Have you ever heard the term "witch hunt"? In 16th-century Europe, there was a time of madness when tens of thousands of people were condemned as witches and killed due to superstition and mass panic.
In those dark times, there were real-life doctors who fought against superstition with the power of medicine and reason, and tried to end the witch hunts. This is the story we're introducing today: the historical manga "Protecting Witches" by Ebishi Maki.
This article will provide a detailed explanation of the plot and appeal of this work, as well as its historical background, including how much of it is based on historical fact. If you enjoy human dramas based on historical events or heartwarming master-apprentice stories, please take a look!
- Basic information and synopsis of this manga
- Who is the author? Profile of Maki Ebishi
- Why did you decide to read it?
- Who are the main characters and what is the story about? How historically accurate is it?
- Highlights and recommended points of "Protect the Witch."
- Who would I recommend "Protect the Witch" to?
- summary
Basic information and synopsis of this manga
"Protecting the Witch," a manga by Ebishi Maki, is a historical drama set in 16th-century Europe, depicting the life of Johann Weyer, a real-life pioneer of psychiatry.
- Historical context: The 16th century was a time of rampant "witch hunts," in which tens of thousands of people were persecuted and executed.
- The protagonist's struggle: The story depicts the real-life physician Johann Weyer, who used the power of medicine and psychiatry to stand by and fight for the truth in order to save people (women, children, etc.) who were condemned as witches or werewolves from persecution based on superstition, delusions, and rumors.
- Childhood Trauma: Witnessing the tragedy that befell a young girl named Elma in his hometown village during his childhood became the origin of his long-lasting beliefs and traumas as a doctor.
- Meeting the Master: The story realistically depicts the relationship with Agrippa, the master, and the process by which the existence of werewolves and witches is created by people's anxieties and suspicions.
"Protect the Witch" is a three-volume series (upper, middle, and lower) with a bonus chapter released in 2020. Unlike weekly magazine comics, all three volumes were released simultaneously and the story is completely concluded within those three volumes. Therefore, buying them all together is recommended.
The extra volume was released in 2023 and is only available in Kindle format. In addition to detailed character settings, plot, background art, and cover design, it includes an extra story. While it's not essential for understanding the main story, it's a must-see for fans.
Basic information on "Protecting the Witch (Part 1)"
In the 16th century, tens of thousands of people were persecuted and killed during the "witch hunts." In that mad era, there was one doctor who stood by those condemned as witches and tried to save them with the power of medicine. This historical drama about Johann Weyer, a real-life physician and pioneer of psychiatry, has finally been published as a book!
『Amazon』
- Title: Protecting the Witch (Part 1)
- Author: Maki Ebishi
- Publisher: Asahi Shimbun Publications
- Release date: 2020/11/20
- Language: Japanese
- Book length: 240 pages
- ISBN-10: 4022143029
- ISBN-13: 978-4022143020, 9784022143020
Basic information for "Protecting the Witch (Part 2)"
Deeply moved by his mentor Agrippa's strong stance—his willingness to even clash with the church if it meant helping people—Weyer established himself as an independent physician.
『Amazon』
One day, while examining the body of a woman who had died from poisoning, he discovered a "devil's mark" at the bottom of a water pitcher.
Is this the work of the devil...?
- Title: Protecting the Witch (Part 2)
- Author: Maki Ebishi
- Publisher: Asahi Shimbun Publications
- Release date: 2020/11/20
- Language: Japanese
- Book length: 256 pages
- ISBN-10: 4022143037
- ISBN-13: 978-4022143037, 9784022143037
Basic information on "Protecting the Witch (Part 2)"
Doctor Johann Weyer and knight Gerhardt are dispatched to the village by the Duke to quell a werewolf disturbance.
『Amazon』
Terrified by the demon, the villagers went mad and started committing acts of violence.
When Weyer enters the scene, he tells the villagers that he has come to rescue the werewolf...
