Dive into the weird, spooky and supernatural with Wyrd Wessex, a podcast hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens. These self-proclaimed "wyrdo's" delve into the mysteries, myths, and legends of the world, focusing on the UK, but sometimes straying further afield. Expect to hear chilling ghost stories, explorations of unexplained phenomena, and even dabbles into true crime. Whether you're fascinated by hauntings, folklore, Ufology or cryptids, Wyrd Wessex has something for you. So, if you're ready to unravel the hidden weirdness of the world, "Stay Wyrd" and tune in!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dive into the weird, spooky and supernatural with Wyrd Wessex, a podcast hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens. These self-proclaimed "wyrdo's" delve into the mysteries, myths, and legends of the world, focusing on the UK, but sometimes straying further afield. Expect to hear chilling ghost stories, explorations of unexplained phenomena, and even dabbles into true crime. Whether you're fascinated by hauntings, folklore, Ufology or cryptids, Wyrd Wessex has something for you. So, if you're ready to unravel the hidden weirdness of the world, "Stay Wyrd" and tune in!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on Wyrd Wessex, we're diving deep into the mind of a king haunted by the Devil himself, a terror that sparked a nation-defining witch hunt: King James VI of Scotland, later James I of England. Get ready for a journey into paranoia, torture, and the infamous Daemonologie.
Join Craig and Andy as we explore the life of King James, a sickly scholar king who saw himself as God's champion against Satan, and whose fear transformed into a brutal legal framework that condemned thousands.
A Storm-Tossed Coronation: We trace James's obsession back to his ill-fated marriage voyage, where unseasonably severe storms convinced him his new wife, Anne, and he were under magical attack by a coven of witches. This wasn't just bad weather; it was an act of treason.
The North Berwick Horror Show: Discover how this royal paranoia ignited the infamous North Berwick Witch Trials, where James's personal involvement in the torture of women like Agnes Sampson led to fantastical confessions, including the precise words he'd exchanged with his Queen on their wedding night.
The King's Personal War: We delve into the dark legal strategy that allowed James to brand political rivals, like Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, as agents of the Devil, turning witchcraft into high treason punishable by the most horrific means.
Daemonologie: The King's Propaganda: Explore James's chilling book, a direct royal counter-attack against skeptics. Learn how he argued for the existence of witches, the Devil's methods of temptation, and why "daft wives" using folk charms were actually consorting with Satan.
The Kiss of Shame and Witches' Marks: We discuss the deeply sexualized and degrading details forced out under torture, such as the Osculum Infame (kissing the Devil's anus) and the infamous "witches' mark."
The Terrifying Legacy: From the brutal methods of the self-proclaimed "Witchfinder General," Matthew Hopkins, to the countless lives lost in the Great Scottish Witch Hunt, we reveal how James's laws created a climate of fear that lasted for centuries.
Folklore and Modern Echoes: We examine how this historical terror entered popular culture, influencing Shakespeare's Macbeth, and astonishingly, how a descendant of these laws was used to jail the last person under the Witchcraft Act in 1944!
Was King James a devout scholar, a paranoid tyrant, or both? Tune in to hear our thoughts on the Witch King!
Stay Wyrd!
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Written by Emma & Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens
Edited by Craig Brooks
Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.