The Stigmatization of Health Remedies (Herbs, Stones and Charms) in King James I’s Daemonologie

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the stigmatization of concepts related to medicine and healing in King James I's Daemonologie as republished in 1604. In the early 1600's, witchcraft trials and persecutions were prevalent, and there was a widespread belief in the existence of witches and their malevolent activities. King James I had a strong interest in the subject and was involved in witch trials. The study's hypothesis is that in the King’s view, healing effects and properties of plants, stones or charms could be attributed to God or Satan. Therefore, when God’s help was excluded, such as in the case of witches, all beneficial or healing effects of witchcraft were considered the work of the Devil, who was thus deluding mankind. Through these ideas expressed in Daemonologie, King James I contributed to the stigmatization of healing practices and encouraged the fear and persecution of individuals suspected of engaging in such practices. This study of medical and health terminology will bring the traditional beliefs and practices that influenced medical knowledge at the time to the foreground. Some key points that will be detailed here are the influence of Galenic ideas, the different categories of medical practitioners and their social status, the knowledge of herbal medicines that had been passed down through generations as well as astrological influences, while also considering a comparison with the various medical treatises that were available at the time.