Lynn Wood Mollenauer

About the Author

Lynn Wood Mollenauer is a distinguished historian and author specializing in the cultural and intellectual history of early modern Europe, with a particular focus on the intersections of magic, religion, and politics during the reign of Louis XIV. Her groundbreaking research illuminates the shadowy undercurrents of the French court, revealing how accusations of sorcery, poisonings, and sacrilegious acts shaped the era's power dynamics and societal fears. Drawing from extensive archival sources, Mollenauer weaves a narrative that challenges traditional views of the Sun King's absolutist regime, highlighting the role of the occult in both royal intrigue and popular imagination. A professor of history at prestigious institutions, she has contributed significantly to the field through her incisive analyses and engaging prose, making complex historical events accessible to a broad audience. Her work continues to influence scholarly discourse on the enigmatic world of seventeenth-century France.