{"product_id":"the-history-of-the-devils-of-loudun","title":"The History of the Devils of Loudun","description":"\u003ch1 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\n\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura Major I\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Nicolas Aubin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew events in European history have embodied the deadly convergence of religious fanaticism, political ambition, witchcraft accusations, and alleged demonic possession as completely as the \u003cstrong\u003eAffair of Loudun\u003c\/strong\u003e. During the seventeenth century, a community of Ursuline nuns claimed to be possessed by devils, spectacular public exorcisms drew thousands of spectators, and the parish priest \u003cstrong\u003eUrbain Grandier\u003c\/strong\u003e was accused of sorcery, condemned for witchcraft, and burned alive. \u003cem\u003eThe History of the Devils of Loudun\u003c\/em\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003eNicolas Aubin\u003c\/strong\u003e stands among the most important historical accounts of this extraordinary affair, preserving the documents, testimony, and contemporary commentary surrounding one of the most infamous witchcraft prosecutions in European history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing upon eyewitness accounts, official records, judicial proceedings, theological debate, and contemporary publications, Aubin reconstructs the dramatic events that transformed a provincial French town into the center of one of the seventeenth century's greatest religious scandals. He examines the alleged possessions, the celebrated exorcisms, the accusations against Grandier, and the political and ecclesiastical forces that shaped the trial, offering readers a compelling narrative of a tragedy where faith, fear, and power became inseparably entwined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar more than a single historical narrative, this edition presents a documentary archive of the Loudun affair, allowing readers to examine the original evidence, official decrees, legal proceedings, and conflicting interpretations that surrounded one of history's most controversial cases of alleged demonic possession.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProfessionally restored from rare historical editions, this volume serves as the definitive documentary collection on the Devils of Loudun available to modern readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContents of This Edition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis expanded collector's edition includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEditor's Introduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe History of the Devils of Loudun\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuestions Proposed to the University of Montpellier\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Decree Against Urbain Grandier (1634)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrandier's Death Sentence (1634)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Alleged Diabolical Compact\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelation of the Departure of the Demon Balam\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContemporary Commentary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObservations Upon the Relation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA True Account of the Just Procedures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, these contemporary documents allow readers to follow the Loudun affair from accusation to execution, while examining the legal, religious, and political arguments presented by both supporters and critics of the proceedings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy This Volume Matters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Loudun possessions remain one of the defining episodes in the history of witchcraft, exorcism, and religious persecution. Unlike editions that present only a single narrative, this volume assembles a remarkable collection of contemporary documents that reveal the affair from multiple perspectives. Readers can examine official judicial records, theological opinions, eyewitness testimony, and contemporary commentary, allowing the historical evidence to speak for itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor historians, students of witchcraft, demonology, religious history, legal history, and early modern Europe, this edition provides one of the most comprehensive documentary collections ever assembled on the Loudun possessions and the trial of Urbain Grandier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Biblioteca Obscura Major\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura Major\u003c\/em\u003e is the premium collector's series from \u003cstrong\u003eShadowborn Press\u003c\/strong\u003e, dedicated to publishing definitive editions of the most significant works in the history of the occult, witchcraft, demonology, folklore, alchemy, religion, and the supernatural.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike the standard \u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura\u003c\/em\u003e pocket volumes, each \u003cem\u003eMajor\u003c\/em\u003e edition is a substantially expanded hardcover volume, bringing together primary texts, rare companion documents, historical commentary, and editorial material to create the most complete modern edition of a landmark work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned for collectors, historians, and serious students of the Western esoteric tradition, \u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura Major\u003c\/em\u003e preserves the foundational sources that shaped centuries of supernatural belief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Biblioteca Obscura Major\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVolume:\u003c\/strong\u003e I\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nicolas Aubin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ten contemporary historical documents and editorial introduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Premium hardcover collector's edition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTrim Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6 × 9 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shadowborn Press\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessionally restored from rare historical editions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the inaugural volume of the \u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura Major\u003c\/em\u003e series, \u003cem\u003eThe History of the Devils of Loudun\u003c\/em\u003e establishes the standard for the collection: comprehensive documentary editions devoted to the most influential episodes in the history of the supernatural. By assembling the principal narrative alongside official decrees, judicial records, theological commentary, and contemporary eyewitness accounts, this edition transforms one of history's most famous witchcraft cases into an unparalleled resource for collectors and scholars alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shadowbornpress","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53939769475183,"sku":null,"price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/4113\/4703\/files\/hardcover1shop.jpg?v=1785872437","url":"https:\/\/shadowbornpress.com\/products\/the-history-of-the-devils-of-loudun","provider":"Shadowbornpress","version":"1.0","type":"link"}