Johannes Nider Michael D

History Publications History 2006 Johannes Nider Michael D. Bailey Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/history_pubs Part of the European History Commons, History of Religion Commons, Medieval History Commons, and the Other History Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ history_pubs/58. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the History at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Johannes Nider Abstract A Dominican theologian and religious reformer active in the early fifteenth century, Nider wrote some of the most extensive and influential early accounts of witchcraft. iH s major work on this subject, Formicarius (The Anthill), written in 1437 and 1438, was printed in seven separate editions between 1475 and 1692. It was also an important source of information for the infamous Malleus Malejicarum (The aH mmer of Witches), written by the Dominican Heinrich Kramer and first published in 1486. The fifth book of the Formicarius, which dealt specifically with "witches and their deceptions" ("de maleficis et eorum deceptionibus"), was included in several later editions along with the Malleus. In addition to relating numerous stories of witchcraft in the Formicarius, Nider treated the topics of magic and sorcery in two other works, De lepra morali (On Moral Leprosy) and Preceptorium divine legis (Preceptor of Divine Law). Born in the small Swabian imperial Disciplines European History | History of Religion | Medieval History | Other History Comments Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The eW stern Tradition edited by Richard M. Golden. Copyright 2006 by ABC- CLIO. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara, CA. This book chapter is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/history_pubs/58 - NIDER, JOHANNES (CA 1380-1438) A Dominican theologian and religious reformer active in the early fifteenth century, Nider wrote some of the most extensive and influential early accounts of witch craft. His major work on this subject, Formicarius (The Anthill), written in 1437 and 1438, was printed in seven separate editions between 1475 and 1692. It was also an important source of information for the infa mous Malleus Malejicarum (The Hammer of Witches), written by the Dominican Heinrich Kramer and first published in 1486. The fifth book of the Formicarius, which dealt specifically with "witches and their decep tions" ("de maleficis et eorum deceptionibus"), was included in several later editions along with the Malleus. In addition to relating numerous stories of witchcraft in the Formicarius, Nider treated the topics of magic and sorcery in two other works, De lepra morali (On Moral Leprosy) and Preceptorium divine legis (Preceptor of Divine Law). Born in the small Swabian imperial city oflsny in the early 1380s, Nider entered the Dominican Order at Colmar in 1402. At this time, Colmar (now in Alsace, France) was one of only two Dominican houses in German lands controlled by the so-called observant, or reform, movement. We can assume that Nider chose to enter the order at Colmar because he was attracted to the observant movement; he eventually became one of the most important observant Dominican leaders of his Title page ofpamphlet describing the witch ofNewbury, caught day. Following the normal course of Dominican educa walking on a plank in the water. (Glasgow University Library, tion, Nider underwent his initial training at Colmar, Department ofSpecial Collectiom) then learned the liberal arts at a Dominican studium generate (house of studies; literally "general studies"), and finally received his theological education. He began At the dramatic climax, the propaganda message studying theology in Cologne, possibly as early as 1410, was delivered. The witch's last words were reported to but left before completing his degree and attended be: "And is it come to pass, that I must die indeed? some sessions of the Council of Constance Why then, his excellency the earl of Essex shall be for (1414-1418). In 1422, he petitioned to be admitted to tunate and win the field" (A Most Certain, Strange, and study theology in Vienna, where he received his degree true Discovery of a Witch, 7). The defeat of a royalist in June 1425. witch was thus made into a prophecy of parliamentary Nider taught briefly at Vienna and then served as superiority and provided proof that the Devil was on prior of the Dominicans in Nuremberg from 1426 or the king's side. The story of the witch of Newbury 1427 until April 1429, when he moved to Basel to therefore revealed itself to have be,en a powerfully undertake the reform of the Dominican priory there. instructive fantasy or allegory, albeit one with little, if While in Basel, he not only served as prior of the any, foundation in fact. Dominicans but also became a leading member of the MALCOLM J. GASKILL Council of Basel (1431-1449). He delivered the open ing sermon of the council, served on its deputation for See also: ANTICHRIST; ENGLAND; HOPKINS, MATTHEW; PAMPHLETS religious reform, and undertook several important AND NEWSPAPERS; WARFARE. missions to negotiate with the heretical Hussites in References and further reading: Bohemia. Moreover, under his leadership, several of the Capp, Bernard. 