Witchcraft imagery and gender
Short course: Witchcraft, Werewolves and Magic in European History
Event Type: HA
Takes Place: 24th September 2024
Time: 7.30-9.00pm
Venue: Online
Description: One consistent aspect of the figure of the witch throughout history is that she has usually been imagined as female rather than male. Early depictions of the witch following the first major witchcraft trials and the publication of the Malleus Maleficarum (1486) quickly established her sex as essential to modern witchcraft iconography. Images were not long in coming. Ulrich Molitor’s De Lamiis (1489) became the first illustrated work of demonology. Major Renaissance artists like Albrecht Dürer and Hans Baldung Grien embraced the witch, presenting her as a figure of unrestrained, naked, female power. In this session we will use witchcraft imagery as the starting point for a discussion of the many reasons why witchcraft has commonly been associated with women.
How to book: This event is part of our short course: Witchcraft, Werewolves and Magic in European History. Register for the short course via the link below.
Price: The course is free for members, £37 for non-members.
Lecturer: Jonathan Durrant, Laura Kounine