The King&#3=9;s War O
,n-] Witches

　　In, the)@, =@#late
.(16t[-h century Europe w$`as_@ i%
n( t+ he:?$ )+grip of a ferociou;s witch hunt, w
:[\ her,e th^ousa@(\nd`@=: s we_re tortured a;?[nd$  bu r]+^,`nt). at the stake-\. ].@ The church /)*was ful l; y`% b@#ehind th:is \$terrify
$ing+@ crus.,-ade against the )]imaginary e !nemies of* Christianity. In France an[$d @(Germany alone up t.;o 40,000 people may h=*ave bee$n: k: i.@\lled as w ._%itc@ *hes,$. But?^ E]=ngla; nd/= and S-(c/otland were ?
al$;.mos$t untouched by@
% witch pers]
%e==cutions until Kin%\g%: : Jame)s hims?elf decid@*e*=\d
 to la#@unch his .!ow n, personal war on wi;
(t_],$chc;r/af =t.　　In 1597 K_
i_)%ng Ja,/mes +VI of Scotla=+)+nd published 'D_-aemono(logy'\
, a ha*%nd+(,book on \
#how to recognise and \^ destroy#/?,!@ witches. T_[he book explo+($red$[\@ th^\e threat $( th$[at &#@ =39those Detestabl*(e s!`[,l ) a_`ves$ of the Devil', pos#ed .to James him-self)]=. It f @uelled waves of wit/+ch hunting th*roughout Bri t.ain.　　The legacy $ of,
James' &]#39=+Dae/mo+_nology]$[9 conti @:nu! \!ed]* throughout the 17th century, and led to t ,h[-e #@torture and exe%.?cution of
hu$ndred(s of \
women i#n@ a serie%#$s of infamous witch +$/tri) *als. No-on@)e; know`
\s e@@xactly how ma-ny men a%*`*nd women died in th#-_$ese?@
trials, +=such ?as the Pendle ;trial of 1612:!^, or how many others were kill_*e!d in ca ?s .es #th--at never _+came t%o^_ court#). The documentary re%#)veals th##e$)+ purges in ma)/ny areas ),of
) Britain drew] direc+=tly on K^ing! James_9 book. %Also for the first time+\, remarkable new a%rcha==eolog_
$ical evidence% from] Co)@rnwall, sugge$?sts !t?hat`
w:itchcraft wa s ac:tively pra*[ct=\(iced+: @\for cent=ur)$ies, even/[ during ?the mos /t ]=int :ense pe\`:rio,ds of witch-hunting. Experimental archaeol/#ogist Jacqui Wood h^as excavated st+*.range pits lined w\%ith ]swan&#?39s feat/:.hers,[), and `fi+^ ll ed with(* an%i
mal skins and hu*-man remains. ;;She believes the pi)ts we@re ri]!tua?+ l % )offering#%_^s inspir!ed by #!witchcraft bel]iefs.