Haunting Matters: Demonic Infestation in Northern Europe, 1400-1600 By
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Haunting Matters: Demonic Infestation in Northern Europe, 1400-1600 By Rex Delno Barnes III A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Columbia University Columbia University 2019 © 2019 Rex Delno Barnes III All rights reserved ABSTRACT Haunting Matters: Demonic Infestation in Northern Europe, 1400-1600 Rex Delno Barnes III A profound concern with demonic spirits was central to a large body of literature from the Latin Middle Ages and early modern period. This dissertation will show the ways in which learned writings about demons reveal insights into the cultural and intellectual history of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century western Europe. In particular, an interest in how and in what (visible or invisible) form demonic beings afflicted humanity emerged as larger issues of theological debate from approximately 1400-1600 CE. As I will demonstrate, orthodox theologians maintained that demons existed solely as fallen angels, and that they were the primary culprits of myriad haunting phenomena (e.g., visible apparitions, unsettling movements, and wayward sounds and feelings). In rebellion against the Christian divinity, these wicked spirits were consistently associated with sinful behavior, temptation, and illusory tricks. At the same time, vernacular and folk storytelling suggest that fallen angels were but one of many possible spiritual creatures inhabiting the cosmos. Rather than a strict binary between good and evil spirits, many instantiations of spiritual creatures resisted and survived alongside ecclesiastical teachings on the subject. Informed by multiple overlapping traditions, the premodern Christian imaginary perceived a world filled with invisible agents of both benevolent and malevolent intentions, as well as other ethereal forces with moral ambiguities. Table of Contents Page Introduction 1 Historiography 6 Dissertation Outline 11 Chapter 1: Orthodox Demonology and the Metaphysics of Demonic Affliction 22 Augustinian Demonology in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages 27 Scholastic Demonology of the High Middle Ages 39 Demonic Contagion, Sensory Disorder, and Marvels 52 Conclusions 71 Chapter 2: A Second Demonological Inheritance: Neutral Angels, Helpful Demons, 72 and Non-Angelic Spirits Literary Accounts of Neutral Angels 78 Helpful, Harmless, and Minor Demons in Exemplary Literature 92 Non-angelic Entrances and Entrancements 107 Chapter 3: Perilous and Peril-less Hauntings: Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century 123 Discourses on Minor Demons Late Medieval Demons in Context 129 The Late Medieval Poltergeist 133 Premodern Household Spirits 150 Johannes Trithemius and the Tale of Hutgin 163 Chapter 4: Haunting the Reformation: The Protestant Demonology of Ludwig 178 Lavater Sixteenth-Century Protestant Demonology 183 The Pastoral Context and Language of Das Gespensterbuch 195 The Book of Spirits: Book One 200 Forging a Protestant Perspective: Book Two 211 The Pastoral Approach to Hearing Things: Book Three 226 Conclusions 237 Conclusion 243 Bibliography 252 i May 2019 Acknowledgments Completing the dissertation has been an exciting and humbling affair. Where I began this project believing I would finish everything on my own, there have been so many people whose help and support remains invaluable to my doctoral work. Euan Cameron has been both generous and inspiring as my primary advisor at Columbia. His profound knowledge of Christian history and willingness to provide support when it was most needed deserve my sincerest appreciation. Moreover, Dr. Cameron introduced me to the world of late medieval and early modern magic and spirits—an introduction that would inform the trajectory of my writing as a young scholar. I am also grateful for Patricia Dailey. Tricia not only introduced me to affect theory and the history of emotions but was also a source of enduring comfort through trying times. She has been both an amazing advisor and friend. Likewise, Robert Somerville has always kept my enthusiasm for Christianity grounded in an appreciation for what it means to work with primary sources. Without complaint, he has reviewed a great deal of writing on topics outside his own field, and I am thankful for the encouragement. I would also like to thank Carly Daniel-Hughes and Travis Smith at Concordia University for pushing me to consider a doctorate degree. Their insights into the world of academia and Christian history helped inspire my move to New York City. At NYU, Brigitte Bedos-Rezak allowed me to lead a seminar class on medieval spirits, and this helped in the formative stages of my research. Caroline Bynum also graciously met with me to discuss “wonder” and “demons” in the medieval