Skip to main content

Maleficium

Maleficium 
Maleficium is the act of harmful sorcery or evil doing. It is generally associated with destructive and violent deeds against people or property. Witchcraft is also used synonymously with maleficium. This Latin term appears to derive from an earlier Hebrew word – mekashefah, or "a woman who does keshef – Hebrew for 'magic' or 'sorcery'" (Copenhaver 2015, 17). Its translations into Greek and later into Latin by Christians have formed the Hebrew term into maleficos – "evildoers" (2015, 17). Maleficium's origination in the Hebrew Bible of mekashefah appears in Exodus with association of impious and unlawful acts. Its appearance arises not only in religious texts, but in law, essays, and philosophical works. 
Apuleius, an early writer under the Roman Empire and Platonist, faced a trial against the accusation of maleficium. Apuleius made a distinction between the practice of magic, which he claimed to be "grounded in philosophy" (2015, 143), and the act of maleficium. In centuries preceding his trial the term maleficium was used to describe any criminal offense "with no suggestion of magical wrongdoing or sorcery" (2015, 93). 
While maleficium is synonymous with a variety of terms like witchcraft and evildoers, it has consistently maintained its meaning in terms of harmful action. Whether those harmful actions are irreligious, magical, or a criminal offense they can be described as an act of maleficium. 

Key Words: mekashefah, witchcraft, evildoer, magic 
Bibliography: 
"Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live: Exod. 22:17-19 1.5" In The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment, Translated by Brian Copenhaver. Penguin Classics, 17. 
Apuleius. 2015. "Dangerous and Forbidden Sorceries: Apuleius, The Defence 4.16" In The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment, Translated by Brian Copenhaver. 143. 
Copenhaver, Brian. 2015. The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment. Penguin Classics. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Supernatural

Supernatural A term used when something does not fit into the category of natural or normal. It can also be imagined as something that is caused by a bigger force. Supernatural can be explained as a treatment for epilepsy because Galen of Pergamon the most renowned roman doctor found a “supernatural” cure because it wasn't a pill or medicine it was a simple peony root that was worn like amulet without being eaten. This technique was used as an alternative medicine and since there wasn't any explanation for a herbal medicine they categorized the treatment into a "supernatural" treatment. Agrippa uses magic as the core of his philosophy that unifies theology, physics, and mathematics in one. He went on to explain that the earthly levels of the hierarchy are connected to the natural cosmos but the intellectual level is supernatural inhabited by angels and demons. Supernatural is defined as an illusion because Scot rejects witchcraft and the supernatural ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sorcery

Sorcery A sorcerer is a person who practices magic and thus has the ability to make the unexplainable happen. However, sorcery does not just refer to any type of magic. According to Copenhaver, sorcery is also known as a “magical wrongdoing” (Copenhaver 2015, 93). Another word for harmful sorcery is “Maleficium”, which is seen as a criminal offense (Apuleius 2015, 143). It is said that even Moses, after bringing about the Ten Commandments, claimed that sorcery was evil and should be illegal (Copenhaver 2015, 17). This practice is commonly associated with witches, who were seen as evil because of their suspected relations with the devil. Witches were believed to be able to manipulate the feelings or actions of others as well as cause damage using mysterious methods of magic (Burchard 2015, 273). This kind of sorcery was feared by all and the suspicion that resulted often led to the accused women being put to death. Sorcery was not only associated with witches, but with other ki...
Post a Comment
Read more

Superstition

Superstition Superstition is the belief that an event can be caused as a result of a supernatural happening or being. People who are superstitious readily attribute magical qualities to objects and events with the belief that something larger is going on than meets the eye. Augustine, a student of the psychology of superstition, explains that “Anything undertaken by humans to make and worship idols is superstitious, whether it involves giving divine honours to a creature or any part of a creature or enquiries and certain pacts and marks agreed and contracted with demons – like those attempted in the magical arts” (Augustine 2015, 241). This claims that people who are superstitious are in accordance with demons and usually possess a magical worldview. Superstition can run deep in a culture’s beliefs. Copenhaver explains that superstition was extensively woven into society and showed itself through “Ordinary customs and conventions” (Copenhaver 2015, 248), meaning that their norma...
Post a Comment
Read more