메뉴 건너뛰기
Library Notice
Institutional Access
If you certify, you can access the articles for free.
Check out your institutions.
ex)Hankuk University, Nuri Motors
Log in Register Help KOR
Subject

The North Berwick Witch-hunt and James VI's Divine Right of Kingship
Recommendations
Search

노스버릭 마녀사냥과 제임스 6세의 왕권신수설

논문 기본 정보

Type
Academic journal
Author
Kim Joong - Lak (경북대학교)
Journal
대구사학회 대구사학 대구사학 제147권 KCI Accredited Journals
Published
2022.5
Pages
319 - 354 (36page)

Usage

cover
The North Berwick Witch-hunt and James VI's Divine Right of Kingship
Ask AI
Recommendations
Search

Abstract· Keywords

Report Errors
The aim of this study is to examine how King James VI of Scotland strengthened his feeble monarchy and even sanctified his royal power through the North Berwick witch-hunt of 1590-1. In 1590, although King James VI had long reached the age of majority, his rule was far from stable amidst power struggles and religious conflicts among powerful nobles. James saw the North Berwick witch incident in 1590-1 as a right opportunity to strengthen his royal power. James directly took part in the interrogation and trials of the witch suspects and secured statements from those accused of witchcraft which helped him eliminate his political enemy. The witch suspects confessed that they had made a pact with the devil and tried to harm the king as well as hindered his marriage. In the absence of legal experts, the confessions that James VI obtained through torture were very likely to have been distorted. These statements allowed James to get rid of Earl of Boswell, his political opponent. At the end of the trials in late 1591, James arranged to publish a report entitled Newes from Scotland, which was a highly political propaganda. The pamphlet claims that the devil defined the Scottish king as " the greatest enemy he hath in the world." Paradoxically, this expression could mean that the king is the closest person to God in the world as God is the opposite of the devil. In fact, in Newes from Scotland, the king was once described as a "child of God" or "servant of God". The king was also portrayed as being under divine protection. The king was the anointed by the God, and with God’s almighty power, he was able to defeat the plots of the devil and witches. It may be said, the theory of the divine right of kingship was elaborated in the Trew Law of Free Monarchies in 1598, but it started from Newes from Scotland in 1591.

Contents

No content found

References (0)

Add References

Recommendations

It is an article recommended by DBpia according to the article similarity. Check out the related articles!

Related Authors

Recently viewed articles

Comments(0)

0

Write first comments.