Who's who?

1100 to 1800

Witches, warlocks, wizards, and mages...

This is a list that should grow steadily. Out of the thousands who were executed for witchcraft during the burning times, only a fraction are known by name and deed. Nonetheless, more names are discovered all the time. Many others were not tried for witchcraft, but lived somewhat respectable (albeit prone to gossip) lives as wizards.

Agrippa
Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486-1535). Henry Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, commonly called Agrippa, was versatile in many directions: as physician, soldier, occultist. He experienced fame and oblivion, riches and poverty, royal, diplomatic and military favor. His travels included France, Italy, England, and Belgium, but in Brussels he was imprisoned for debt. His Magnus opus is The Occult Philosophy, which defends magic as a composite of scientific knowledge, religious doctrine, and occultism.

Jonet Allen
Little is known of this witch: Scottish witch, burned in 1661.

Madeleine Amalaric
A French sorceress of the sixteenth century, Amalaric was executed for supposedly causing the deaths of eleven people.

Johannes Laurentius Anania
A sixteenth-century demonographer, Anania was the author of De Natura Daemonum - On the Nature of Demons. This book was published in Venice, 1581.

Ansuperomin
Sorcerer who flourished in reign of Henry IV of France. Known for participation in Sabbat assemblies.

Artephius
Hermetic and mystic who flourished in 12th century. Reputedly lived more than a thousand years, with the help of demons. Author of The Art of Prolonging Life, written, according to tradition, at age of 1025.

Stevenote de Audebert
French witch who, at her trial in 1616, produced a contract she had made with Satan.

Roger Bacon
English Friar, scientist, and philosopher. As the result of his investigations and experiments, he acceptied "natural magic," i.e. the phenomena that occur within mathematical and physical areas. But he attacked human superstitions and delusions, and rejected the Black Arts, including incantations, invocation of spirits, spellbinding. Despite this attitude, Bacon was widely known as a magician.

Marie Balcoin
French witch in reign of Henry IV, condemned to stake for witchcraft.

Madeleine Bavan
Seventeenth century French witch. Notorious for participation in Sabbat rite.

Bocal
Priest-sorcerer who flourished in the reign of Henry IV of France. Charged with participation in Black Mass, he was condemned to death.

Roger Bolingbroke
Fifteenth century wizard. Notorious for his domoniac conjurations, astrological and magic performances. Having attempted to kill Henry VI of England by witchcraft, he was hanged in London.

Guido Bonatti
Italian astrologer and magician, 13th century. Reputed to have made an apothecary wealthy by fashioning a wax image of a ship endowed with magic properties.

Earl of Bothwell
Scottish noble, 16th century. Grand Master of a sodality or coven of witches.

Augustin Calmert
French Benedictine monk. Author of a book on witchcraft, lycanthropy, and demonology.

Jerome Cardan
Most prominent intellectual personality of his age. French scientist and astrologer. Author of De Subtilitate, 1550. In Books 18 and 19 he discusses philtres, charms, and demons.

Giacomo Casanova
Italian adventurer. Noted especially for his amorous encounters. Also practiced witchcraft, and divination, for which he used a cryptogram called a Kabbala. Possessed the grimoire The Key of Solomon, which involved him with occult treasure hunts and conjurations of spirits.

Benvenuto Cellini
1500-1571. Italian goldsmith and sculptor. In his autobiography he describes his personal attendance at a conjuration performed in Rome.

Eleanor Cobham
Fifteenth century. Wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Accused of witchcraft and necromancy. Associated with Margery Jourdain, called the Witch of Eye. Banished for life to Isle of Man.

Sir Francis Dashwood
Occultist, 18th century. Organizer and Superior of a lewd Satanic circle known as the Medmenham Franciscans.

Dr. Johannes Faustus
Mediaeval German magician. Prolific author of books on witchcraft. Reputed to have been the greatest necromancer of his age. His occult performances became incorporated into legendary tales and grimoires. Rembrandt has an etching of Faust, represented as engaged in magic operation.

John Fian
Scottish schoolmaster and sorcerer. Burned at Edinburgh, 1591.

Robert Fludd
1574-1637. English mystic and Kabalist. Author of Mosaical Philosophy and Summum Bonum, treatises in defence of the Black Arts.

Dr. Forman
Seventeenth century astrologer and magician. Practiced image magic at court of King James VI of Scotland.

Jaques Gafferel
French magician who acted as librarian to Cardinal Richelieu.

Louis Gaufridi
Wizard known as the Prince of Sorcerers. Executed in 1611, in France.

