Creepy Little Boy Turned Witch Hunter, King James I of England (James VI of Scotland)
With a royal portrait like this early in life, it’s no wonder King James I of England turned into a woman-hater- I mean witch hunter. That’s right. King James I did not just command the country with politics. He also controlled the masses in one of the most infamous witch hunts in history. King James I of England And VI of Scotland is primarily known for uniting the two crowns. But James’ royal obsession with black magic started Europe’s most brutal witch hunts. In the 1590s, King James VI of Scotland’s fear of witchcraft began stirring up national panics, resulting in the torture and end of thousands of lives. According to History Collection writer and historian, Natasha Sheldon, “Scotland was one of the most active areas to persecute witchcraft between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Over this period, it is estimated that around 4,000 people were burnt at the stake. However, the most ardent persecutions occurred during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. During this period, any witchcraft- whether it was of good or evil intent became unacceptable. A witch was a witch; bound by a pact to act as an agent of the devil – even if they were using their magic to heal rather than harm.”
In 1597, King James VI of Scotland published a compendium on witchcraft lore called Daemonologie. It was also published in England in 1603 when James acceded to the English throne. The main focus of historians when interpreting Daemonologie has — rightly — been on its attitude towards (and justification of) persecution of witches, which James explicitly endorses not just as justified but as an obligation of all good Christians and rulers. One analysis sums up what Daemonologie truly was: “Although modern readers may assume that any work which focuses on witches, demons, and evil spirits must be of little intellectual value, two things have to be understood. Firstly, that discussions of demons were viewed as a part of legitimate scientific discussion at the time, as God acted through nature and as such spirits could use the natural world as a vehicle for machinations good or evil. Secondly, that Daemonologie is as much a political treatise as a religious/theological one.”
You May Interested: 10 Greek and Roman Trials for Magic and Witchcraft.