Luther and the Spawn of Satan: Changelings and Infanticide

The following comes from someone who appears to be a Mormon:

The founder of the Reformation believed that [Satan had offspring], so maybe you shouldn't be attacking him so much:

"How often have not the demons called `Nix,' drawn women and girls into the water, and there had commerce with them, With fearful consequences."

"I myself saw and touched at Dessay, a child...which had no human parents, but had proceeded from the Devil. He was twelve years old, and, in outward form, exactly resembled ordinary children."

...some of Father* Luther's beliefs were bizarre.

...he was also a true believer in changelings. Luther was very much a product of his own times with respect to superstitious beliefs and practices. He sincerely believed that Satan was responsible for the malformed children known as changelings, and that such satanic child exchanges occurred frequently. {footnote 9} In Luther's theological view, a changeling was a child of the devil without a human soul, "only a piece of flesh." This view made it easy to justify almost any abuse of an unfortunate child thought to be a changeling, including the ultimate mistreatment: infanticide. Luther himself had no reservations about putting such children to death. {footnote 10}

9. Martin Luther, Werke, kritische Gesamtausgabe: Tischreden (Weimar: Böhlau, 1912-1921), v. 4, pp. 357-358. Martin Luther, 10. Werke, kritische Gesamtausgabe: Tischreden (Weimar: Böhlau, 1912-1921), v. 5, p. 9.

*(Father of the Reformation, that is. Plus, he was a Catholic priest)

Documentation
The quotes from Luther are not documented. Both are Table Talk statements. The primary source for the first quote can be found here or here. The primary source for the second quote can be found here. The extended paragraph of commentary appears to be from the Internet article, Changelings An Essay by D. L. Ashliman, 1997 (From a brief look at his bio, he does not appear to be a Mormon).

Context
The first Table Talk quote had been translated a number of times into English in the 19th Century. For instance, in this from 1827: Table Talk: Or, Selections from the Ana. Containing Extracts from the Different Collections of Ana, French, English, Italian, and German. With Bibliographical Notices.  The statement can be found here, and is as follows:

A Gentleman had a fair young wife which died, and was also buried. Not long after, the Gentleman and his servant lying together in one chamber, his dead wife in the night time approached into the chamber, and leaned herself upon the Gentleman's bed, like as if she had been desirous to speak with him. The servant (seeing the same two or three nights one after another) asked his master, whether he knew, that every night a woman, in white apparel, came unto his bed? The Gentleman said. No: I sleep soundly (said he) and see nothing. When night approached, the Gentleman, considering the same, lay waking in bed. Then the woman appeared unto him, and came hard to his bed-side. The Gentleman demanded who she was? She answered, I am your wife. He said. My wife is dead and buried. She said. True: by reason of your swearing and sins I died; but if you would take me again, and would also abstain from swearing one particular oath, which commonly you use, then would I be your wife again. He said, I am content to perform what you desire. Whereupon his dead wife remained with him, ruled his house, lay with him, ate and drank with him, and had children together. Now it fell out, that on a time the Gentleman had guests, and his wife after supper was to fetch out of his chest some banqueting stuff: she staying somewhat long, her husband (forgetting himself) was moved thereby to swear his accustomed oath; whereupon the woman vanished that instant. Now seeing she returned not again, they went up into the chamber to see what was become of her. There they found the gown which she wore, half lying within the chest, and half without; but she was never seen afterwards. This did the Devil, (said Luther) he can transform himself into the shape of a man or woman.

The Prince Elector of Saxony (John Frederick,) having received advertisement of this strange accident, sent thereupon presently unto me (said Luther,) to have my opinion what I held of that woman, and of the children which were begotten of these two persons? Whereupon I wrote to his Highness, that in my opinion, neither that woman, nor those children, were right human creatures, but devils; for the devil casteth before the eyes a blaze, or a mist, and so deceiveth the people; insomuch that one thinketh he lieth by a right woman, and yet is no such matter; for, as St Paul saith, the devil is strong by the children of unbelief. But inasmuch as children, or devils, are conceived in such sort, the same are very horrible and fearful examples, in that Satan can plague and so torment people, as to beget children. Like unto this is it also with that which they call the Nix, in the water, who draweth people unto him, as maids and virgins, of whom he begetteth (devils) children. The devil can also steal children away, (as sometimes children within the space of six weeks after their birth are lost,) and other children, called Supposititii, or Changelings, laid in their places. Of the Saxons they are called Killcrops.

