Compendium of Witchcraft and Folklore.
Manuscript on paper.
Germany. Late 17th century.


It was not uncommon for manuscripts and books to be physically altered in order to comply with the prohibitions of the Catholic Church. In this sixteenth-century German manuscript, which is a compilation of various studies in witchcraft and the Black Arts, all vestiges of the devil have been blotted out in black ink. The censor, in this case, performed the task a bit haphazardly; while the devil's face, hands, horns, and genitalia have been blocked, the demon's clawed feet remain untouched.

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