James VI (I) Stuart – The witch hunter – Part II

Abstract

King James VI (I) Stuart is known as one of the most important and sophisticated English defenders of absolute monarchy and a furious enemy of the Puritans. However a few know that James was a famous hunter of witches and the author of Daemonologie – the philosophical dissertation on contemporary necromancy, witchcraft, and black magic. In this article the Authors argue, that Daemonologie was the political yet theological statement to educate a misinformed populace on the history, practices and implications of sorcery and the reasons for persecuting witchcraft in a Christian society. King James did not start the witch-hunts in Scotland, but his writings profoundly influenced on the politicization of legal trial of witchcraft by outlining the definition of witchcraft and the manner how to identify and accuse witches. The king’s position of authority allowed his ideas to be highly regarded and widely accepted. According to the Authors James’ personal experiences also determined the development of his views on divine right of a kings.