Written by King James I and published in 1597, the original edition of Demonology is widely regarded as one of the most interesting and controversial religious writings in history, yet because it is written in the language of its day, it has been notoriously difficult to understand.
Now occult scholar Donald Tyson has modernized and annotated the original text, making this historically important work accessible to contemporary readers. Also deciphered here, for the first time, is the anonymous tract News from Scotland, an account of the North Berwick witch trials over which King James presided.
Tyson examines King James’ obsession with witches and their alleged attempts on his life, and offers a knowledgeable and sympathetic look at the details of magick and witchcraft in the Jacobean period. Demonology features historical woodcut illustrations and includes the original old English texts in their entirety. This reference work is the key to an essential source text on seventeenth-century witchcraft and the Scottish witch trials
King James I of England came to be one of the more prominent prosecutors of "witch mania" beginning in Scotland and Denmark in 1590. Believing that persecuting witches under the law would grant him protection from their "black magick," James took on a great role in the interrogations and prosecution. His book, Demonology, was written with the aim to "educate" others on the evils of witchcraft and the supernatural. While being a difficult subject matter for many to broach, Donald Tyson has revisited this important work and made it approachable and understandable as The Demonology of King James I.
In my book, Modern Magick, I gave a brief introduction to one of the most important people in the history of magick, Dr. John Dee (1527–1608 or 1609). More than a magician, Dee was also one of the most interesting and fascinating figures of the Elizabethan Age. When he died, his home in Mortlake (a district of London on the southern bank of the... read this article
