Nicholas Rémy

Nicolas Remy (or Nicolaus Remigius ) (* 1530, † 1612) was a Duke of Lorraine privy and Chief Justice. Scripture Risch it occurred mainly as witches theoretician.

Importance as a witch theorists

Nicolas Remy drew from his vast experience as a judge, as he wrote a treatise on witches request of the Duke of Lorraine. In 1595 it was published in Latin under the title Daemonolatreiae Libri III, German: Three books of the devil cult. 1598 was the first time in a German translation before: Daemonolatria that is of fiends and magic spirits, concerning Edlenn, Ehrnvesten and Hochgelarten Mr. Nicolai Remigii, the durchl. Hertzogen and Lorraine in the Privy Council and Embarrassing things Cognitoris publici, later, continue through several editions. This popularity may be explained with the fact that Remy for almost every eventuality led a reply and a concrete case study. Full of that conviction, he argues accordingly that it is equally punishable whether a witch actually dominated the witches flight or fly her after she had painted with a flying ointment, only imagined.

In the title of his book, reference is made to his 16-year tenure in which he 800 (or 900) should have prompted executions for witchcraft. Rémy writes that an approximately equal number defendant had escaped before the enforcement or no confession had stored so that a conviction was excluded. 15 people died before their conviction by suicide. He agreed with the former witch beliefs, but does not simply in his treatise, like many other writers of his time, which compiled in the Malleus theses about the witches teaching - these mentions in his work at only one point in passing. In contrast to the persecuted in the witch hammer theological perspective Remy tries the subject rather from a legal and historical point of view to consider. An entire chapter of his treatise treated, for example, the general difficulties in criminal proceedings against minors.