TheKing'sWarOnWitches

  • 历史
  • RussellBoulter
  • 每期60分钟
  • Inthelate16thcenturyEuropewasinthegripofaferocious… Inthelate16thcenturyEuropewasinthegripofaferociouswitchhunt,wherethousandsweretorturedandburntatthestake.ThechurchwasfullybehindthisterrifyingcrusadeagainsttheimaginaryenemiesofChristianity.InFranceandGermanyaloneupto40,000peoplemayhavebeenkilledaswitches.ButEnglandandScotlandwerealmostuntouchedbywitchpersecutionsuntilKingJameshimselfdecidedtolaunchhisown,personalwaronwitchcraft.  In1597KingJamesVIofScotlandpublished'Daemonology',ahandbookonhowtorecogniseanddestroy,witches.Thebookexploredthethreatthat'thoseDetestableslavesoftheDevil',posedtoJameshimself.ItfuelledwavesofwitchhuntingthroughoutBritain.  ThelegacyofJames''Daemonology'continuedthroughoutthe17thcentury,andledtothetortureandexecutionofhundredsofwomeninaseriesofinfamouswitchtrials.No-oneknowsexactlyhowmanymenandwomendiedinthesetrials,suchasthePendletrialof1612,orhowmanyotherswerekilledincasesthatnevercametocourt.ThedocumentaryrevealsthepurgesinmanyareasofBritaindrewdirectlyonKingJames'book.Alsoforthefirsttime,remarkablenewarchaeologicalevidencefromCornwall,suggeststhatwitchcraftwasactivelypracticedforcenturies,evenduringthemostintenseperiodsofwitch-hunting.ExperimentalarchaeologistJacquiWoodhasexcavatedstrangepitslinedwithswan'sfeathers,andfilledwithanimalskinsandhumanremains.Shebelievesthepitswereritualofferingsinspiredbywitchcraftbeliefs.

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