Nicholas Remy
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Remy (1530–1616) was a French magistrate who became famous as a hunter of witches comparable to Jean Bodin
and De Lancre. After studying law at the University of Toulouse
, Remy practiced in Paris from 1563 to 1570. In 1570, his uncle retired as Lieutenant General of Vosges and Remy was appointed to the post; in 1575 he was appointed as secretary to Duke Charles III of Lorraine.
Remy wrote a number of poems and several books on history, but is known for his Daemonolatreiae libri tres
("Demonolatry"), published in Lyon
in 1595. The book was reprinted several times, translated into German, and eventually replaced the Malleus Maleficarum
as the most recognized handbook of witch-hunt
ers in parts of Europe.
According to Remy, the Devil
could appear before people in the shape of a black man or animal, and liked Black Mass
es. Demon
s could also have sex
ual relationships with women and, in case they did not agree, rape
them.
Remy claimed to be responsible for the death of more than nine hundred persons in witch trials between 1582 and 1592. This cannot be corroborated against surviving records, but Remy cited over one hundred specific cases in Demonolatry.
He was of the Catholic
faith, and did his work with the blessings of the Church, but was not himself a priest and married at least once (possibly twice), fathering quite a few children. One of them, a favored son, was supposedly killed in a street accident at the beginning of Remy's judicial career after being cursed by an old beggar woman when Remy refused to give her any money. This incident in 1582 was the start of Remy's career as a witch-hunter. He successfully prosecuted the beggar for bewitching his son and had the woman put to death. Finding witches was very personal business for Remy. An extremely educated man for his day, he utterly believed in what he was doing. He saw every "witch" he burned as real, and considered it justice done. Remy personally sentenced 900 people to death between 1581-1591. In 1592, Remy retired and moved to the country to escape the plague
. There he compiled notes from his ten year campaign against witchcraft into the Demonolatry.
Jean Bodin
Jean Bodin was a French jurist and political philosopher, member of the Parlement of Paris and professor of law in Toulouse. He is best known for his theory of sovereignty; he was also an influential writer on demonology....
and De Lancre. After studying law at the University of Toulouse
University of Toulouse
The Université de Toulouse is a consortium of French universities, grandes écoles and other institutions of higher education and research, named after one of the earliest universities established in Europe in 1229, and including the successor universities to that earlier university...
, Remy practiced in Paris from 1563 to 1570. In 1570, his uncle retired as Lieutenant General of Vosges and Remy was appointed to the post; in 1575 he was appointed as secretary to Duke Charles III of Lorraine.
Remy wrote a number of poems and several books on history, but is known for his Daemonolatreiae libri tres
Daemonolatreiae libri tres
Daemonolatreiae libri tres is a 1595 work by Nicholas Remy. It was edited by Montague Summers and translated as Demonolatry in 1929.Along with the Malleus Maleficarum, it is generally considered one of the most important early works on demons and witches...
("Demonolatry"), published in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 1595. The book was reprinted several times, translated into German, and eventually replaced the Malleus Maleficarum
Malleus Maleficarum
The Malleus Maleficarum is an infamous treatise on witches, written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer, an Inquisitor of the Catholic Church, and was first published in Germany in 1487...
as the most recognized handbook of witch-hunt
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
ers in parts of Europe.
According to Remy, the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
could appear before people in the shape of a black man or animal, and liked Black Mass
Black Mass
A Black Mass is a ceremony supposedly celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath, which was a sacrilegious parody of the Catholic Mass. Its main objective was the profanation of the host, although there is no agreement among authors on how hosts were obtained or profaned; the most common idea is that...
es. Demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s could also have sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
ual relationships with women and, in case they did not agree, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
them.
Remy claimed to be responsible for the death of more than nine hundred persons in witch trials between 1582 and 1592. This cannot be corroborated against surviving records, but Remy cited over one hundred specific cases in Demonolatry.
He was of the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
faith, and did his work with the blessings of the Church, but was not himself a priest and married at least once (possibly twice), fathering quite a few children. One of them, a favored son, was supposedly killed in a street accident at the beginning of Remy's judicial career after being cursed by an old beggar woman when Remy refused to give her any money. This incident in 1582 was the start of Remy's career as a witch-hunter. He successfully prosecuted the beggar for bewitching his son and had the woman put to death. Finding witches was very personal business for Remy. An extremely educated man for his day, he utterly believed in what he was doing. He saw every "witch" he burned as real, and considered it justice done. Remy personally sentenced 900 people to death between 1581-1591. In 1592, Remy retired and moved to the country to escape the plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. There he compiled notes from his ten year campaign against witchcraft into the Demonolatry.
Fictional portrayal
- In the 1988 television series WerewolfWerewolf (TV series)Werewolf is an American horror series, and one of the original shows in the Fox network's broadcast line-up during its inaugural season of 1987–1988.The show follows the adventures of Eric Cord Werewolf is an American horror series, and one of the original shows in the Fox network's broadcast...
, Nicholas Remy is shown as a werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
who has been alive since the times of the Inquisition. He used his position as a magistrate to conceal his own lycanthropy. The character was portrayed by Brian ThompsonBrian Thompson (actor)Brian Thompson is an American actor. His distinctive square-jaw profile, powerful voice, and imposing stature has led him to be typecast as a villain in many action films and TV series, and a some comedies: Joe Dirt, The Three Amigos, Weird Science, Key West, and Life Stinks.-Career:Thompson has...
. - Nicholas Remy and his book, Daemonolatreiae libri tres, are also featured in the 1999 movie The Ninth GateThe Ninth GateThe Ninth Gate is a 1999 horror film directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. It is a neo-noir, occult mystery thriller involving the rare book business, wherein rare-book dealer Dean Corso is hired by bibliophile Boris Balkan to validate a seventeenth-century copy of The Nine Gates...
.