Civil witchcraft, sorcery and heretism trials in Zagreb and vicinity during the Early Modern Period

Vukelić, Deniver. (2009). Civil witchcraft, sorcery and heretism trials in Zagreb and vicinity during the Early Modern Period . Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of History. [mentor Sikirić-Assouline, Zvjezdana].

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Abstract

In this final and graduate science work, Deniver Vukelić researches somewhat insufficiently explored subject of civil court prosecutions of witchcraft in 17th and 18th century Zagreb (at that time divided in two parts - Gradec and Kaptol) and its surrounding feudal lands. He defines the terms of witch, witchcraft and magic according to their meanings and interpretations at that time, and gives a brief historical summary of superstitions and ideas related to the subject. After that, he tackles the works which were written about this subject within the Croatian historic science or amateur books and articles, explaining their good and bad sides, professional and amateur approaches and different interpretations. Furthermore, he establishes a connection with legal foundations of the Church and of the State to the prosecutions which were held in 17th and 18th century. Then he creates a brief glossary of people and their functions during the trials, as well as an instrumentarium of torture which was used in Zagreb at that time and interprets few interesting documents and cases. At the end of this work, inspired by a chart found in an amateur article from the mid 20th century, the author gathers all known written prosecution cases for sorcery and witchcraft in Zagreb between 1380. and 1750. and organizes them in a large chart.

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