If you picture Santa Claus as plump and jolly and pulled by reindeer, you may have this poem to thank. Clement Clark Moore/New-York Historical Society December 16, 2021 ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ helped make the modern Santa – and led to a literary whodunit Melissa Chim, General Theological Seminary ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ is one of the most famous American poems. But who wrote it?
The ‘Malleus Maleficarum,’ a medieval handbook, was used to try and execute supposed witches. Its influence lasted for centuries – including at the Salem Witch Trials. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images October 21, 2021 How do you spot a witch? This notorious 15th-century book gave instructions – and helped execute thousands of women Melissa Chim, General Theological Seminary Witch trials relied on a medieval text called the “Malleus Maleficarum” – a book this reference librarian can hold in her hands.