Episode #237 - What is the Hammer of the Witches?

In this episode of Our Fake History, Sebastian Major explores the historical myths surrounding the Malleus Maleficarum, or the Hammer of the Witches, and its impact on witch-hunting in the 16th and 17th centuries. The podcast examines Heinrich Kramer's role in writing the book, the historical context of witchcraft beliefs, and the book's influence on the persecution of women. While the Malleus Maleficarum did not single-handedly cause the witch hunts, it reflected and reinforced existing misogynistic views and contributed to the construction of the "modern witch" as a primarily female figure, influenced by economic and cultural shifts that marginalized women in European society.