period. In addition, I would like to thank the community of medievalists and early modern scholars at Columbia University, especially Aled Roberts, Jack Hawley, Susan Crane, Eleanor Johnson, Chris Baswell, and Consuelo Dutschke. Their confidence in my interests has been a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement. ii Columbia University has also repeatedly provided me with necessary travel grants, ensuring that I was able to present on medieval demononlogy across the country. No less important, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) generously funded four years of research while at Columbia. As the dissertation takes several years to complete, I greatly appreciate the financial support from both institutions. Finally, none of this would have been possible without my family. I am forever grateful for the support of my parents, Del and Connie Barnes. Since long before the dissertation, they instilled in me the importance of empathy, introspection, and imagination. They also kindled my interest in religion and spirits. It is to Alanna Barnes, the love of my life, that I dedicate this effort. Alanna has been at once patient and compassionate throughout my doctoral journey. I would never have completed the dissertation without her companionship. She is my forever-friend and lover; she also gave me the endless source of wonder that is my daughter, Willa. Where there have been a number of uncertainties throughout my time at Columbia, Alanna has been my rock and the greatest influence on my scholarly life. iii INTRODUCTION: A profound concern with demonic spirits was central to a large body of literature from the Latin Middle Ages and early modern period. This dissertation will show the ways in which learned writings about demons reveal insights into the cultural and intellectual history of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century western Europe. In particular, an interest in how and in what (visible or invisible) form demonic beings afflicted humanity emerged as larger issues of theological debate from approximately 1400-1600 CE. As I will demonstrate, orthodox theologians maintained that demons existed solely as fallen angels, and that they were the primary culprits of myriad haunting phenomena (e.g., visible apparitions, unsettling movements, and wayward sounds and feelings). In rebellion against the Christian divinity, these wicked spirits were consistently associated with sinful behavior, temptation, and illusory tricks. At the same time, vernacular and folk storytelling suggest that fallen angels were but one of many possible spiritual creatures inhabiting the cosmos. Rather than a strict binary between good and evil spirits, many instantiations of spiritual creatures resisted and survived alongside ecclesiastical teachings on the subject. Informed by multiple overlapping traditions, the premodern Christian imaginary perceived a world filled with invisible agents of both benevolent and malevolent intentions, as well as other ethereal forces with moral ambiguities. In exploring this historical imaginary, my thesis traces the significance of a particular type of infernal creature said to disturb human habitations, namely what churchmen called “lesser” or “minor” demonic spirits. Often described as morally ambivalent and producing minimal or trivial disturbances, these furtive beings appear in a variety of medieval and early modern sources, including demonological treatises, poetic compositions, exemplary moral tales, and popular lore. One thorough description of the kind of demon this dissertation is concerned with can be found in 1 a treatise on witchcraft written in the late sixteenth century by Johann Weyer, a physician and lay demonologist from Brabant in the Low Countries; it provides insight into how theological authors often conceptualized relatively innocuous demonic mischief. Looking back to antiquity, and then squarely at early modern Europe, Weyer notes that Latin speakers also distinguished evil spirits on the basis of their functions…Those who possessed the home in comparative peacefulness were called Lares, or, if they caused terror and disturbed households by their attacks, Larvae…The ancient Romans used to call these last spirits Lemures, and the Italians call them Folleti and Empedusae. There also exist spirits who belong to the family of the Lares and Larvae and are called “earth dwarfs” by the people of our country. Now that some of the obvious impostures of demons have been exposed, these creatures are less common than before. They are of two kinds. Some of the them are gently and deserving of the title Lares familiares; they are active in households especially at night during the first period of sleep, and, by the noises that they make, they seem to be performing the duties of servants—descending the stairs, opening doors,