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ChapterI
inquisition.Manualsforinquisitorsappearinthe14thcentury,amongthemthe
much-copied(andlatermuch-published)DirectoriuminquisitorumbyNicho-
lasEymerich(ca.1376),laterusedbytheSpanishinquisition.Theorganisa-
tionalmodel,thetried-and-testedmethodsofproceeding,themanualsandthe
legendofthemedievalinquisitionwerethepointofreferenceforsimilarinsti-
tutionsfoundedinSpainbyorderofIsabelofCastileandFerdinandofAragon
(1480),theninPortugal(1536),aswellasforthemodernRomaninquisition
(1542),establishedaspartoftheCounter-Reformationmovement(Biały1989,
pp.9-20).
1.8TheassessmentofawomanintheearlyChristianity
andtheMiddleAges
1.8.1Theman–womanrelationshipandtheconcept
offemalenature
IntheearlycenturiesofChristianity,womenwereperceivedthroughtheir
depictionintheBible.Theconceptofwickednessequatedwithfemininityde-
velopedbytheJudeo-Christiancultureinfluencednotonlytheologians,butalso
philosophers–virtuallyeveryonewhoponderedtheaetiologyofthiswicked-
ness.Inassessingwomanhood,mostlythenegativeaspectsoffemalepersonal-
ity,naturecharacterandmoralityweretakenintoconsideration.Itwasstressed
thatitwasthewoman,Eve,whosurrenderedtotemptationandledAdaminto
error.
Wickednessisanunavoidableelementofhumanuniverse,andforcenturies
itwasawomanwhowastheembodimentofwickedness.ThetemptationofEve
wasperceivedasthefirstlarge-scalemanifestationofEvil.EveyieldedtoSa-
tan’spersuasionandateoftheforbiddenfruit,andthecostofthecontactwiththe
forcethatactedindependentlyofGod’swillwasimmeasurable.ItwasEvetobe
toldbyGod:“Iwillgreatlymultiplythysorrowandthyconception;insorrow
thoushaltbringforthchildren;andtheydesireshallbetothyhusband,andhe
shallruleoverthee”(Gen.3,16).
Interpretationsofthistemptationandfallweremanifold.Notonlypsycholo-
gistsharbouredvariousassociations,themajorityofthemphallic,withtheshape
ofthesnakeandthemannerofhiscontactwithEve–alreadyintheMiddleAges
therabbiswereinterpretingthesnakeasasymbolofmasculinityandthestory
foundintheBookofGenesisasanallegoryofsexualintercourse.TheTempter
wasalwaysmale;nowonder,sinceintheperiodwhentheBookofGenesiswas