The second quote also appears in many 19th Century texts.

"Eight years since," said Luther, " at Dessaw, I did see and touch such a changed child, which was twelve years of age, he had his eyes and all members like another child. He did nothing but feed, and would eat as much as two clowns or threshers were able to eat. When one touched it, then it cried out; when any evil happened in the house then it laughed and was joyful; but when all went well, then it cried and was very sad. I told the Prince of Anhalt, if I were Prince of that country, so would I venture homicidium thereon, and would throw it into the river Moldaw. I admonished the people dwelling in that place devoutly to pray to God to take away the devil; the same was done accordingly, and the second year after the changeling died."

A version of the second quote has been included in LW 54:396-397

No. 5207: Disposition of a Boy Possessed by the Devil Between September 2 and 17, 1540

In Dessau there was a twelve-year-old boy like this: he devoured as much as four farmers did, and he did nothing else than eat and excrete. Luther suggested that he be suffocated. Somebody asked, “For what reason?” He [Luther] replied, “Because I think he’s simply a mass of flesh without a soul. Couldn’t the devil have done this, inasmuch as he gives such shape to the body and mind even of those who have reason that in their obsession they hear, see, and feel nothing? The devil is himself their soul. The power of the devil is great when in this way he holds the minds of all men captive, but he doesn’t dare give full vent to the power on account of the angels.” Then somebody said, “Perhaps Origen did not rightly understand the malice of the devil because he thought that devils would be liberated after the day of judgment.” “Ah,” said the doctor, “the sin of the devil is great because he knowingly opposes God, the Creator of all things.” Luther, M. (1999, c1967). Vol. 54: Luther's works, vol. 54 : Table Talk (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (54:396). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Conclusion
The last paragraph of commentary comes from the Internet article, Changelings An Essay by D. L. Ashliman, 1997. The paragraph is more or less accurate when it states,  "Luther was very much a product of his own times with respect to superstitious beliefs and practices." This should come as no surprise. For instance, a "Nix" appears to be a type of water-demon, something a German boy would learn about as a child.

The unfortunate aspect of Ashliman's brief comment is that he used the Table Talk rather than an actual writing of Luther's (Luther makes passing comments to changelings in LW 47:254, 260, and LW 24:92-93). The Table Talk is not something Luther wrote, it's statements Luther is purported to have said. Often, the contexts do not say enough to establish Luther's dogmatic lifelong opinion on a particular subject. Note for instance Ashliman's comment, "In Luther's theological view, a changeling was a child of the devil without a human soul, 'only a piece of flesh.' This view made it easy to justify almost any abuse of an unfortunate child thought to be a changeling, including the ultimate mistreatment: infanticide. Luther himself had no reservations about putting such children to death." Of this comment, the editors of LW 54 point out about this entry:

In this account Luther is reported to have suggested to friends at his table that a boy whose condition was such that he lived like a vegetable should be done away with. John Aurifaber’s later version (WA, TR 5, No. 9) elaborated on the original by stating that Luther had himself seen and touched the boy and that he advised the prince of Anhalt to have the boy drowned. What had at first been the private expression of an opinion here became a formal recommendation to a ruler. It was in this later version that Luther was cited as an advocate of euthanasia in connection with a court case in Germany in 1964. See Erwin Mühlhaupt, “ ‘Spiegel,’ ‘Stern’ und Luther,” Luther: Zeitschrift der Luther-Cesellschaft, XXXV (1964), 81–88. Luther, M. (1999, c1967). Vol. 54: Luther's works, vol. 54 : Table Talk (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald and H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (54). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Certainly Luther's medieval  view is unfortunate, but given the time period in which he lived, not hard to believe that Luther held such a view. A fascinating article on Luther and Childhood Disability can be found here. The author includes a helpful overview of the understanding of demonism during this period in history.  The author also  gives a detailed look at the Table Talk quote in question. He states, "Citing at third or fourth hand a single case where Luther is alleged to have suggested killing a supposed changeling, many more authors slip quietly into the plural, e.g. 'If these children lived, Luther recommended killing them'." The author goes on to give an interesting overview including Luther's view on baptizing changelings.