Germany, 1487: Contradiction Central (with bonus murders!)

Chapter 6. It was just awful. There were so, so many problems with Kramer and Jacob's arguments - from intense misogyny to torture to the obvious exceptions they made to their own rules! I wanted to accuse them of witchcraft by the time it was over - see how they like feeling that helpless against the long arm of the Church. Don't get me wrong, I'm unfortunately fairly certain that some of the horrible things described that witches do were actually done - certain rituals were described very specifically, and in the society of the fifteenth century, if you heard that hurting someone would somehow protect you from the dangers of the world...and if you might be able to get away with it...well, why not try it?

No! The point was to GET AWAY with it...*sigh*
(Source: commons.wikimedia.org)

But i can't imagine a situation in which most of the accused aren't innocent.

The point I'm trying to get at is the Inquisitors were taking witch-hunting way too far. For example, look at the explicit instructions on how far to go and on which days to torture people to force a confession out of them, as well as how often to "change it up," like on page 214 (K/P): "For if the sons of darkness were to become accustomed to one general rule [of questioning or torture] they would provide means of evading it as a well-known snare set for their destruction." The Inquisitors are dealing with, for the most part, regular people, and they've set up what seems to be a sham judiciary system in which no one is innocent of witchcraft - not even themselves. 

There were a few "gotcha" moments reading this chapter that I'm sure Sprenger or Kramer would figure out how to explain away, like this prayer that reeks of magic:  "I conjure you by the bitter tears shed on the Cross by our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ...[many more examples of biblical tears]...that if you be innocent you do now shed tears, but if you be guilty that you shall by no means do so." (K/P, p.215, my italics) Or this magical amulet that is totally religiously acceptable: "...they [the Judge and assessors] must always carry about them some salt consecrated on Palm Sunday and some Blessed Herbs. For these can be enclosed together in Blessed Wax and worn round the neck...and that these have a wonderful protective virtue..." (K/P, p.216) Guys, I thought that all types of magic and magical items were heresy? Then there are the stories of judges being manipulated by witches if the witch can see the judge before he sees her, or of judges being bewitched by the way that witches speak during trial (p.216). But weren't judges protected by God and therefore immune to the wiles of magic? Oh, God must be allowing it to happen again. 

The worst, though, was the section on midwives and those who cure illnesses and disease, who were thought of as just as guilty as a supposedly murderous witch! All because in order to expel enchantments and demons, you have to know how they were made and summoned in the first place. So...what about all those exorcisms performed by members of the Church?

My head hurts.