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Demonology and Witchcraft - "Less we forget"

Ludovico Maria Sinistrari

(Author Unknown - Please let me know if you recognise this work??)

Lodovico Maria Sinistrari was a Franciscan theologian whose main contribution to Demonology and Witchcraft was his work Demoniality.  In it he examines sexual acts with Demons and likened demons more to the Lutin, or mischievous Hobgoblin, than to evil servants of Satan.

Sinistrari had an illustrious career as a theologian.  He was born on the 26th February 1622 in Ameno, a small town in Piedmont, Italy.  He was educated at the esteemed University of Pavia, where in 1647 he entered the Order of Reformed Minors of the Strict Observance of St. Francis.  While there he was made a Professor of Philosophy teaching Theology.  He became a popular preacher throughout Italy and Students from all over Europe flocked to hear him lecture.  Good-looking and personable, he was well liked by Royalty as well as the general public.  He served as consultant to the Supreme Tribunal of the Most Holy Inquisition; Vicar-general to the archbishop of Avignon, France; and as a theologian to the Cardinal-Archbishop of Milan.  By 1688, Sinistrari was in retreat at the Franciscan sanctuary of Sacro Monte, where he wrote poetry and compiled the statutes of his Order and wrote other works.  He died there on the 6th March 1701 at age 79.

The Book

His manuscript Demoniality (De Daemonialitate, et Incubis et Succubis ) remained unknown until 1872, when an original copy was discovered in a London bookshop by Isidore Lisieux, a bibliophile.  The shop had acquired part of the collection from a man who had died in Florence; and Demoniality was among its manuscripts.  It was only 86 pages in length, handwritten in Latin on Italian parchment.  Lisieux translated it into French and published it in 1875.  It was then translated into English.  A 1927 edition includes an introduction and notes by Montague Summers.

Demoniality

While his book Demoniality arrived in print to late to directly affect the witch trails of the previous centuries, but having been written during those times, it clearly demonstrates how even top intellectuals could be drawn into the delusion.  Sinistrari’s main concerns seem to have been the nature of demons and he uses terms like Incubus and Succubi to describe spirits that are more Lutin-like rather than evil confirming the opinions of his contemporary demonologists, especially Francesco Maria Guazzo.  Witches and wizards are physically present at Sabbats and copulate with the Devil and demons as part of their infernal pact.  Demons also have intercourse with people, appearing to them at night and impersonating human lovers.  Some of these copulating demons are different from the anti-religious demons that possess people, according to Sinistrari; they simply want to satisfy carnal lusts and harass people.

Sinistrari would have been in a minority in his time concerning his views on copulating demons.  By the 17th century, there were other skeptics about the alleged sabbat Devil pacts and other abnormal activities.  Reginald Scot had been vocal about this in the century before, but it is not known why Sinistrari’s manuscript remained unknown for 171 years after his death as there is no record of his attempting to publish it.

He was considered an expert on exorcism and wrote about the effects (during exorcisms) of various plants and other substances including cubeb, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg.  He was also considered an expert on Demonology and sins relating to sexuality, especially combinations of Demonilatria, including investigations of individuals accused of sexual relations with demons.  Allegations along these lines influenced later Inquisition investigations of those accused of witchcraft.  His advice was, at various times, directed against enemies of the Roman Catholic Church, including Martin Luther, whom he referred to as a “devil-begotten man”.

Bibliography of written works

Sinistrari was a prolific author and was responsible for many of the works that framed Inquisitional thinking during the 17th century, particularly regarding the Incubus, Succubus and other demons thought to be roaming the Earth, and regarding sexual practices which were considered sinful:

De Daemonialitate et Incubis et Succubis (Demoniality: Or, Incubi and Succubi) .

Lewdness - which dealt with sexual sins (especially homosexuality).

Peccatum Mutum (The Mute Sin) - finally published in 1893, dealing specifically with sodomy.

De Delictis et Poenis Tractatus Absolutissimus (The Most Absolute Treatise of Crime and Punishment) - which he started in 1688 and completed in 1700, a year before his death. Despite being asked to complete the work by the Franciscan order as a general community criminal code and despite Sinistrari's work for the Inquisition, the book was added to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in 1709 and banned (it dealt issues relating to the qualification of judges).

 Author Unknown

(Minor edits to text with bits of additional information where found)

First posted on the 28th February 2020 by George Knowles

 

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Many of the above biographies are briefs and far from complete.  If you know about any of these individuals and can help with additional information, please contact me privately at my email address below.  Many thanks for reading  :-)

 

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