Product Code Database
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 (1997). 9780395754900, Mifflin. ISBN 9780395754900 by James VI and I as a philosophical dissertation on contemporary necromancy and the historical relationships between the various methods of divination used from ancient black magic. It was reprinted again 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 The Discoverie of Witchcraft.
Daemonologie included a study of demonology and the methods demons used to bother troubled men. The book endorses the practice of Witch-hunt.
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, yet also attributed the Scottish themes and settings referenced from the trials in which King James was involved.
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 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.Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), pp. 178–182.
James begins the book:
The feaefull aboundinge at this time in this countrie, of these detestable slaves of devil, the Witchcraft or 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.
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.p. 1.
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. 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.
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.
James provides a description of all of the kinds of spirits and 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:
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.p. 100.
David Seaton examined her as a witch and obtained a confession that caused the apprehension of several othersp. 101. 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 sabbat during Halloweenp. 103. 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 Queen of Scotland but the others including the ship transporting King James were unharmed.p. 107.
John 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 compact with Satan, a conflict he had with another witch who sabotaged an enchantment meant for her daughter,p. 111. his examinations during the trial, the torture he endured, his escape and subsequent execution.
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. (2025). 9781542697071, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 9781542697071 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.
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.
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