’[4], indicating how sure he was in his attack on witches. Furthermore, the way he lists the crimes of witches constructs a strongly persuasive argument to those reading. He is very one-sided in his opinion, showing that the document is not intended to be informative, but persuasive, for example ‘the third crime is even more abominable’ and ‘the sixth crime is even more horrible’[5], making the reader feel as though the sins of the witches are endless.
The tone of the document shows that Bodin was writing with urgency, and saw the issue as a terrible threat. From the opening paragraph, in which he is described to be an ’implacable enemy of sceptics of witchcraft’[4], indicating how sure he was in his attack on witches. Furthermore, the way he lists the crimes of witches constructs a strongly persuasive argument to those reading. He is very one-sided in his opinion, showing that the document is not intended to be informative, but persuasive, for example ‘the third crime is even more abominable’ and ‘the sixth crime is even more horrible’[5], making the reader feel as though the sins of the witches are endless.
Bodin uses
shocking imagery for effect throughout his document, such as ‘They raise them
in the air…insert a large pin into their head, which causes them to die’ when
referencing the sacrificing of their own children to the Devil. In this time
period people were obsessed with superstition and interference of the Devil, so
this would have been a horrifying image to consider. Bodin goes further by outlining
that witches also ‘dedicate’ children straight ‘from their mother’s womb’[6],
which automatically makes witchcraft real and threatening to the reader, and
personalises Bodin’s account, particularly towards those concerned about the
protection of their children during a time of already high child mortality
rates.
Bodin concludes his list with ‘witches have carnal copulation with the devil’[7], a crime which differs from the rest, and leaves a bitter taste, as it places a grotesque and dishonourable image in the readers head which links to other crimes such as adultery. He goes on to state that the crimes like the ones he has reported ‘at least merits a painful death’, showing that he has no tolerance for the crime of witchcraft. He highlights that the problem lies in providing evidence for the cases, and recommends that if there is only presumption ‘If the presumptions are strong, one may consider imposing the death sentence’[8], something which was to pose huge problems within witch trials, as there was no way of proving suspicions of dark magic without confession.
When considering why Bodin wrote this source, it could be argued that due to his prominent roles he saw it as his duty to do all he could to protect a vulnerable society. He stated in a letter of dedication to Christophle de Thou that he wrote this treaty with two purposes in mind: ‘on the one hand, “to use it as a warning to all who will see him [the devil],” and on the other hand, “to alert readers that there is no crime that could be more atrocious or deserve more serious punishment.”’[9], showing his concern on the vulnerability of society and want to protect them from witchcraft and the devil.
Bodin concludes his list with ‘witches have carnal copulation with the devil’[7], a crime which differs from the rest, and leaves a bitter taste, as it places a grotesque and dishonourable image in the readers head which links to other crimes such as adultery. He goes on to state that the crimes like the ones he has reported ‘at least merits a painful death’, showing that he has no tolerance for the crime of witchcraft. He highlights that the problem lies in providing evidence for the cases, and recommends that if there is only presumption ‘If the presumptions are strong, one may consider imposing the death sentence’[8], something which was to pose huge problems within witch trials, as there was no way of proving suspicions of dark magic without confession.
When considering why Bodin wrote this source, it could be argued that due to his prominent roles he saw it as his duty to do all he could to protect a vulnerable society. He stated in a letter of dedication to Christophle de Thou that he wrote this treaty with two purposes in mind: ‘on the one hand, “to use it as a warning to all who will see him [the devil],” and on the other hand, “to alert readers that there is no crime that could be more atrocious or deserve more serious punishment.”’[9], showing his concern on the vulnerability of society and want to protect them from witchcraft and the devil.
In assessing
the sources significance in the context of the time, it must be accounted for
that Bodin’s book went through ’23 editions in four languages’, displaying the
books’ widespread popularity. Evidence to support that Bodin’s work was received
widely is shown in the minutes from the French Trial of Marie Cornu in 1611.
From reading this source it is clear to see that the crimes stated in her trial
were almost identical to those of Bodin’s, for example, in the Cornu case
‘she…renounced and denied God’ and ‘pledged herself forever to the devil’[10].
Here we see clear similarities to Bodin’s description of ‘having renounced God’
and doing ‘homage to the devil’. This shows how widespread the ideas of Bodin
were, and how his paranoid writings could have been applied to trying and
punishing in the case of Marie Cornu and perhaps others. The repeating of the
same crimes in each source also demonstrates the mentality of the time, as
although there was no factual evidence for the crimes, sources such as Bodin’s
led to widespread paranoia of Witches.
Bodin’s
argument could have been more readily received because he created this argument
during a time where paranoia and superstition were fraught throughout Europe.
However, just because people were suspicious of witches during this period does
not mean they led to accusations. In fact, most people tended to tolerate the
witches and maintain their distance from them in order to remain safe.
The French wars of religion are also
significant in explaining the books’ popularity. They were a key part of
everyday life from 1562-1592, displaying a conflict between Catholics and
Protestants. Whilst this made Bodin’s liberal ideas on the unification of all
faiths controversial to publish, the religious instability of the time would
have fuelled suspicion of others, and so create the perfect atmosphere for
Bodin’s argument to be taken seriously.
To conclude, it is clear to see that Bodin’s works were incredibly popular all over Europe from the number of editions and languages the book was published in. Bodin effectively produces a strongly persuasive argument in favour of the death penalty and harsher punishments for witches, and the specific crimes he lists can be seen in other documents on witchcraft such as the trial of Marie Cornu as stated above. Whilst Bodin was a liberal and free thinker when it came to religious faith, the source clearly shows his complete aversion and hatred for those who he believed to be involved with the Devil, showing that as well as being an educated free-thinker he did hold strongly superstitious beliefs. Ultimately, the widespread paranoia across Europe was created mb a number of social and economic factors such as poverty and ill weather conditions such as the little ice-ace, but it was sources like this one that Jean Bodin wrote which provided ordinary people with the evidence and support they needed to accuse witches and even conduct witch trials.
Bibliography
J. Bodin, On The Demon-Mania of Witches (Taken from UEA source booklet)
E. J. Ross,
‘The Social Theory of Jean Bodin’
M. Turchetti ‘Jean Bodin’
M. Turchetti ‘Jean Bodin’
[1] Eva
J. Ross, 1946, ‘The Social Theory of Jean Bodin’ The American Catholic Sociological Review Vol 7 No 4 page 267
[online] available at: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3707140?uid=37382&uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=3&uid=5910784&uid=67&uid=37380&uid=62&sid=21101710779527
(accessed 27/01/13)
[2] Jean
Bodin, ‘On the Demon-Mania of Witches’ (France 1580)
[3]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[4]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[5]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[6]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[7]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[8]
Bodin, Demon-Mania of Witches
[9] Mario Turchetti (2010), ‘Jean Bodin’, Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bodin/#3(Accessed 27/01/13)
[10] The trial of
Marie Cornu (France 1611)
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