The original Latin text of "De Praestigiis Daemonum" was widely circulated and influential in its time. Kramer drew on his experience as a judge in witch trials, as well as his knowledge of theology and canon law, to create a comprehensive guide to the nature of witches, their pacts with demons, and the ways in which they could be prosecuted.
On Witchcraft: An Abridged Translation of Johann Weyer's De praestigiis daemonum Benjamin G. Kohl and H.C. Erik Midelfort. Publication: Pegasus Press, 1998. de praestigiis daemonum english translation pdf
This was revolutionary. In an era where Heinrich Kramer’s Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch’s Hammer) demanded the burning of witches, Weyer insisted that the “crime” of witchcraft was impossible. Only demons could perform supernatural harm. Old women who thought they were witches were pitiable victims of their own biology and demonic trickery. The original Latin text of "De Praestigiis Daemonum"
Wier’s masterpiece remains a foundational text for historians, theologians, and those interested in the intersection of law and medicine. Kohl and H