View source for Daemonologie

{{Short description|Book by King James VI/I of Scotland/England about demons}}
{{Other uses|Demonology (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox book
| name         = Daemonologie
| title_orig   =
| translator   =
| image        = File:James I; Daemonologie, in forme of a dialogue. Title page. Wellcome M0014280.jpg
| caption      = Title page of a 1603 reprinting
| author       = [[James VI and I]]<!-- James signed his name with &c. (&c. means etc. or et al.) because of his many titles, King of Scotland, Ireland, England, etc. etc. (James Rx came from a transcription error!) -->
| country      = [[England]]
| language     = [[English language|English]]
| series       = 3 books and a news pamphlet in one volume.
| genre        = [[Occult]], [[religion]], [[philosophy]], [[dissertation]], [[Socratic dialogue]]
| publisher    =
| release_date = 1597
| media_type   = Print
| pages        =
| isbn         =
| preceded_by  = [[Newes from Scotland]] (1591)
| followed_by  =
}}

'''''Daemonologie'''''—in full '''''Dæmonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, Divided into three Books: By the High and Mightie Prince, James &c.'''''—was first published in 1597<ref>{{cite book|first1=G. Blakemore|last1=Evans|title=The Riverside Shakespeare|date=1997|publisher=Mifflin|location=Boston [u.a.]|page=1356|edition=2|isbn=0-395-75490-9}}</ref> by [[James VI and I]] as a [[Medieval philosophy|philosophical dissertation]] on contemporary [[necromancy]] and the historical relationships between the various methods of [[divination]] used from ancient [[black magic]]. It was reprinted in 1603 when James took the throne of England. The widespread consensus is that King James wrote ''Daemonologie'' in response to sceptical publications such as [[Reginald Scot|Reginald Scot's]] ''[[The Discoverie of Witchcraft]].''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ryynänen |first=Timo |date=2010 |title=James VI: The demonologist king: Demonic descriptions and their context in James VI's Daemonologie. |url=https://erepo.uef.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/9654/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20100039.pdf?sequence=1 |journal=Itä-Suomen yliopisto |page=8}}</ref> 

''Daemonologie'' included a study of [[demonology]] and the methods demons used to bother troubled men. The book endorses the practice of [[Witch-hunt|witch hunting]].

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 [[Three Witches|Weird Sisters]], yet also attributed the Scottish themes and settings referenced from the trials in which King James was involved.

==Structure==
King James wrote a dissertation titled ''Daemonologie'' that was first sold in 1597, several years prior to the first publication of the King James [[King James Version|Authorized Version]] of the Bible. Within three short books James wrote a philosophical dissertation in the form of a [[Socratic dialogue]] for the purpose of making arguments and comparisons between [[Magic (supernatural)|magic]], [[Magic (paranormal)#Witchcraft|sorcery]] and [[witchcraft]], but wrote also his [[classification of demons]].

In writing the book, King James was heavily influenced by his personal involvement in the [[North Berwick witch trials]] from 1590. Following the execution of an alleged sorcerer in the year 1591, the news of the trials was narrated in a news pamphlet titled ''[[Newes from Scotland]]'' and was included as the final chapter of the text. The book endorses the practice of [[Witch-hunt|witch hunting]] in a Christian society. King James may also have been prompted to write the ''Daemonologie'' by an anonymous critical pamphlet ''John Upaland'' which circulated in 1597 and alleged the Scottish court was bewitched.<ref>Alexander Courtney, ''James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603'' (Routledge, 2024), pp. 178–182.</ref>

James begins the book: <blockquote>The feaefull aboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaves of [[devil|the Devil]], the [[Witchcraft|Witches]] or [[enchanter (paranormal)|enchanters]], hath moved me (beloved reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine (...) to resolve the doubting (...) both that such assaults of [[Satan]] are most certainly practised, and that the instrument thereof merits most severely to be punished.</blockquote>

As detailed in his preface, the main sources of this work were that of historically confessed witches, judicial case history and the Bible itself. He also amassed various dissertations on magical studies to expand his education on the relationships between infernal spirits and men. James generally sought to prove that the devilish arts have always been yet still are, but also explains the justification of a witch trial and the punishments which a practitioner of the dark arts merits.<ref group="A" name="auto1">p. 1.</ref>

He also reasons scholastically what kinds of things are possible in the performance of these arts, and the natural causes of the Devil's power with the use of philosophical reasoning.<ref group="A" name="auto1"/> King James sought to prove the existence of witchcraft to other Christians through biblical teachings. His work is separated into three books based on the different arguments the philosophers discuss, with citations of biblical scripture throughout the text.

