In the late 16th century Europe was in the grip of a witch hunt fever, where thousands were tortured and burnt at the stake. The church was fully behind this terrifying crusade. In France and Germany alone up to 40,000 people may have been killed as witches. But England and Scotland were almost untouched by witch persecutions until King James himself decided to launch his own, personal war on witchcraft.

In 1597 King James VI of Scotland published ‘Daemonology’, a handbook on how to recognise and destroy, witches. It fuelled waves of witch hunting throughout Britain.

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