the discovery of witches matthew hopkins

If they floated, it was said that the water was rejecting them in the same way they had scorned the water of the baptismal font. He dunked alleged witches into ponds and streams with their right thumb tied firmly to their left toe and left thumb to their right toe.

Women of all ages found themselves subjected to his questionable tests to ascertain whether they were consorting with the devil or not. It is thought to have influenced William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, written at this time.īut Hopkins took things much further. The book covered the ability of witches to fly, raise storms and the keeping of animal ‘familiars’. It was reprinted in 1603 when he also became James I of England. Hopkins and others were influenced by a book on witches written by King James VI of Scotland in 1597 called Daemonologie. Women bore the brunt of widespread anxiety and anger.ĬLICK HERE: Me appearing on Strange Evidence on the Discovery channel This was a century of massive change in England with the monarchy overthrown for a period and huge social upheaval. In fact, it really took off during the 1600s. It’s often wrongly assumed that witch hunting was a medieval phenomenon. His methods were not universally approved but at a time of religious fervour and social instability, few were prepared at first to stand up to Hopkins. During the rule of Oliver Cromwell, he styled himself the Witchfinder General and set about identifying witches and executing them. Hopkins was a notorious figure in the southern English county of Essex where I grew up. The title ‘Discovery of Witches’ derives from a book by the 17th century English witch hunter, Matthew Hopkins, called The Discovery of Witches. Proving that our fascination for magic and sorcery is undimmed today even though we live in more enlightened times. Many of you may have been watching the TV historical drama series, A Discovery of Witches.

The discovery of witches matthew hopkins