Molitor Ulricus (3 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 4to., 22 unnumbered ll. A-C⁴, D⁶ Gothic letter, 34 lines to full page, rubricated throughout. Seven 2⁄3 to 3⁄4 page woodcuts all in strong contemporary handcolouring, a three lines of contemporary Latin ms. at head of t-p, light early underlining, very occasional contemporary marginalia. Lower and outer margins a bit thumb and ink marked, the odd marginal splash or spot, a very good well margined copy on thick paper in soft crushed morocco C20th. Modern annotations to pastedowns and book label to fly, Menno Hertzberger s pictural label to front pastedown. An uncommon edition of this exceptionally important text, very rarely in contemporary colouring, which has established the iconography of witchcraft in Europe until the present day. First printed about 10 years earlier with a very similar series of cuts, it is one of the earliest printed works on witchcraft and contains the first ever illustrations of witches. These vigorous iconic representations, here even more forceful for being rendered in high colour, of the hags around the cooking pot, flight by broomstick, transmuting into animals, sexual relations with men and demons, are now part of the historic memory , adopted by Hollywood, of the greater part of the western-world. Even the more sedate cut of the three witches eating beneath a tree is immediately recognisable. It was used and referred to again and again and its most celebrated verbal depiction of course is in Shakespeare s Macbeth. Divided into nine short chapters composed in the form of a conversation between the author, the dedicatee the Archduke Sigmund of Austria and his minister Conrad Schatz, they deal respectively with the nine questions concerning witches and their harmful powers posed at the beginning of the volume. Whether by spells they could harm children, spread disease, bring on tempests, fly through the air, give birth to monsters, etc. and concluded that to a certain extent they could. The first tract on witches to be illustrated, 1489-94, was written by the lawyer Ulrich Molitor from Constance in 1484. He actually argues against the persecution of witches because he was sceptical of the value of confessions under torture. He did, however, believe that they were heretics and should be punished with death. In the illustrations, the witches are not characterised by any special dress or undress, implying that all women were capable of being witches. They look like ordinary housewives except in the Flight to the witches Sabbath, when they are changed into animal shapes. Although the text speaks of the witches evil activities being a figment of their imagination, delusions inspired by the devil, the illustrations portray the effects of their malignant and harmful magical spells as real enough, e.g. a witch shooting at a man who tries to jump away, or witches making a brew, using a rooster and a serpent as ingredients, whilst hailstones come crashing down from the sky. Molitor certainly believed in the reality of their sexual intercourse with the devil. Picturing women in late Medieval and Renaissance art by Christa Grössinger. The ms note briefly describes the dialogue and its participants, referring to Molitor as 'Chancellor'. He was appointed Chancellor of the Tyrol by Sigismund in 1494 and it is likely in a local hand. Thirteen copies or fragments are known; only at Harvard, Yale, Morgan & Huntingdon in the U.S. GW 25163. ISTC im00800000. Fairfax Murray II 299 probably the first of the five editions of this book by this printer (all undated and only one signed). …

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. [THE FOUNDATION IMAGERY OF WITCHCRAFT] 4to. 30 unnumbered leaves. ac , d . Gothic letter. Capital spaces, seven fine full page woodcut illustrations within double ruled border, manuscript medical? recipe in early C16th hand on blank verso of last, another note in the same hand on recto of c8, 'Millot de Sombernon' in near contemporary hand at head of blank verso of last, 'vendu 21 r mac-carthy'at head of front fly, C19th printed shelf label on pastedown, Guy Bechtel's bookplate below with his motto 'in carcere meo liber.' Very light age yellowing, the very rare minor spot or mark. A fine well margined copy, crisp and clean in lovely C18th French green morocco, in the style of Derome, covers bordered with a triple gilt rule, fleurons gilt to corners, flat spine with repeated gilt fleurons within double gilt border, red morocco label gilt, edges and inner dentelles gilt, all edges gilt, joints very expertly (invisibly) restored. A beautiful copy of this exceptionally rare and important text, the first and most important illustrated work on witches and a work that has defined the image of witches to this day. The 'De