Ulrich Molitor, De laniis et phitonicis mulieribus ad illustrissimum principem dominum Sigismundum archiducem Austrie tractatus pulcherrimus

This printed book, On Witches and Female Fortune Tellers, was written by the German scholar, Ulrich Molitor. It is the earliest illustrated treatise on witchcraft and contains the first printed depiction of witches using a cauldron. The image shows two elderly women placing a snake and a cockerel into a flaming pot to create a hailstorm. The pictures in this book were widely reproduced and helped to shape modern perceptions of the behaviour and appearance of witches. Shown here: sigs. B vi v–Ci r