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Who Are The Witch Hunts Of The 1500's?

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James I. Daemonologie. At London: Printed [by R. Bradock] for William Aspley, and W. Cotton, according to the copy printed at Edenburgh, 1603.

Quinn Casey, 3rd period, 1/13/2017

Daemonologie provides a meaningful understanding of the witch hunts of the late 1500’s by offering a first-hand perspective of the popular theories and explanations of witchcraft during those years. Publications like Daemonologie helped fan the growing flame of belief in necromancy, sorcery, and other forms of witchcraft, ultimately creating widespread distrust and fear throughout many part of Europe. Author King James I of England (1566-1625) wrote the book not just to promote his own ideas, but as a tactical strategy to reinforce Christianity and its role …show more content…

Throughout the book, he asserts that all acts of magic are opposed to the will of God, and thus unholy and highly immoral. James confirmed in Daemonologie that witches sold their souls to the Devil in order to gain their power. Women are characterized as highly susceptible to the temptation of sin and following of the Devil, but James asserts that all people, even those who value their faith, can succumb to the power that black magic provides them. To the devoutly religious English of the 1500’s, opposing traditional faith was unquestionably wrong and deserving of persecution. By displaying witchcraft as the polar opposite of Christianity, James was able to inspire a great deal of fear. Ultimately Daemonologie is quite convincing, as it earns its value through Christian morality, and inspires fear of straying from the rules of …show more content…

Daemonologie itself, while useful in compiling the motives and logic behind the witch hunts of the 1500s, does not mention any historical events or context in which the manual was written. James probably did not think it relevant to include any such information, as it did not pertain to the goals of his book: identifying and eliminating witches and black magic. While lacking in background information, the language used in Daemonologie helps expose the underlying paranoia and psychological tactics that promoted the witch

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