Sources and Investigations into the History of the Witch-Craze

II. From the Literature on the History of Sorcery and Witchcraft, 1510.

A detailed woodcut illustration from 1510 depicts various activities associated with witchcraft and the occult. In the upper section, witches fly through the clouds on goats and other beasts. Below this, different scenes of sorcery are portrayed. On the left, a figure stirs a cauldron over a fire near a small table with skulls. In the center, a male magician or scholar in heavy robes stands within a ritual circle defined by candles. He holds a raised sword and a book of spells while a small demonic creature stands beside him. On the right, a woman churns butter. This was a common motif in witchcraft trials related to the magical theft of produce. The bottom of the image depicts a hellish landscape where demons and hybrid creatures cast souls into a pit of fire and onto a spiked wheel or cart. On the far left, two bearded men in long academic or clerical robes observe the scenes.

Sorcery original: "Zauberwesen"
Witchcraft original: "Hexenwesen"