===Character===
This work reads as a [[political]] and [[theology|theological]] dissertation in the form of a [[philosophy|philosophical]] dialogue between the characters [[Philomath]]es and [[Epistemology|Epistemon]] who debate the various topics of magic, sorcery, witchcraft and demonology. The purpose seems to be an educational piece on the study of witchcraft and to inform the public about the histories and etymologies of all subcategories involved in magical practices. The work also serves to make formal accusations against the practice of witchcraft and comparatively elaborates James' views against [[papistry]].<ref group="A" name="auto3">pp. x–xi.</ref>

In the preface, King James states that he chose to write the content in the form of a dialogue to better entertain the reader. By doing so, he follows the method of many philosophical writers prior to his time. As the main plot, Philomathes hears news in the kingdom regarding the rumors of witchcraft which seems all miraculous and amazing but could find no one knowledgeable on the matter to have a serious political discussion on the issue. He finds a philosopher named Epistemon who is very knowledgeable on the topics of theology.<ref group="A" name="auto3"/>

===Book One===
The argument of the first book is on the following topics regarding the description of magic:
* The division of the various magical arts with a comparison between [[necromancy]] and witchcraft
* The use of charms, circles, and conjurations
* The division of [[astrology]]
* The Devil's contract with man
* Comparisons between the miracles of God and the devil
* The purpose of these practices is to advise people

===Book Two===
The main argument of the second book is based on the following topics regarding the description of sorcery and witchcraft:
* The difference between biblical proof and imagination or myth
* A description of sorcery and its comparison with witchcraft
* The path of a sorcerer's apprenticeship
* Curses and the roles of Satan
* The appearance of devils; the times and forms which they appear
* The division of witch actions
* Methods of transportation and the illusions of Satan

===Book Three===
The third book is the conclusion of the whole dialogue. James says that demons are under the direct supervision of God and are unable to act without God's permission, and he shows how God uses demonic forces as a "Rod of Correction" when men stray from His will.  Demons may also be commissioned by witches or magicians to conduct acts of ill will against others.  He quotes previous authors who state that each devil has the ability to appear in diverse shapes or forms for varying purposes.<ref group="A" name="auto">p. 3.</ref><ref group="A" name="auto2">p. 64.</ref> Ultimately the works of demons (despite their attempts to do otherwise) will end in the further glorification of God .<ref group="A" name="auto"/><ref group="A" name="auto2"/>

James provides a description of all of the kinds of spirits and [[Apparitional experience|specters]] that trouble men or women. His [[classification of demons]] is not based on separate demonic entities with their names, ranks, or titles.  Instead, demonic entities are categorized according to the methods that they use to inflict mischief or torment on a living individual or a deceased corpse. The four categories of demonic entities, based on their methods, are:
* [[Lemures|Spectra]]: spirits that trouble houses or solitary places<ref group="A">p. 69.</ref>
* Obsession: spirits that trouble people at various times of the day, such as [[incubi]] and [[succubae]]<ref group="A">p. 79.</ref>
* [[Demonic possession|Possession]]: spirits that enter inwardly into a person to trouble them<ref group="A">p. 84.</ref>
* [[Faries]]: illusionary spirits that prophesy, consort, and transport their servants<ref group="A">p. 87.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=King James|title=Daemonologie. A Critical Edition. In Modern English|year=2016|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1-5329-6891-4}}</ref>

===''Newes from Scotland''===
{{further|John Fian|North Berwick witch trials}}

'''''Newes from Scotland – declaring the damnable life and death of Dr. Fian, a notable sorcerer''''' is a pamphlet originally printed in London in 1591 that details the infamous [[North Berwick witch trials]] in [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] and the confessions given before the King.

