A peaceful union

'When shall we three meet again I'm thunder, lightning or in rain? When the hurlyburlys done, when the battles lost and won...'  William Shakespeare, Macbeth

On the 25th July 1603 James VI of Scotland was crowned James I of England. He was not only the first of the Stuart line but also the first king of Scotland and England to gain this overlordship peacefully.

He is best known for the  'Gunpowder Plot' and his sons actions which caused the Civil War; amd were a result of their absolute belief in the divine right of kings. That an anointed ruler is God's right hand on earth. 

As you might imagine from this James was a devout Christian. Although his area of interest is one now lost in our secular times. James was a demonologist. He believed strongly in the unexplained. Witches, demons and devils. He even wrote a book on the subject the aptly named demonology published in 1597. It is thought to be a rebuttle to Reginald Scot's fairly damning work the 'Discoverie of Witchcraft' which suggested that witches did not exist. James alarmed the nation with his book speaking of a vast network of satanic witches who were a threat to them all and the very regime under which they lived. His. His belief in the personal threat witches held to him becomes clear with the North Berwich witch Trials the largest witchcraft trial Scotland had seen. The women involved had allegedly caused a storm which had nearly sunk his ship as he returned home with his new bride (the long suffering Anne of Denmark). It is thought that dozens were burned due to James' paranoid obsession with the occult. 

This obsession was not abated after he ascended to the throne of England. In fact in 1604 the raising of spirits officially became a crime punishable by death. In fact during his reign we saw the Witch Hunts of the Jacobean era where men and women maybe innocent of even this worldly crimes were killed in large numbers by over zealous officials hoping to curry the favour of their king. 

Being published in 1597 means that by the time James came to the throne many educated persons would be aware of the book and his interest in the occult. One such person was the legendary playwrite William Shakespeare. To welcome the new king - and more than likely keep his lucrative Royal Patronage - Shakespeare wrote a play to welcome him. The result was Macbeth the Scottish Play, one of his greatest and most popular pieces first performed to court in 1606. It's a tale of Kings, Warriors, treachery, intrigue and most importantly madness and witches. It's a reasonable assumption that James enjoyed his dedication; had he not it is likely that Macbeth would have vanished into obscurity, possibly along with Shakespeare himself. 

Not even the bible was safe fir instance in the King James Bible (published 1611) Exodus 22:18 formerly 'thou must not suffer a prisoner to live' was changed to 'thou must not suffer a witch to live'. A device which essentially legitimised institutional murder. 

The reign of James I saw a considerable peak in the number of people charged with and executed for the crime of witchcraft. At a level that neither Scotland or England had ever seen before. Bringing us back to many beliefs many of which had begun to die out.