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Filosofická Fakulta Masarykovy Univerzity Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Vendula Heczková The Influence of Superstition on Daily Life, Culture and Politics in Scotland during the Reign of James VI and I Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Paul Hardy, M.A., Ph.D. 2014 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Stephen Paul Hardy, M.A., Ph.D. for his guidance and help, my family and Bc. Michal Žák for their support and Mr. Euan Cameron and his mother Mrs. Gillian Cameron for all their help and for being amazing. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Scotland under the Rule of James VI .............................................................. 7 2.1 Historical background ............................................................................................. 7 2.2 Society in Scotland .................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Religion during the Reign of James VI ................................................................. 10 Chapter 3: Religion and Superstition .............................................................................. 12 3.1 Nature of Belief ..................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Protestantism versus Catholicism ......................................................................... 14 3.3 Examples of specific superstitions ........................................................................ 15 Chapter 4: The Good Neighbours ................................................................................... 18 4.1 The types of Fae and their Hierarchy .................................................................... 19 4.2 Fairies in Daily Lives of Common People ............................................................ 21 4.3 Legends and Poems ............................................................................................... 23 Chapter 5: Witchcraft ...................................................................................................... 27 5.1 The Presence of Magic in Everyday Lives ........................................................... 28 5.2 The Witch Hunts and Trials .................................................................................. 30 5.3 The Attack on James VI ........................................................................................ 33 5.4 The Witchcraft Act of 1604 .................................................................................. 35 5.5 Witches in Literary Works .................................................................................... 36 Chapter 6: Conclusion .................................................................................................... 39 Works cited ..................................................................................................................... 40 Résumé ............................................................................................................................ 44 Chapter 1: Introduction The reign of James VI and I in Scotland was accompanied by a multitude of supernatural creatures, superstitions and witch hunting. In my thesis, I focus on the time period between 1567 and 1625 and I try to explain how these beliefs came to be so significant in a strictly Protestant country and how they influenced and shaped the daily lives of people, culture and even politics. As hundreds of individual superstitions exist and it is impossible to include them all, I show how deeply ingrained these beliefs were in people‘s lives. I explore the effect of the Reformation and Protestant attempts to dispose of the supernatural elements of faith. Following the Introduction I divide my work into five chapters. In the second chapter I describe the historical background of Scotland at this time, the hierarchy of society of the era and religious context. In the third chapter I offer the history of beliefs in Scotland and I explain the origins of superstitions. Chapter four focuses on a specific belief in fairies, how these creatures influenced the everyday lives of people and the way they are reflected in literature. The fifth chapter explores the matter of witchcraft, laws concerning witches, the King‘s attitude towards witchcraft and the representation of witches in literature. The Sixth chapter offers a conclusion and a summary of the points I make throughout my thesis. One of the main sources is Scottish Fairy Belief: A History by Lizanne Henderson and Edward J. Cowan, which examines the history and nature of fairy belief and its place in the complex religious situation; "The Mingling of Fairy and Witch Beliefs in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Scotland" by J. A. MacCulloch explores 5 the mixing of Christian tradition with pagan beliefs and how this fusion figured in witch trials; and "Magic and Witchcraft" by James A. Sharpe focuses on the connection between the Reformation and the tradition of superstitions among the people. 6 Chapter 2: Scotland under the Rule of James VI James VI ascended the Scottish throne very early in his life. At the age of thirteen months James was proclaimed the Scottish King after his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was compelled to abdicate in his favour. Regents ruled in his stead before his coming of age in the year 1578 but for full control of his position James VI had to wait until 1583. During his reign Scotland underwent numerous changes in every aspect from politics through religion to culture. 2.1 Historical background Scotland during the reign of James VI in the years 1567 – 1625 underwent major changes and crises. After the rule of a mostly absent Queen Mary came another troubled period of regency government as James VI had not come of age. Following the abdication of Queen Mary, the Marian civil war took place in years 1568-1573. This civil war was a conflict between the supporters of an exiled Queen Mary and those who ruled in the name of the infant King James VI. The war was fought mainly in the Lowlands and focused on Edinburgh ending only after an English intervention when Edinburgh Castle, which was garrisoned in the name of Queen Mary, surrendered. King James VI was brought up in a Protestant faith by George Buchanan. Buchanan‘s aim was to make James VI into a god-fearing Protestant king who accepted the limitations of monarchy. James was taught of his mother‘s treachery and that Roman Catholicism was not right or moral and in these Buchanan succeeded as even Mary‘s execution at English hands was not reason enough for James not to maintain good relations with England with the goal of succeeding Elizabeth on English throne. 7 However, the limitation of monarchy was never a topic on which James agreed with his tutor as he later demonstrated in his works The True Law of Free Monarchies (1598) and Basilikon Doron (1599) where he sets out the divine right of kings. The second half of sixteenth century also saw a growing problem of poverty and vagrancy. The parliament reacted with three pieces of legislation in years 1574, 1579 and 1592 which established kirks1 as major elements within the poor relief system. Deserving poor were chosen by elders and other overseers and they received a limited poor relief, whereas undeserving beggars were harshly punished. Increasing problems with ―barbarians‖ on the Scottish islands led to the attempt to abolish the Gaelic language as it was perceived as foreign and the main cause for all the problems with the Islands. The clans were forced by the Statutes of Iona to put their heirs into Lowland schools to be educated by English-speaking Protestant teachers. This was seen as an attempt to destroy the traditional culture and language of the Islands that led to an unsuccessful rebellion against James. 2.2 Society in Scotland Scotland was no longer under a feudal system during this period of time. The strict hierarchy of society was still maintained, but the nobility‘s power was no longer based on landholding as land was becoming more and more a commodity of trade and the nobility became honorary peerage. Below the king was a small group of dukes and a larger group of earls. These usually held major offices or places on the king‘s council. Dukes and earls were also found taking part in major crises or rebellions. Below dukes 1 Kirk can mean church in general or Church of Scotland in particular. 8 and earls were lairds - a group that advised dukes and earls and were often considered as the most important persons in local communities. Lairds ran baronial courts, acted as sheriffs-depute, sat on local assizes and held the position of private arbitrators. After the Reformation and creation of the Presbyterian Kirk, they gained even more power as they were overseeing the behavior of local communities through disciplinary functions of kirk sessions. Below lairds were yeomen that together with lairds held heritable possessions of land. Below these land owners were agricultural workers who usually inhabited settlements where a few families held land rights. Urban society lived in administrative entities called burghs. Those were autonomous settlements, usually towns, headed by wealthy merchants who held
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