Lamiis,' was first published in 1489 with the same series of iconic woodcuts. It is one of the earliest printed works on witchcraft, and contains the first ever illustrations of witches. This, probably the first Basel edition, is beautifully printed in a fine gothic letter in thirty-two lines and very finely illustrated with seven stunning woodcuts depicting witches and their activities. The first depicts two witches around a large pot, one throwing in a cockerel the other preparing to throw in a snake, the resulting brew creating a storm. The other blocks represent a lycanthropic scene of a wizard mounted on a wolf, the devil disguised as a bourgeois man corrupting a woman, the ensorcellment of a man by a witch firing a spell, witches transformed into animals flying on brooms, and a group of three witches around a table. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between the author and the dedicatee, the Archduke Sigismund of Austria, who doubts the existence of witches. At a time when complete theories about witchcraft were yet to be established, the author defended belief in the powers of the Devil and his ability to trick the human mind. The woodcut depicting three witches together, eating and drinking beneath a tree, is typical of the format of the work. The title on the previous page to this woodcut reads "An super lupum vel baculum unctum ad convivia veniant et mutuo comedant et bibant et sibi mutuo loquantur ac se invicem agnoscant." "Can [witches] come to feasts on a wolf or an anointed stick, eat drink, speak together and recognize one another?" The women are not doing anything other than eating but the image has become deeply anchored in the popular imagination, as it was used and referred to again and again in imagery and literature throughout the centuries, not least in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth.' "The first tract on witches to be illustrated, 1489 94, was written by the lawyer Ulrich Molitor from Constance in 1484. He actually argues against the persecution of witches because he was sceptical of the value of confessions under torture. He did, however, believe that they were heretics and should be punished with death. In the illustrations, the witches are not characterised by any special dress or undress, implying that all women were capable of being witches. They look like ordinary housewives except in the 'Flight to the witches' Sabbath, when they are changed into animal shapes. Although the text speaks of the witches' evil activities being a figment of their imagination, delusions inspired by the devil, the illustrations portray the effects of their malignant and harmful magical spells as real enough, e.g. a witch shooting at a man who tries to jump away, or witches making a brew, using a rooster and a serpent as ingredients, whilst hailstones come crashing down from the sky.…

Leather Bound. Condition: New. Language: Latin. Language: Latin. Presenting an Exquisite Leather-Bound Edition, expertly crafted with Original Natural Leather that gracefully adorns the spine and corners. The allure continues with Golden Leaf Printing that adds a touch of elegance, while Hand Embossing on the rounded spine lends an artistic flair. This masterpiece has been meticulously reprinted in 2024, utilizing the invaluable guidance of the original edition published many years ago in 1500. The contents of this book are presented in classic black and white. Its durability is ensured through a meticulous sewing binding technique, enhancing its longevity. Imprinted on top-tier quality paper. A team of professionals has expertly processed each page, delicately preserving its content without alteration. Due to the vintage nature of these books, every page has been manually restored for legibility. However, in certain instances, occasional blurriness, missing segments, or faint black spots might persist. We sincerely hope for your understanding of the challenges we faced with these books. Recognizing their significance for readers seeking insight into our historical treasure, we've diligently restored and reissued them. Our intention is to offer this valuable resource once again. We eagerly await your feedback, hoping that you'll find it appealing and will generously share your thoughts and recommendations. Lang: - Latin, Pages: : - 73, Print on Demand. If it is a multi-volume set, then it is only a single volume. We are specialised in Customisation of books, if you wish to opt different color leather binding, you may contact us. This service is chargeable. Product Disclaimer: Kindly be informed that, owing to the inherent nature of leather as a natural material, minor discolorations or textural variations may be perceptible. Explore the FOLIO EDITION (12x19 Inches): Available Upon Request. 73 73.…