- Title: Protecting the Witch (Part 2)
- Author: Maki Ebishi
- Publisher: Asahi Shimbun Publications
- Release date: 2020/11/20
- Language: Japanese
- Book length: 256 pages
- ISBN-10: 4022143045
- ISBN-13: 978-4022143044, 9784022143044
Basic information for "Protecting the Witch: Extra Chapter"
It ranked 14th in the "This Manga is Amazing! 2022" Women's Edition.
『Amazon』
A spin-off of "Protecting the Witch," a historical manga depicting a real-life physician from the 16th century, is now available!
Johann Weyer, a young boy training under the physician Agrippa,
She was suspected of being a witch when she was a child.
I was unable to overcome the trauma of my friend's beheading.
One day, while visiting a port town with Agrippa, Weyer encounters a young boy.
Despite his ill health, he was hurrying somewhere.
While muttering the words, "I'm going to board the ark..."
In addition to the extra chapters, the character settings and plot of all three volumes of "Protect the Witch" are included.
We're revealing details from background artwork to cover design!
Furthermore, this is a super deluxe edition that includes every single color illustration!
- Title: Protecting the Witch (Part 2)
- Author: Maki Ebishi
- Publisher: Asahi Shimbun Publications
- Release date: 2023/6/1
- Language: Japanese
- Book length: 256 pages
- ISBN-10: 4022143045
- ISBN-13: 978-4022143044, 9784022143044
Who is the author? Profile of Maki Ebishi
Maki Ebishi
A talented illustrator, known for her illustrations in picture books such as "Sayo, the Twelve-Year-Old Assassin" and "The Story of Otojiro Satake, Who Became a Father to Everyone."
『BL site Chiruchiru』
In 2011, Kodansha began serializing a manga adaptation of Tow Ubukata's historical novel "Tenchi Meisatsu" in their magazine "Afternoon".
"Protecting the Witch - 3 volumes," "The Crimson and Black Benevolence - 3 volumes," "The Color of Water," etc.
After working on illustrations and short comics, she currently focuses on serializing comics.
Maki Ebishi is an illustrator and manga artist who seems to be active in a wide range of fields, including book illustrations, general-interest manga, and manga aimed at women.
The author X (Twitter) is @maki_abc.
The author also creates original comics and isn't exclusively a historical comic artist, but they do occasionally use history as a theme.
"Tenchi Meisatsu" is a historical manga that depicts the story of Shibukawa Harumi (Yasui Santetsu), a real-life astronomer from the early Edo period, as he takes on the ambitious task of creating a new calendar unique to Japan.
"Shukuro no Jin" is a historical manga depicting the lives of Sanada Yukimura, the strongest warlord of the Sengoku period. It follows Yukimura and his son Daisuke, who uphold the samurai code on the Toyotomi side, and his older brother Nobuyuki, who tries to preserve the Sanada name on the Tokugawa side.
I haven't read these yet, but I plan to check them out eventually.
Why did you decide to read it?
My reason for wanting to read "Protecting Witches" was that I was shocked by the fact that there was a person who "stopped the witch hunts" in early modern Europe, a time steeped in superstition.
Those who have studied world history or are history enthusiasts are likely well aware of how closed off medieval and early modern Europe was, and how chaotic the world was, a mix of superstition and Roman Catholic teachings.
In the early modern period (16th-17th centuries), when a problem arose in a village, the person who was an outcast from the community would be labeled a witch, and a witch trial would be held. Whether you confessed or remained silent, you were executed for making a pact with the devil, creating a world where being completely suspected meant certain death.
There are various theories about the true identity of the witches, but it is said that they were not a single entity, but rather included women with mental illnesses, women who became mentally unstable due to menopausal symptoms after menopause, women who entered a trance state by using nightshade herbs, and outcasts from the community.
Initially, the targets are elderly women and elderly herbalists living on the outskirts of villages. Herbalists were originally important members of society in the Middle Ages, who supported the practical medical care of the people by using traditional empirical rules for pain relief, contraception, abortion, and disinfection before the development of modern scientific medicine.
