Une première réflexion de Nicolas Jacquier concernant les démons : le De calcatione demonum seu malignorum spirituum (1457)

The De calcatione demonum seu malignorum spirituum was written in 1457 by Nicolas Jacquier, one year before his most famous work, the Flagellum hereticorum fascinariorum. The De calcatione offers initial reflections by the Burgundian dominican inquisitor on diabolical modes of actions directed at human beings and on the means at the disposal of priests and their faithful to control, expel, and trample (calcare) them. This relatively unknown text is produced at a time when purely demonological issues are linked to those on diabolical witchcraft and the sabbath. The author tries in particular to promote the idea of trampling demons, which is understood as their punishment. Now vanquished, demons are compelled to serve divine truth. In a climate of skepticism about the need to fight withcraft, the De calcatione offers an interesting reflexion about the truth status of diabolical and heretical discourses when submitted to divine power. This reflexion is based on the model of the positive figure of the possessed from exampla and from dominican hagiography. The treatise therefore aims to counter the tradition of the Episcopi canon which argues for the illusory nature of demons. Instead, it offers an argument about the reality of their actions on the occasion of the sabbat