The Devil is in the Tales: Evaluating Eyewitness Testimony in Martin Delrio’s Disquisitiones Magicae (1599–1600)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Martin Delrio’s Disquisitiones magicae (1599–1600) likely was the most successful work of demonology printed during the early modern period. It was also a work of textual scholarship. This article studies in detail the few instances in which the Spanish-Flemish Jesuit chose to discuss anecdotes based on things he either saw or heard and how he attempted to establish their credibility. Embedding these stories in a diverse web of other (textual) examples allowed Delrio to sidestep the vexed issue of discernment, establishing whether demonic agency had ever been involved. Careful study of the origins of these examples shows how many of these stories must have circulated widely and likely would have been changed in the retelling, enhancing their plausibility or relevance. Studying demonology through its shared stories, this article suggests, could open up new and exciting avenues for research.