: Many university libraries carry the physical volume under the series Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, Vol. 73 Abridged Versions : There is also an abridged version titled On Witchcraft
De Praestigiis Daemonum (On the Illusions of Demons), first published in 1563 by the physician Johann Wier (also known as Johannes Weyer), is one of the most significant works in the history of psychiatry and the European witch hunts. Wier was a student of the occultist Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, yet he used his platform to argue against the execution of alleged witches, suggesting they were suffering from "melancholy" rather than possessing supernatural powers. The Historical Significance of Wier’s Work de praestigiis daemonum english translation pdf
The last page was blank except for a single line of text in the center: “Do you see your own question here, Dr. Petrova?” : Many university libraries carry the physical volume
✅ Ensure you are getting the full treatise, not just the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum appendix. The Historical Significance of Wier’s Work The last
In 1563, a Dutch physician and demonologist named Johann Weyer published a book that would make him both a hero to skeptics and a heretic to witch-hunters. Its title, De Praestigiis Daemonum et Incantationibus ac Veneficiis —“On the Illusions of the Demons and on Spells and Poisons”—was a direct challenge to the emerging witch-craze sweeping Europe. While many see Weyer as an early advocate for the mentally ill, his book is far stranger and more complex than a simple plea for reason.
