Compendium Maleficarum: Collected in 3 Books from Many Sources by Brother Francesco Maria Guazzo
$800.00
Compendium Maleficarum: Collected in 3 Books from Many Sources by Brother Francesco Maria Guazzo, published in 1929. Edited by Montague Summers. Limited and numbered edition, one of 1275 copies, this being copy number 526. A substantial and influential demonological compendium originally compiled in the early 17th century by the Italian priest Francesco Maria Guazzo, synthesizing theological authorities, inquisitorial writings, and contemporary accounts concerning witchcraft and diabolism. Organized in three books, the work examines classifications of demons, forms of maleficium, diabolical pacts, sabbatic rites, possession, divination, and methods of detecting and prosecuting alleged witches, reflecting the doctrinal and judicial framework of Counter-Reformation Europe. Particularly notable for its extensive engraved illustrations depicting ritual practices, demonic manifestations, and scenes of witchcraft, the text remains one of the most important documentary sources for the study of early modern demonology and witchcraft belief. Summers’ edition helped reintroduce the work to 20th-century occult and scholarly audiences, preserving both its theological severity and historical significance. Hardcover. Gilt lettering to spine. Light shelfwear to corners and ends.
