Witch-Hunting in Scotland: Law, Politics and Religion

Shortlisted for the 2008 Katharine Briggs AwardWitch-Hunting in Scotland presents a fresh perspective on the trial and execution of the hundreds of women and men prosecuted for the crime of witchcraft, an offence that involved the alleged practice of maleficent magic and the worship of the devil, for inflicting harm on their neighbours and making pacts with the devil. Brian P. Levack draws on law, politics and religion to explain the intensity of Scottish witch-hunting.Topics discussed include:the distinctive features of the Scottish criminal justice systemthe use of torture to extract confessionsthe intersection of witch-hunting with local and national politicsthe relationship between state-building and witch-hunting and the role of James VIScottish Calvinism and the determination of zealous Scottish clergy and magistrates to achieve a godly society. This original survey combines broad interpretations of the rise and fall of Scottish witchcraft prosecutions with detailed case studies