Isobel Gowdie
"Queen of Scottish witches" flourished in 17th century. Made voluntary confession of witchcraft, 1662.

Valentine Graterakes
Seventeenth century Irish physician who used occult means in his medical practice.

Isobel Grierson
Scottish witch. Burned at stake; ashes scattered to the winds, 1607.

Robert Grosstête
Also called Robert of Lincoln, 13th century. Prominent in mathematical sciences. Also had reputation for magic. Invented head of brass that uttered oracular prophecies.

Guibourg
Eighteenth century French abbé who was involved in the occult practices of Madame de Montespan: executed.

Rabbi Jechiel
Physician and Kabalist who lived in reign of Saint Louis of France. He possessed a magic lamp that required no replenishment: also a nail that produced flaming agony in his enemies.

Master John
Necromancer who flourished in the 14th century. Involved in plotting the death of Edward II of England by Black Magic.

Margaret Johnson
Seventeenth century witch of Lancashire. Charged with converse with the Devil, who usually came to her in the form of a cat.

Lady Alice Kyteler
Irish witch of the fourteenth century. Charged with sorcery and poisoning her four husbands. The record of her trial is extant.

Marie Lamont
Scottish witch. Tried in 1662. Confessed to Sabbat meetings, service with the Devil, and transformation into cat.

Catherine La Voisin
French witch, fortune-teller, and dispenser of love philtres, 17th century. She was involved in the occult and Satanic practices of Madame do Montespan.

Perrenon Megain
French witch of the 17th century.

Madame de Montespan
A mistress of Louis XIV of France. In order to retain the king's dying love, she practiced occult and Satanic rites, participating in an obscene Amatory Mass, in the concoction of philtres, and, according to historical chronicles, in child sacrifice as well. Among her accomplices were a certain Abbé Guibourg, Lesage, an alchemist, and Catherine La Voisin, a notorious witch.

Nostradamus
1503-1566. French physician, astrologer, and seer, whose actual name was Michel de Notre-Dame. Author of Centuries, series of poetic predictions that foretold personal and national events whose occurrence coincided remarkably with his prognostications. Attached to court of Catherine de Medici, where he continued his cryptic predictions, including his own death.

Peter of Abano
c. 1205-1310. Italian physician. As a young man, he was initiated into occult lore by a sorcerer. Traveled in Europe, performing thaumaturgical feats. Charged by Inquisition with practicing Black Arts, he was sent to prison, where he died. Author of The Elements of Magic or The Heptameron.

Guillaume de Postel
1510-1581. French astrologer, Kabalist. In Paris, became professor of Oriental languages and mathematics. Traveled and lectured, claiming to have received revelation in the stars. Imprisoned by Inquisition. After escaping, he returned to his professorship. Forced to flee to convent, where he died. Author of The Key of Things Kept Secret from the Foundation of the World.

Gilles de Rais
French nobleman, 15th century. After squandering fortune, he attempted to retrieve his wealth by magic and necromantic means, for which he was executed. [More]

Duc de Richelieu
1585-1642. Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu. Apart from his prominence as a statesman, he engaged in magic arts.

George Sabellicus
Magician and necromancer, 15th century. Self-styled The Most Accomplished, a second Faustus, the spring and center of necromantic art, astrologer, magician, consummated in cheiromancy, and in agromancy, pyromancy, and hydromancy inferior to no that had ever lived.

Agnes Sampson
"Wise wife of Keith." Notorious Scottish witch of the sixteenth century.

Johann Georg Shröpfer
1730-1774. German necromancer. Practiced witchcraft against his personal enemies and initiated many followers into occult arts. Died a suicide.

Ebenezer Sibly
English physician, 18th century. Author of New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences, published in 1790. The book confirms a belief in occult powers and demoniac forces.

Isobel Smith
Scottish witch. Tried for witchcraft, 1629.

Elizabeth Style
English witch who, in 1664, publicly confessed, at her trial, to a pact made with the Devil.

Eleanor Tuchet
Wife of prominent lawyer, 17th century. Professed prophetic faculty with aid of spirits. Author of Strange and Wonderful Predictions.

Adam Weishaupt
Illuminatus, adept in magic practices, 18th century.

John Weirus
1516-1588. Surnamed Piscinarius, German magician who was a pupil of Agrippa. Author of De Praestigiis Daemonum et incantationibus ac veneficiis, a treatise on demoniac activities, incantations and sorceries be aid of philtres and similar means.

Zlito
Sorceror of 14th century. Attached to court of King Wenceslaus of Bohemia. Reputed to have had skill in levitation.