1

The Male Witches of Normandy

Name

Class Information

Date
 1

Did you know that sortilege, the practice of foretelling the future in the early days, was

considered sorcery and could lead to execution? There were still other forms of witchcraft, and

exercising any of them could still lead to the same fate. Despite this, the use of magic was a

common practice in many states in the initial years. Witchcraft involved the use of supernatural

powers and rituals to alter events allegedly.1 “Since majority of the people did not believe in socery

witch- hunting emerged and offenders faced different punishment.” 2In this paper, we will explore

William E. Monter’s study on male sorcerers of Normandy and what this reveals about early

modern France in the seventeenth century.

“In Western Europe, Normandy province in France was regarded the focal point for wizard

sorcery.” 3 This is because between 1564 and 1660, “French parlements particularly Normandys’

focused on witchcraft practiced by men rather than women. The typical sorcerer in this province

was reputed to be either an old man or a male youth.”4 “Women were not directly linked to sorcery

yet at this period in early modern Europe witchcraft cases affirmed that the alleged offenders were

majorly women.” 5 Compared to neighboring parlements like Paris, Normandy’s Rouen

parliament was very harsh in handling sorcery cases. “For instance: at its most severe, the

Parlement of Paris only upheld 30 percent of capital punishment for witchcraft cases appealed to

it between 1580 and 1610. the Normandy jury on the other hand upheld more than half of the issues

between 1585 and 1615”.6 This Severe jury lived up to its reputation again by still supporting death

1
William Monter, “Toads and Eucharists: The Male Witches of Normandy, 1564-1660,” French
Historical Studies 20, no. 4 (1997): 563, https://doi.org/10.2307/286912.
2
Monter, 563
3
Monter, 565
4
Monter, 569
5
Monter, 572
6
Monter, 572
 2

sentences related to witchcraft twenty years later, unlike Paris. The Rouen Parlament was firmly

against sorcery cases.

“Generally Normandy jury on socery cases persecuted so many people than any other

region in the globe yet their neighbors sentenced less.”7 “The reason is that they seemed to have

strongly believed in the existence magic unlike their neighbours.” [7]. This reveals a mixed

perception of sorcery and black magic in different regions in France and that the province of

Normandy was so much against it in the Seventeenth Century.8

7
Monter, 567
8
Monter, 565
 3

Bibliography

Monter, William. “Toads and Eucharists: The Male Witches of Normandy, 1564-1660.” French
Historical Studies 20, no. 4 (1997): 563. https://doi.org/10.2307/286912.