Know Thyself 41: Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins and the Daemonologie of King James

The 1640s were a brutal time in England, with the breakdown of many state governmental functions during the English Civil War.  It was a time of chaos, and the perfect opportunity for the one-man murrain known as Matthew Hopkins to begin accusing, swimming, pricking, and torturing hapless victims as witches. In 3 short years, Hopkins sent between 200 and 300 souls to the gallows.  But Hopkin's comeuppance was, ahem, coming, although the form it would take has been open to some dispute until recently.  Also, the "madness" of King James VI and I, the obsession with witches and demons, contributed to the general atmosphere of fear and loathing that allowed Hopkins and his ilk to have their way. Herein is the story of an honorary diplomate of the school of worst humans--Matthew Hopkins. Cover Art: Oz by Ian Armstrong

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