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

Daemonologie-in full Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, Divided into three Books: By the High and Mighty Prince, James &c.-was written and published in 1597 by King James VI of Scotland (later also James I of England) as a philosophical dissertation on contemporary necromancy and the historical relationships between the various methods of divination used from ancient black magic. This included a study on demonology and the methods demons used to bother troubled men while touching on topics such as werewolves and vampires. It was a political yet theological statement to educate a misinformed populace on the history, practices and implications of sorcery and the reasons for persecuting a witch in a Christian society under the rule of canonical law. This book is believed to be one of the main sources used by William Shakespeare in the production of Macbeth. Shakespeare attributed many quotes and rituals found within the book directly to the Weird Sisters, yet also attributed the Scottish themes and settings referenced from the trials in which King James was involved.

In 1590 three hundred Scottish 'witches' were tried for plotting the murder of their King, James VI of Scotland (soon to be James I of England). James is known to have suffered from a morbid fear of violent death, and the trial heightened his anxiety over this apparently treasonous 'un-Christian' sect, and stimulated him to study the whole subject of witchcraft. 'Daemonologie' is the result of this royal research, detailing his opinions on the topic in the form of a Socratic dialogue between the sceptic Philomathes and witch-averse Epistemon, who reveals many aspects of witch-craft. The book consists of three sections, on magic, on sorcery and witchcraft, and on spirits and ghosts, and ends with a lurid account of the North Berwick witch trials, based on the evidence of Dr John Fian, the alleged head of the coven, whose 'confession' was obtained with the aid of thumbscrews, the Boot, and by the ripping out of his fingernails.

This is the modern English translation of Demonologie by King James. Editor's Preface: The reason I translated this text into modern English is because most people wouldn’t bother to read this text in archaic English. I think it’s important to know the contents of this booklet as it can give a great insight into the things we see happening today and what we should be aware of. Although modern science, which in the Bible is said to be “falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6 20) got many convinced that such things as spirits don’t exist, my personal experience absolutely proves such claims to be wrong, and I’m not alone in this. Many other people were also saved by Jesus from such dangerous occult practices like Hinduism and meditation after their realization that these are the traps set by Satan to get one totally demonized and sent to hell - just check YouTube Jesus testimonials for a proof. Because of my own experiences I know that what King James writes about is true. I’m not saying I have experienced everything he describes, but the things that he writes about which I have personally experienced are absolutely true, so it’s very likely that the rest of what he says about Satan and evil spirits is true also. For most people the claims of this booklet will be too fantastic to believe, and I understand this. But for those who got burnt by the occult, whether being engaged in reiki, palmistry, astrology, Wicca, chanting or any other such practices, and know the reality of spirits, this booklet will, I believe, be very helpful indeed, as it describes the operation of evil spirits and their master Satan. Lastly, I hope you won’t be put off by several references to the lesser intelligence of women in this booklet. This booklet was written in 1597, and at that time women weren’t employed but were destined to become housewives; so like I see in India today (where I live) many women are less intelligent than men due to their lack of education and their focus being only on family and marriage; so I understand why such prejudice was common at that early time in England and Scotland. From the text it’s easy to tell that King James was influenced by Calvinism which I don’t support, just to let you know. For example, he was of the opinion that only the elect could be saved. So I’m highlighting this fact so as to make you aware that I’m of a different opinion, yet I still support this work as it contains much useful information, though it doesn’t mean that I agree with everything it has to say about Christianity. To make it easier to understand this work I’ve modernized the language, simplified certain sayings, shortened some sentences, divided some long paragraphs, and researched more into particular spirits and their actions so that you understand better what King James means in certain passages. (My notes are distinguished from the main work.) Since this document was written in archaic English and Scottish languages, it took me a while to understand some sentences and phrases, but I hope that I’ve translated everything correctly; when I really didn’t understand what was meant by some phrase (which happened a few times), I simply left the phrase as it was, so that not to accidentally change the meaning. Finally, you can read the original work in several online resources out of which I’ve found this most convenient: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/kjd/kjd04.htm. Kindest regards, Simona Rich

This volume provides a valuable introduction to the key concepts of witchcraft and demonology through a detailed study of one of the best known and most notorious episodes of Scottish history, the North Berwick witch hunt, in which King James was involved as alleged victim, interrogator, judge and demonologist. It provides hitherto unpublished and inaccessible material from the legal documentation of the trials in a way that makes the material fully comprehensible, as well as full texts of the pamphlet News from Scotland and James' Demonology, all in a readable, modernised, scholarly form. Full introductory sections and supporting notes provide information about the contexts needed to understand the texts: court politics, social history and culture, religious changes, law and the workings of the court, and the history of witchcraft prosecutions in Scotland before 1590. The book also brings to bear on this material current scholarship on the history of European witchcraft.

'The fables of witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deepe root in the heart of man, that few or none can indure with patience the hand and correction of God.' Reginald Scot, whose words these are, published his remarkable book The Discoverie of Witchcraft in 1584. England's first major work of demonology, witchcraft and the occult, the book was unashamedly sceptical. It is said that so outraged was King James VI of Scotland by the disbelieving nature of Scot's work that, on James' accession to the English throne in 1603, he ordered every copy to be destroyed. Yet for all the anger directed at Scot, and his scorn for Stuart orthodoxy about wiches, the paradox was that his detailed account of sorcery helped strengthen the hold of European demonologies in England while also inspiring the distinctively English tradition of secular magic and conjuring. Scot's influence was considerable. Shakespeare drew on The Discoverie of Witchcraft for his depiction of the witches in Macbeth. So too did fellow-playwright Thomas Middleton in his tragi-comedy The Witch. Recognising Scot's central importance in the history of ideas, Philip Almond places his subject in the febrile context of his age, examines the chief themes of his work and shows why his writings became a sourcebook for aspiring magicians and conjurors for several hundred years. England's First Demonologist makes a notable contribution to a fascinating but unjustly neglected topic in the study of Early Modern England and European intellectual history.

Published on the occasion of two exhibitions, held in 2011 at the Bodleian Library and the Folger Shakespeare Library respectively, celebrating the 400th centenary of the publication of the King James Bible.

This book shows King James VI and I, king of Scotland and England, in an unaccustomed light. Long regarded as inept, pedantic, and whimsical, James is shown here as an astute and far-sighted statesman whose reign was focused on achieving a permanent union between his two kingdoms and a peaceful and stable community of nations throughout Europe.