It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue - King James VI of Scotland

page: 1
7

log in

join
share:

posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 06:50 AM
link   

In writing this book, King James was influenced by his personal involvement in the North Berwick witch trials (1590).




The North Berwick witch trials were the trials in 1590 of a number of people from East Lothian, Scotland, accused of witchcraft in the St Andrew's Auld Kirk in North Berwick. They ran for two years and implicated seventy people. These included Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell on charges of high treason. The "witches" held their covens on the Auld Kirk Green, part of the modern-day North Berwick Harbour area. The confessions were extracted by torture in the Old Tolbooth, Edinburgh.

In 1597, James published Daemonologie, his rebuttal of Reginald Scot’s skeptical work, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, which questioned the very existence of witches. Daemonologie was an alarmist book, presenting the idea of a vast conspiracy of satanic witches threatening to undermine the nation. In 1604, only one year after James ascended to the English throne, he passed his new Witchcraft Act, which made raising spirits a crime punishable by execution.


Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue


Is in the form of a dialogue between characters called "Philomathes" and "Epistemon"




Epistemon- That fielde is likewise verie large: and althought in the mouthes and pennes of manie, yet fewe knowes the trueth thereof, so wel as they beleeve themselves, as I shall so shortely as I can, make you (God willing) as easelie to perceive. PHI. But I pray you before ye goe further, let mee interrupt you here with a shorte disgression: which is, that manie can scarely beleeve that there is such a thing as Witch-craft. Whose reasons I will shortely alleage unto you, that ye may satisfie me as well in that, as ye have done in the rest. For first, whereas the Scripture seemes to proove Witch-craft to be, by diverse examples, and speciallie by sundrie of the same, which ye have alleaged; it is thought by some, that these places speakes of Magicians and Necromancers onlie, & not of Witches. As in special, these wise men of Pharaohs, that counterfeited Moyses miracles, were Magicians say they, & not Witches:




posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 07:00 AM
link   
a reply to: Hex1an


As in special, these wise men of Pharaohs, that counterfeited Moyses miracles, were Magicians say they, & not Witches:

They still use accusations of witchcraft some places in Africa, mostly to justify stealing peoples land. Enemies of the state , witches, heretics, blasphemers and yes even terrorism, used today the same way.

Lining up scapegoats, guilty of various 'crimes' against the state, without proof.



posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 07:51 AM
link   
a reply to: intrptr

Yes the word "demonizing" comes to mind.
Witchcraft is common in Africa... It's comparable to the 16-17th century England, infarct it's most likely worse, In Europe between 1450–1750 the number of trials were: 80.000 and executions amounted to 35.000 (wiki) I don't know the number of trials or executions in Africa but I would guess it's a much bigger number.
In India, labeling a woman as a witch is a common ploy to grab land (Wiki).
Witchcraft or sorcery also remains a criminal offense in Saudi Arabia.



posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 08:52 AM
link   
a reply to: Hex1an


Witchcraft is common in Africa... It's comparable to the 16-17th century England

Can you expound on the bolded part? How common was witchcraft at the time? More importantly, how do we know it was common, considering the sources that information comes from are extremely biased, I would think?

On topic: It is the religiously insane like King James who have pushed an agenda that has been perpetuated up to now, that persecutes by any means necessary, anyone outside of their perceived control. It is men like him that show us, religion and power do not mix, because when they do, it does not bode well for the "commoner". Truth be known, the only difference between a Christian and a witch is, one is a sanctioned form of sorcery, and the other is not.



posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 10:10 AM
link   
a reply to: Klassified

"How common was witchcraft at the time?" I think you may get a good insight if you read the book.
"Daemonologie" is like a Fox and Mulder dialog about such questions.
historical documents are widely available, estimated at the moment is about 80.000 trials during that period.



posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 11:22 AM
link   

originally posted by: Hex1an
a reply to: Klassified

"How common was witchcraft at the time?" I think you may get a good insight if you read the book.
"Daemonologie" is like a Fox and Mulder dialog about such questions.
historical documents are widely available, estimated at the moment is about 80.000 trials during that period.


That's my point. 80,000 trials. No proof whatsoever any of those on trial were witches. All we have is a perverted historical narrative, from perverted minds, with a warped view of reality, saying they were witches. Hypothetically, even if they were all witches, neither the church, nor the king had any business persecuting and murdering them. Either way, it's just one more witness to the dangers of fanatical Christianity that is still alive and well in the 21rst century.
edit on 3/23/2016 by Klassified because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 23 2016 @ 12:01 PM
link   
a reply to: Klassified

It's historical accounts from a dark chapter in human history of course it was perverse.
They were all innocent in an era of ignorance and fear.



new topics

top topics



 
7

log in

join