However, in the early modern period, male doctors sought to eliminate them due to conflicts over medical interests, and the intentions of Christian churches (Catholic and Protestant) that did not condone "contraception" or "abortion" also contributed to their persecution.
Furthermore, the sudden shift in the Christian Church's exclusion of herbalists in the early modern period seems to be related to the fact that while in the Middle Ages it was interpreted that a human soul does not yet reside in a fetus in the early stages of pregnancy, in the early modern period the theological definition was rewritten to state that "regardless of the stage of fetal development, from the moment of conception it is a complete human being (with a soul). "
This persecution gradually escalated into uncontrollable, hysterical unrest, and the scope of witchcraft expanded to include young women, and for some reason, men and even animals, leading to the bizarre practice of "animal trials" (although animal trials themselves have existed since the 13th century).
Thus, I had vaguely thought that witch hunts were a product of mass panic, devoid of reason, and that they naturally disappeared with the progress of law and science. In reality, they disappeared between the late 17th and the end of the 18th century.
However, there were already people in the 16th century who pointed out the problems with witch hunts. Those were Johann Weyer and his teacher, Agrippa.
I learned about this by reading the synopsis of the manga, and that's what sparked my interest in learning more about it.
Who are the main characters and what is the story about? How historically accurate is it?
Who is the protagonist, Johann Weyer?
The protagonist of this book is a doctor named Johann Weyer.
Born in 1515 in Gennep, Netherlands, Johann Weyer is known as a pioneer of psychiatry and a historical physician.
His greatest achievement was the publication in 1563 of his monumental work, "On the Illusion of Demons, and on Sorcery and Gu," which condensed his years of research and medical insights, denounced witch hunts, and popularized the concept of "mental illness."
In his book, he uses medical and empirical evidence to prove that those accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake were not agents of the devil, but merely suffered from mental illness, delusions, cognitive distortions, or were simply socially powerless elderly or vulnerable individuals, fiercely condemning fanatical witch hunts.
However, it's important to note that this view is not based on modern medical perspectives, but rather on the ancient Greek and Roman theory of the four humors. It was believed that an excess of black bile, one of the four basic humors believed to make up the human body, caused depression and melancholy, leading to witch-like behavior.
Even in his later years, Weyer remained unwavering in his beliefs despite facing persecution and criticism, and continued to shake the foundations of witch hunts through the power of medicine and reason. He passed away in Tecklenburg, Germany, in 1588.
However, Johann Weyer was not actually the first person to denounce the witch hunts. The person who is considered to have first denounced the witch hunts was Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Weyer's mentor, a physician and occult researcher. You can only truly understand Weyer when you consider him in conjunction with Agrippa.
This manga depicts Weyer becoming Agrippa's apprentice, experiencing various hardships under Agrippa's tutelage, and, after Agrippa's death, inheriting his will and solving the village mystery of the existence of a witch.
The life of Agrippa, the master who stood against the witch trials with foresight and died in despair.
What kind of person was his mentor, Agrippa?
Born in 1486 in Cologne, Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany), Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa was a leading thinker, jurist, and physician of the Renaissance, and above all, the foremost occult researcher of his time.
He was the first to point out that the witch hunts were absurd.
But why, despite being an occult researcher, did he "conversely" reject the idea of witches making pacts with demons?
He had mastered esotericism, Neoplatonism, Kabbalah, and natural magic, possessing a deeper knowledge of demons and magic than anyone else. That's precisely why he was able to calmly see through the myth of the stereotypical image of a witch making a pact with the devil to cause harm—that such a thing doesn't actually exist.
In other words, rather than thinking that witches don't exist because they're "unscientific" in a modern sense, they thought, "There's no way an ordinary person could make a pact with the devil!"
He himself was staying there in 1518. In Metz, he bravely rescued innocent people through his ahead-of-history actions, such as sharply pointing out the flaws in legal procedures and inconsistencies in the accusations against a woman accused of witchcraft, leading to her acquittal.