1989. "Popular Culture and the English Civil War." History ofEuropean Ideas 10: 31-41. council's most important deputations and delegations Ewen, C. I.:Estrange. 1933. Witchcraft and Demonianism. London: met in his Dominican priory. In late 1434 or early Heath Cranton. 1435, however, Nider left Basel, returning to Vienna to Purkiss, Diane. 1997. "Desire and Its Deformities: Fantasies of teach theology. He was elected dean of the theological Witchcraft in the English Civil War." journal ofMedieval and faculty in 1436. In 1438, he returned briefly to Basel, Early Modern Studies 27: 103-132. continuing on that summer to direct the reform of the 826 NIDER. JOHANNES female Dominican convent of St. Catherine in Colmar. infertility or illness in people or animals, killing small Upon his return journey, he died at Nuremberg on children, damaging or destroying crops, or magically August 13, 1438. stealing crops from their neighbors' fields. Witches per Although an active intellectual figure for slightly over formed this magic through the agency of demons, and ten years, from 1426 until 1438, and although fre the witches gained their power over demons by formal quently occupied during this period with numerous ly renouncing their faith and worshipping the Devil at other duties, Nider was nevertheless a prolific author secret nocturnal gatherings. At these ceremonies they who wrote at least fifteen major treatises, as well as also desecrated the cross and the sacraments, cannibal numerous sermons and letters. His topics ranged from ized the bodies of young children and babies, engaged the reform of the religious orders to heresy, as well as in sexual orgies, and performed various other detestable general moral guides and treatises on the care of souls. acts. Notably, Nider's witches did not fly to these gath Yet he is mainly known as an authority on witchcraft, erings; night flight was never mentioned in the above all for his most important work, Formicarius. Formicarius except as a delusion. This long treatise was composed in the form of a dia Although in the course of his stories, Nider described logue between a theologian, who was clearly Nider both male and female witches, and although he consis himself, and a lazy but curious student who posed ques tently used male pronouns when referring to witches in tions on a wide range of moral and spiritual matters. general, he is nevertheless the first major clerical The treatise took its title and its organizing symbol authority to argue that women were more prone to from Proverbs 6.6 (which also served as its opening witchcraft than men. Immediately after the discussion line): "Go to the ant, 0 lazy one, and consider its ways of Joan of Arc in the Formicarius, the lazy student and learn wisdom." Throughout, the character of the expressed amazement that the weaker sex could be student (the "lazy one" of the Proverbs) posed questions capable of such terrible crimes. Through the voice of and demanded not just scholastic reasoning but also the theologian, Nider responded that, shocking as it present-day examples to illustrate the theologian's seems, learned authorities knew that it was not rare for points. Thus the dialogue of the Formicarius often women to wield such demonic power. He then became a collection of morally edifying stories probably explained how women were more prone to the tempta intended for use in sermons. tions of the Devil, due mainly to their weaker physical, Because of this format, when Nider turned to the mental, and moral nature, and produced several bibli topic of witchcraft, he presented not just a purely theo cal, patristic, and classical citations to this effect. Thus, retical, scholastic account of the powers of demons and women were more easily seduced into the crime of the workings of sorcery but actual stories of witches and witchcraft than men. This section of the Formicarius witchcraft that he had heard from other authorities (he served as a basis for the even more extreme misogyny of never seemed to have actually encountered a witch him the later Malleus Malejicarum. self). Many of these stories were set in various locations Interestingly, alongside tales of nocturnal conventi in the western Alps, mostly the territory of Bern in the cles and diabolic cults of witches, Nider also presented diocese of Lausanne, where some of the earliest true several accounts that lacked these more extreme flour witchcraft trials were beginning to take place at this ishes.

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