Charles-Jérôme de Cisternay Dufay was an esteemed alchemist and military man in the early 18th century. Dedicated to the pursuit of the Great Work, Dufay invested substantial resources in the search for the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary substance believed to grant immortality and transform base metals into gold. Despite his contributions to alchemy, Dufay is … Read more
Danis, a sorcerer from the early 18th century, was accused of enchanting a young man from Noisy le Grand in 1705. This event is extensively documented in Father Lebrun’s History of Superstitious Practices, who believed it likely involved witchcraft. Others, however, believe the afflicted young man merely experienced hallucinations. The emerging understanding of magnetism might … Read more
Brognoli was an Italian religious scholar from the Order of Friars Minor who practiced exorcisms and wrote a treatise titled Alexicacon, hoc est de maleficiis ac moribus maleficis cognoscendis, published in Venice in 1711. The text describes various alleged demonic influences and the means to identify and counter them. His exorcism accounts involved individuals viewed … Read more
Baltus (Jean-François), a Jesuit scholar who died in 1713, authored “Réponses à l’Histoire des Oracles de Fontenelle”. In this work, he firmly argued that ancient oracles were the creations of demons and that they were silenced during the mission of Jesus Christ on Earth. His writings reflect the theological debates and skepticism surrounding ancient divination … Read more
Ba’ïer (Jean-Guillaume) was a professor of theology at Altorf who passed away in 1729. He authored a thesis titled Dissertation sur Behemolh et Léviathan, which examines the elephant and the whale based on the Book of Job, chapters 40 and 41, including a response by Stieber. In his work, Ba’ïer identified only two monstrous animals … Read more