Demonology. Treatise on Witches and Malignant Spirits 1597. News from Scotland 1591

“Demonology” by King James VI of Scotland and I of England (1566-1625) is one of the most intriguing and well-developed texts of the witch-hunting era. This book, written in the late 16th century, details the nature of witchcraft, witches, Satan, fairies, and phantoms. King James, condemning witchcraft and Catholicism equally, recommends various methods for identifying witches, describes classes of demons, and proposes the only method for combating all varieties of witches, including those who practice healing, namely, the death penalty.

At the end of the book, an earlier sensational historical account (1591) of the persecution of witches in Scotland is published.