Witches – whether broomstick-riding spell-casters or Wiccan earth-worshippers – have been culturally relevant for centuries. For centuries, too, belief in the potency of witchcraft has been debated, accused witches have been hunted and punished, and film and TV productions have brought the witch and the witch-hunter to big and small screens.

But where did our perception of witches – good and bad – come from? What motivated wide-scale panics about witchcraft during certain periods? How were alleged witches identified, accused, and variously tortured and punished?

Steven Veerapen traces witches, witchcraft, and witch-hunters from the explosion of mass-trials under King James VI and I in the late sixteenth century to the death of the witch-hunting phenomenon in the early eighteenth century. Based on documents and the latest historical research, he explores what motivated widespread belief in demonic witchcraft throughout Britain as well as in continental Europe, what caused mass panics about alleged witches, and what led, ultimately, to the relegation of the witch – and the witch-hunter – to the realm of fantasy and the fringes of society.

'An insightful, brilliant account – and analysis – of a dark chapter in history. In Veerapen’s hands, the spectre of the witch and the witch-hunter are brought to life, as are the complex and fascinating details of how King James and his people saw the supernatural world. Bone-chilling and compelling'

'A superbly researched history of witches . . . well organised and written in an approachable and accessible style that ensures this is a book that can be absorbed by anyone with an interest in the subject . . . engaging, fascinating, and compelling'

'With his trademark brio and imagination, Veerapen tells the story through the most prominent trials and those involved in them'

'This judicious study offers a nuanced understanding of of James VI and I’s preoccupation with witches and witchcraft... gives the story an overdue subtlety'

'A fascinating read for anyone interested in early modern history, witch hunts, or the rationale behind the irrational'

Steven Veerapen was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Mauritian father and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII’s six wives. He is the author of The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I, and lives in Glasgow.