King James I's Obsession With Witches

Of course, we can’t blame any particular monarch for creating the theory of good and bad; black and white witches. It is a notion that existed long before James came to the throne. And, the persecution of witches started to gain momentum, before he wielded any power, too.

During the 16^th and 17^th centuries common attitudes towards witchcraft were changing and ‘witch hunts’ became much more prevalent. One of the main reasons for this was a European, Christian theological and philosophical theory, which claimed that so-called witches had entered into a pact with the devil.

In addition, it was espoused that these men and women (predominantly women), never worked alone. Subsequently, when a ‘witch’ was believed to have been found in a town or village, a hunt for more would immediately commence. And, usually, the pursuit would not stop until several other ‘witches’ had been found.

Charged with treason, this large group, which become known as The North Berwick Witches, had allegedly made attempts to summon a storm, while the young king was at sea. They were also accused of burning a wax effigy of James.

It's worth mentioning that the confessions of the North Berwick witches were extracted under torture.

Nevertheless, no doubt made a little paranoid by the trial, James began to be obsessed with witchcraft and set about learning everything he could on the subject.

Following seven years of study (and I use the term loosely), James considered himself to be something of an expert. And produced a pamphlet, entitled ‘Daemonologie’ [sic]. This 80-page document, was to become a key part of the European debate over witchcraft.

It’s also worth mentioning that in the years between 1590 and 1597, James seems to have actively encouraged the persecution of witches.

A fine case in point is the trial of Mary Napier, in 1591, who was accused of “consulting with a witch” (the first time someone had been tried for this particular crime). During the trial, Napier told the court that she was pregnant.

King James took a rather less than impartial interest in her case, and demanded that this be verified. He told the court that if she was found not to be pregnant that she should be burned. Mary Napier was eventually acquitted; something that enraged James.

Cold comfort to the hundreds of men and women who were tortured and killed thanks to, what turned out to be, (publicly at least) a fickle fascination.