On Lycanthropy, Transformation, and the Ecstasies of Witches

Biblioteca Obscura No. 8

By Jean de Nynauld

Can human beings truly transform into wolves? Are the strange experiences attributed to witches the work of the Devil, the product of illness, or the result of an altered state of consciousness? In On Lycanthropy, Transformation, and the Ecstasies of Witches, the French physician Jean de Nynauld explores these extraordinary questions through one of the earliest systematic studies of werewolf beliefs and witchcraft.

Drawing upon classical authorities, medieval traditions, biblical sources, medical observations, and contemporary accounts, de Nynauld examines the widespread belief in lycanthropy—the supposed transformation of humans into wolves—as well as reports of witches' nocturnal flights, ecstatic visions, and supernatural metamorphoses. Combining medical reasoning with theological discussion, he investigates whether such phenomena arise from demonic influence, mental disorder, deception, or the powerful force of imagination.

Written during the height of the European witch persecutions, this remarkable work offers a rare glimpse into an age when physicians and scholars sought to explain some of the most mysterious and terrifying beliefs of their time.

Professionally restored from the original edition, this volume preserves one of the earliest and most influential historical studies of lycanthropy, witchcraft, and supernatural transformation.

Why This Volume Matters

Long before the werewolf became a creature of fiction, lycanthropy was regarded as a genuine subject of legal, theological, and medical inquiry. Jean de Nynauld's treatise stands among the foundational works examining the phenomenon from a scholarly perspective, offering invaluable insight into how early modern Europe understood transformation, possession, hallucination, and witchcraft.

For students of folklore, demonology, witchcraft, medical history, and the origins of the werewolf legend, this work provides an indispensable historical source documenting the intersection of superstition, science, and religious belief.

About Biblioteca Obscura

Biblioteca Obscura is a collectible series from Shadowborn Press devoted to forgotten historical works that have shaped humanity's understanding of the occult, folklore, witchcraft, demonology, religion, alchemy, spiritualism, and the supernatural.

Each volume is carefully restored from original editions, professionally typeset, and designed to create a uniform collector's library preserving rare texts that have long remained inaccessible to modern readers.

Book Details

• Series: Biblioteca Obscura
• Volume: No. 8
• Author: Jean de Nynauld
• Format: Premium collectible paperback
• Trim Size: 4 × 6 inches
• Publisher: Shadowborn Press
• Carefully restored from the original historical edition