However, due to his overwhelming intellect and progressive ideas, he faced fierce opposition and ostracism from the Church and conservatives, was branded a heretic, and was driven out of various places. In despair and solitude, he ended his life in Grenoble, France, in 1535. But the fearless critical spirit that he pioneered, even at the cost of his life, left a great spark for later generations.
In his youth, Weyer traveled extensively and was deeply impressed by Agrippa's character and philosophy, which possessed extraordinary intellect and humanity. He knocked on Agrippa's door and became his disciple. Under Agrippa's tutelage, Weyer was thoroughly trained in practical medicine, human insight, and a critical spirit that refused to bow to authority. After his teacher's death, Weyer further refined his teachings.
Agrippa fought a lone battle with the power of law and reason, and the path he left behind in his despair was further expanded by his beloved disciple Weyer with the empirical weapon of medicine, thus creating a sure way to end this dark history.
Neither Agrippa nor Weyer were able to end the witch hunts. However, the books they left behind became the theoretical foundation for later opponents of the witch hunts.
How much of this is historically accurate?
The main points appear to be historically accurate. The afterword of the second volume mentions that Professor Masayoshi Kurokawa of Taisei Gakuin University supervised the work, which is very reassuring.
However, although Weyer himself opposed the witch hunts, there are no records of him making specific defenses in court or elsewhere, unlike his mentor. The part about why Weyer came to reject the witch hunts and the mystery elements are entirely fictional.
The Black Death incident that occurred while Weyer was under Agrippa's care is also likely a fictional creation.
However, these elements add color to the story and make it easier to understand Weyer's inner thoughts, which are not fully captured by historical facts.
Highlights and recommended points of "Protect the Witch."
In short, this manga can be described as a combination of witch hunts, a master-apprentice story, and a mystery.
From the perspective of witch hunts, you can personally experience the injustice of those times. It's hard to watch how people who we can easily understand today as being mentally unstable or suffering from mental illness were brutally murdered, but I think deepening our understanding of this history is important for thinking about the present day.
Furthermore, although the publisher's description doesn't mention Agrippa much, the story unfolds in a very shonen manga-like manner, as Weyer inherits the will that his master Agrippa continuously advocated.
Isn't it incredible that this is historical fact?! I think this fact should be more widely known.
Furthermore, as a mystery, the way the plot points introduced in the first volume are resolved in the second, and the story's twists and turns, are excellent.
The character design is also fantastic. While the portrait of Weyer on Wikipedia depicts a bald old man (lol), the young Weyer is portrayed as a "timid but intelligent and handsome young man," which I personally find very appealing!
Who would I recommend "Protect the Witch" to?
Who is this book suitable for?
"Protecting the Witch" is recommended for those who want to be inspired by Weyer, who, despite being considered unorthodox at the time, believed in his own knowledge and bravely faced difficulties.
What's so cool about Weyer is how he doesn't run away from the death of the girl that became the catalyst for his actions, and instead sticks to his beliefs.
Furthermore, I believe this will be helpful for people with mental illnesses, as it allows them to reflect on how great figures from the past laid the foundation for their own progress.
While systems that allow people with mental illness to live are gradually spreading, considering that the world might have been a much worse place without Weyer makes his achievements feel even more personal.
Furthermore, it's simply an interesting mystery, so I recommend that mystery lovers give it a read, even if you're not specifically looking for a historical piece.
Who is this book not suitable for?
This book is not recommended for people who cannot tolerate the injustices of early modern Europe. The injustice of being designated a target of persecution and facing certain death is terrifying to imagine if you were one of them. This may not be a pleasant experience.
Also, when Weyer says, "Here's the fact," the villagers, who prioritize their own folk beliefs, might get a little—or rather, quite—irritated.
However, considering the low literacy rates and lack of media coverage in rural areas at the time, this might actually be a realistic reaction. I think scientific advancements have really changed the sensibilities of "ordinary people."
This might not be suitable for people who are outraged by these injustices.
summary
"Protecting the Witch" is the story of two brave individuals who stood up against injustice in early modern Europe. I highly recommend it to history buffs and mystery fans.
