Witchhammer

In Moravia during the 1670s, an altar boy spots an old woman hiding bread from communion. He immediately alerts the parish priest, prompting a careful inquiry into the theft.

The priest confronts the old woman about stealing the bread and her motive. She admits her plan to feed a cow in order to restore its milk production.

The priest reports the incident to the owner of the local estate, who then summons an inquisitor. This shift moves the case from parish concerns to formal witchcraft proceedings.

Boblig von Edelstadt, the inquisitor, begins an escalating series of trials rooted in the Malleus Maleficarum. He positions himself as judge and guide in the hunt for witches.

The tribunal relies on thumbscrews to interrogate suspects, treating torture as a sanctioned tool of justice. A priest criticizes the inhumane methods, while some clergy worry innocence may be at risk.

Kryštof Lautner openly challenges the severity of the procedures. He warns that many accused women may be innocent and prays for an end to the trials.

An accused person testifies against Lautner and his cook Zuzana, complicating the clergy's position. The testimony adds pressure on the case and on Lautner.

Lautner is questioned about owning a cook and playing the violin, signaling his unconventional clerical life. He explains that his late mother took Zuzana in, and he kept her because the girl had nowhere else to go.

The Sattlers—Lautner's friends who stand to lose property to the tribunal—are coerced to confess that they accompanied Lautner and Zuzana to Peter's Rock, where they allegedly fornicated and worshiped Lucifer.

Under torture, Zuzana is driven insane and confesses. Lautner denies his friends' testimony but admits he took Zuzana's virginity.

The tribunal rules that 36 confessions outweigh Lautner's innocence. The mounting weight of accusations seals the verdict in the minds of the judges.

Lautner is ultimately forced to confess, accepting the tribunal's authority over his truth. The coercive environment underscores the power of the inquisitorial system.

In the concluding moments, Boblig declares that he has risen above ordinary men, signaling the perceived superiority and moral authority of his role. The statement encapsulates the era's zeal for judicial supremacy.