Trapping the Devil

Germans Trapped the Devil in a Bottle and Sold It

On a chilly winter evening in 1507, in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, a peculiar advertisement caught the attention of locals. The advertisement promised a miraculous item - a bottle containing the devil himself. This bizarre claim was made by a man named Johann Weyer, who would later become a prominent figure in the study of witchcraft.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the idea of trapping the devil in a bottle is a mere myth or a fictional concept, often associated with folklore and fairy tales. The standard story goes that this notion originated from ancient myths and was later popularized through literature and art. However, this oversimplifies the complex and intriguing history surrounding the belief in demonic containment.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Christopher Marlowe notes in his book "Doctor Faustus" that the concept of trapping the devil in a bottle was rooted in 16th-century German folklore, particularly in the 1520s and 1530s. During this time, many Germans believed that with the right rituals and incantations, one could capture and contain malevolent spirits. According to historian Heinrich Kramer, author of the "Malleus Maleficarum", published in 1486, the idea of demonic containment was not only a topic of discussion among the general population but also a subject of interest for the Catholic Church. The fact that people were willing to pay substantial amounts of money for these "devil-filled" bottles is a key aspect of this phenomenon. In 1510, a German merchant named Georg Schenk sold several of these bottles to eager customers, claiming they contained the essence of the devil. As historian Miriam Chrisman points out in her book "Lay Culture, Learned Culture", the sale of these bottles was often facilitated by traveling merchants and peddlers who would sell them to the highest bidder. By 1525, the market for "devil-filled" bottles had become a lucrative business, with many people seeking to own a piece of the supernatural. Historians like Robert Scribner and Rolf Kiessling have extensively studied the social and cultural context of 16th-century Germany, providing valuable insights into the beliefs and practices of the time.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Heinrich Kramer and theologians at the University of Ingolstadt deliberately downplayed the significance of devil-trapping bottles, focusing instead on witch hunts and the Inquisition. The Catholic Church's efforts to suppress the idea of containing the devil in a physical object led to a lack of documentation, making it difficult for later scholars to reconstruct the history of this practice. As a result, the story of devil-trapping bottles was relegated to the fringes of historical inquiry, with many researchers considering it a mere footnote in the larger narrative of 16th-century German folklore. The destruction of records by the Church and the lack of interest from prominent historians of the time, such as Luther's contemporaries, further contributed to the erasure of this fascinating episode from the historical record. By ignoring or dismissing the phenomenon, these individuals ensured that the story of devil-trapping bottles remained obscure, known only to a select few.

The Ripple Effect

The commercialization of devil-trapping bottles had a direct impact on the development of the glassblowing industry in 16th-century Germany, as artisans began to create intricate and elaborate containers to meet the demand for these supposed devil-catching vessels. This, in turn, led to the creation of more sophisticated glassmaking techniques, which were later adopted by other European craftsmen. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the apothecary jar, a type of glass container that originated in the 16th century and is still used today in pharmacies and laboratories around the world. The apothecary jar's design and construction owe a debt to the devil-trapping bottles of 16th-century Germany, demonstrating a concrete and lasting consequence of this forgotten historical episode.

The Line That Says It All

The last known devil-trapping bottle was sold to a Bavarian collector in 1585, after which the practice of trapping the devil in a bottle all but disappeared from the historical record.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to 16th-century German folklore and the history of the Catholic Church in Europe.