Background information on witchcraft

An initial source of inspiration was "Daemonologie" written by King James the First and Sixth in 1597.

It said: "... This aforesaid Agnis Sampson ... was taken and brought to Halicuid house before the Kings Majestie and sundry other nobility of Scotland, where she was straithly examined, but all the persuasions which the Kings Majestie used to her with ye rest of his counsell, might not provoke or induce her to confesse anything, but stood stiffely in the deniall of all that was laide to her charge: whereupon they caused her to be conveied awaye to prison, there to receive such torture as hath been lately provided for witches in ... Scotland ... Agnis Sampson was after brought againe before the Kings Majestie and his Counsell, and being examined of the meetings and detestable dealings of the witches, she confessed ... sundrye things which were so miraculous and strange, as that his Majestie saide they were all extreme liars, wherat she ... declared unto him the verye words which passed betweene the Kings Majestie and his Queene ... the first night of their marriage, with their answere each to other: whereat the Kings Majestie wondered greatlye, and swore by the living God, that he believed that all the Devils in hell could not have discovered the same ... Moreover, she confessed that at the time ... she was accompanied with the parties before specially named, took a Cat and christened it, and afterwards bound to each parte of the Cat the chiefest partes of a dead man ... and that in the night following the deade Cat was conveied into the midst of the sea .. this doone, there did arise such a tempest in the Sea, as a greater hath not been seene ... then was the winde contrary and altogether against his Majestie: and further saide the witch declared, that his Majestie had never come safelye from the Sea, if his faith had not prevailed above their intentions ..."