Witchcraze - Sceptical authors
What was the name of Reginald Scot's book?
The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584
What was the name of Samuel Harsnett's book?
The Discovery of Fraudulent practices of John Darrell 1599
What is the name of Thomas Ady's book?
A Candle in the Dark 1656
What is the name of John Webster's book?
The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft 1677
What is the name of Balthazar Bekker's book?
The Enchanted World 1691
What was The Discoverie of Witchcraft's claims?
Believed witches were suffering from melancholia and delusions, not supernatural
What did King James do as a response to Discoverie of Witchcraft?
Write and Publish Daemonologie in 1597
What was the Discovery of Fraudulent Practices' claims?
Split into 5 sections on John Darrell's career, ended up starting a pamphlet war
A survey of people supposedly exorcised by Darrel
An outline of how Darrell instructed people to act possessed
William Somers' confession and Darrell threatening him to revoke it
Discrediting Somers' fits of extraordinary strength and fluency in greek and latin
Details how Darrell told Darling yo act possessed
What was A Candle in the Dark's claims?
Using the bible as a source to counter those who used it to justify hunts
Describes the definition of a witch as a deciever, false prophet, communicating with the dead, astrologers, charm users, jugglers
Explains scripture has been misenterpreted, catholics first to kill for their religion
Criticizes works encouraging hunts, particularly Daemonologie for referencing no scripture
What were The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft's claims?
Written in response to claims that witch hunts were legitimate, said beliefs not founded in the bible should be disregarded
Witches exist but not supernatural, cause harm of own free will
Blamed Mompesson for the Demon Drummer case
Blamed Robinson for Pendle Swindle, said he instructed his son to accuse people
What were The Enchanted World's claims?
Used bible as a primary source, said every witchcraft case had a deception
Argued the Devil couldnt possess people without a physical body, and he was under the power of God
When was The Discoverie of Witchcraft published?
1584
When was the Discovery of Fraudulent Practices published?
1599
When was A Candle in the Dark published?
1656
When was The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft published?
1677
When was The Enchanted World published?
1691