Category: History of Witchcraft

The Witchfinder General faces humiliation on multiple fronts. His critics are uniting, his prosecutions are falling, and the ruinous cost of hiring him suddenly seems less worthwhile. This episode primarily makes use of the following texts:-  Gaskill, Malcolm, Witchfinders: A Seventeenth Century English Tragedy, (2005) –  Levack, Brian, ‘State-Building and Witch-Hunting’, in Oldridge, Darren (ed.),…

This week’s episode continues the trials of East Anglia, as we see the result of the Witchfinder General’s efforts in the summer assizes of Chelmsford and Bury St. Edmunds. One was headed by the Earl of Warwick, a noble with little in the way of legal training, and the other by a triumvirate of two…

This episode primarily makes use of the following texts:-  Gaskill, Malcolm, Witchfinders: A Seventeenth Century English Tragedy, (2005) –  Levack, Brian, ‘State-Building and Witch-Hunting’, in Oldridge, Darren (ed.), The Witchcraft Reader, 2002-  Purkiss, DIane, The English Civil War: A People’s History, (2007)-  Jackson, Louise, ‘Witches, Wives and Mothers: Witchcraft Persecution and Women’s Confessions in Seventeenth-Century…

In today’s episode, the infamous Witch-Finder General begins his campaign through south-eastern England, as we discuss the opening accusations of the greatest and deadliest witch hunt in English history.This episode primarily makes use of the following texts:-  Gaskill, Malcolm, Witchfinders: A Seventeenth Century English Tragedy, (2005) –  Levack, Brian, ‘State-Building and Witch-Hunting’, in Oldridge, Darren…

The Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, did not exist in a vacuum. How could this man, who had no formal authority, tour South-East England and not only execute hundreds of ‘witches’, but find cheering crowds and grateful magistrates waiting for him? Today’s episode will examine the possible reasons why the Hopkins witch craze was so exceptional…

Today’s episode covers the escalating conflict between Charles I and Parliament, as harsh words led to outright war. We also look at the simmering discontent among elements of the English population to the limited prosecutions of witches, spearheaded by the Stuart court. This episode primarily makes use of the following sources: Gaskill, Malcolm, ‘Witchcraft Trials in…

This week, we have a shorter episode while I brush up on my Civil War knowledge. Doctor John Lambe was the personal magician of the Duke of Buckingham, a favourite of James and an ally of Charles. Yet, the reputation of Dr Lambe was so poor that even these lofty connections couldn’t save him…  …

In today’s episode we see the tide turn on the English witch trials. By the end of his reign, James is unwilling to entertain the more ludicrous accusations and his heir, Charles I, continues this approach. Puritanism, the new bogeyman of the Anglican church, appears the most vocal supporter of the trials, and so the…

At the great Council of Nikaea, an issue that threatened to split an empire apart was finally settled. Yet, when one of the Emperor’s own sons rejects the decision, his brother is dispatched at the head of a Legion to bring his errant son to heel and bring unity to His Imperium. +The Emperor Protects+…

Today we look at the political intentions behind the pamphlet, the Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster, and how it was purposefully written to match the published opinions of James I. We further examine how James began to regret both his Daemonologie and the act he had circulated in 1604, as he…

Was James VI and I truly the witch-hunting, demon-studying zealot that he has traditionally been seen as? Today we take a look at the court of King James, and hear about the trials that dotted his early reign.   This episode primarily makes use of the following sources: Holmes, R., Witchcraft in British History (1974)…

In today’s episode, we return to the narrative of early modern Britain, and finally combine the episodes on England and Scotland in the form of one man: James VI and I. We cover the problems and priorities facing James once he inherits the throne from Elizabeth; England’s diplomatic situation, its religious dissidents, and a Parliament…

In today’s episode, we cover the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest literary figures in English history. Specifically, we look at the supernatural elements in a number of his plays, from Henry IV and Richard III, to The Tempest and Macbeth. Straddling the reigns of Elizabeth and James, Shakespeare’s career provides a window…

Drama is perhaps one of the most recognisable products of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. This week, we look at two of the more famous plays from this period which use the supernatural in their narratives; Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, and Thomas Middleton’s The Witch.Although I’m sure I’m missing someone out, someone important from this…

This week, we hear about the witch beliefs commonly held by your common or garden peasant in Elizabethan and early Stuart England. The priority for your average Joe was the ability of witches to effect the physical world, and how they could help or harm. We also cover the Protestant authorities stance with traditional folklore,…

With the reign of England’s first recognised Queen, Elizabeth I, we find a kingdom riven by sectarian violence and uncertainty. Today’s episode gives a brief overview of her rule, and covers the various plots against the monarch and her advisers. We also return to the life of John Dee, the court magician who had been…

Henry VIII was a superstitious sort of bloke, one who was in his element spending his free time charging at another bloke who was also charging him while they both hold long and pointy bits of wood (some academic language for you there), and yet when faced with something he couldn’t fight he ran away…

The Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Levant for centuries, and today’s episode covers a few of the magical beliefs the superstitious Romans held. While it’s hard to distinguish between organically Roman traits and those imported from the Greek world, the culture of Rome was certainly a mixture of the two, as…

Today we cover the development of Halloween – its development from a Celtic harvest festival, which may or may not have involved the ritual slaughter of infant children, and its merger with the Christian holy days of All Saints and All Souls, emerging from the melting pot of American society as something new and old,…

The founders of Western Civilisation, the Classical Greeks were strong believers in the existence and capabilities of the supernatural. Their epic poems and plays featured Gods, Goddesses, and spirits aplenty, and mythical heroes were often attributed fantastic knowledge and power. As time went on, Greek writers began to distinguish between different types of magic, and…