We're getting in to the spirit of all things spooky for #Halloween.
Which monarch released a book on the discussion of witchcraft, necromancy, possession, demons, werewolves, fairies and ghosts?
#HappyHalloween
Which monarch released a book on the discussion of witchcraft, necromancy, possession, demons, werewolves, fairies and ghosts?
#HappyHalloween
Answer: it was King James I who took a keen interest in demonology. He published a compendium on witchcraft lore called 'Daemonologie' in 1597.
The @britishlibrary hold a copy in their collection which you can read about here: bl.uk/collection-ite…
#Halloween
The @britishlibrary hold a copy in their collection which you can read about here: bl.uk/collection-ite…
#Halloween
During the 16th century, many people believed that witchcraft offered a more convincing explanation of sudden and unexpected ill-fortune. In 1542, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death.
#Halloween
#Halloween
A further law banning witchcraft was passed in 1604. The 1562 and 1604 Acts transferred the trial of witches from the Church to the ordinary courts.
Overall, some 500 people in England are believed to have been executed for witchcraft.
#Halloween
Overall, some 500 people in England are believed to have been executed for witchcraft.
#Halloween
The last witchcraft trials were held in Leicester in 1717, but in 1736 the Witchcraft Act was replaced with fines or imprisonment for people with magical powers, much to the amusement of MPs. Its promoter was John Conduit, whose wife was the niece of Sir Isaac Newton.
Got your #Halloween costume ready? Take inspiration from these ghoulish pieces from the Parliamentary Art Collection. ⬇️
Edward Hedge's etching shows a witch seated beside a cauldron decorated with a grotesque skull, evoking the ghostly figure of Oliver Cromwell, appearing from a cloud of smoke. It was originally published in February 1784 shortly before George III dissolved Parliament. #Halloween
John Doyle's lithograph from 1829 shows a group of Conservative ministers including the Duke of Wellington being confronted by the ghost of Prime Minister George Canning. In the scene the ghost addresses the group, “Now I am avenged”. #Halloween
Tom Merry's 1887 scene shows the moment in Faust when Mephistopheles and his minions attempt to drag Doctor Faustus down into Hell. In this satire, William Ewart Gladstone appears in the character of Mephistopheles. #Halloween
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