[[File:Daemonologie1.jpg|thumb|Suspected witches kneeling before King James, ''Daemonologie'' (1597)]]

The initial and subsequent publications of ''Daemonologie'' included a previously published news pamphlet detailing the accounts of the North Berwick witch trials that involved King James himself as he acted as judge over the proceedings. The deputy bailiff to the kingdom of Scotland, David Seaton, had a servant named Geillis Duncan who, within a short period of time, was found to have miraculously helped any who were troubled or grieved with sickness or infirmity.<ref group="A">p. 100.</ref>

David Seaton examined her as a witch and obtained a confession that caused the apprehension of several others<ref group="A">p. 101.</ref> later declared to be notorious witches. Agnis Tompson confessed before King James to have attempted his assassination using witchcraft on more than one occasion. The pamphlet details how she attempted these. She also confessed to participating in a [[Wheel of the Year|sabbat]] during [[Halloween|All Hallows' Eve]]<ref group="A">p. 103.</ref> where she and others sacrificed a cat and sent it into the sea as they chanted in hopes of summoning a tempest to sink a fleet of ships accompanying James as he was arriving in the port of Leith from a trip to Norway. One ship was sunk from the storm containing gifts meant for the [[Anne of Denmark|Queen of Scotland]] but the others including the ship transporting King James were unharmed.<ref group="A">p. 107.</ref>

[[John Fian|Doctor Fian]] was deemed a notable sorcerer and was among many others that were put on trial. The pamphlet details their reasons for conducting sorcery, the methods used, how each of the witches were apprehended and the torture methods used in their punishments and death. The case of Doctor Fian follows his [[Deal with the devil|compact with Satan]], a conflict he had with another witch who sabotaged an enchantment meant for her daughter,<ref group="A">p. 111.</ref> his examinations during the trial, the torture he endured, his escape and subsequent execution.

==Cultural significance==
It has been noted that the themes taken from ''Daemonologie'' and King James' involvement in the North Berwick witch trials may have directly contributed to [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s work ''[[Macbeth]]''. Evidence of this exists in the three witches' use of ritual magic and direct quotes that directly relate to the testimony given from the witch trials described in the ''Newes of Scotland'' pamphlet. ''Macbeth'' had come into public enjoyment a few years after the publication of ''Daemonologie'' and retains many of the same Scottish themes and settings.

''Daemonologie'' assisted in the creation of witchcraft reform, heavily inspiring [[Richard Bernard]] in writing a manual on witch-finding in 1629 titled ''[[A Guide to Grand-Jury Men]]'', which advised judicial trial procedure to take a stronger investigative approach to acquiring and analyzing evidence and obtaining witnesses to be present during witch-craft trials.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bernard|first1=Richard|title=[[A Guide to Grand-Jury Men]]|date=1627|isbn=1542697077|pages=iv–x|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform }}</ref> There was also an influence on [[Matthew Hopkins]] in his work as a witch-finder between 1644 and 1646 in which an estimated 300 witches were tried and executed. In the year of Hopkins' death, 1647, he published ''The Discovery of Witches'' which directly cited ''Daemonologie'' as a source for creating methods in discovering a witch.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hopkins|first1=Matthew|title=The Discovery of Witches|date=1647|location=Query 10}}</ref>

The philosophical arguments King James poses through the character Epistemon are based on concepts of theological reasoning regarding society's belief as his opponent, Philomathes, takes a philosophical stance on society's legal aspects but sought to obtain the knowledge of Epistemon. This philosophical approach signified as a [[philomath]] seeking to obtain greater knowledge through [[epistemology]], a term that was later coined by [[James Frederick Ferrier]] in 1854.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ferrier|first1=J. F.|title=Institutions of Metaphysic: The Theory of Knowing and Being|date=1854|location=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|page=46}}</ref><ref group="A" name="auto3"/>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Demonic possession]]
* [[Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597]]
* [[Lemures]]
* [[Margaret Aitken (the great witch of Balwearie)]]
* [[Spirit possession]]
* [[Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew Bible]]
* [[Witch of Endor]]
* [[Malleus Maleficarum]]

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

* {{cite book|last1=King James|title=Daemonologie. A Critical Edition. In Modern English|year=2016|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1-5329-6891-4}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{reflist|group=A}}
{{div col end}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book|last1=Richard|first1=Bernard|title=A Guide to Grand-Jury Men: In Modern English|date=2017|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1542697071}}

==External links==
* {{Citation | url = https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25929 | title = Daemonologie | publisher = The Gutenberg Project}}.
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXVQCss9yyo Demonology]'', full reading in [[Original Pronunciation]] by [[Andrew Rakich]].

{{Witchcraft|state=expanded}}
{{Witch Hunt|state=expanded}}
{{Macbeth}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daemonologie}}
[[Category:Witchcraft treatises]]
[[Category:Witch hunter manuals]]
[[Category:1597 books]]
[[Category:Books about magic]]
[[Category:Works by James VI and I]]
[[Category:Theses]]
[[Category:Demonological literature]]
[[Category:History of mental health in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Witchcraft in Scotland]]