The Healer and the Schoolmaster

Black magic and witchcraft were a bit of a fascination for King James VI and I of Scotland and England. He even produced his own dissertation on necromancy, titled Daemonologie. When a tempest at sea threatened his wife, Anne of Denmark, in 1589, the king was convinced that these "contrary winds" were the effect of witchcraft. As a result, during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, there was a dramatic increase in both the quantity and intensity of witch trials.

The most infamous of these were the North Berwick trials, which lasted for two years and resulted in the accusation of witchcraft against more than 70 individuals. They considered two of them to be ringleaders. Agnes Sampson, a healer, acknowledged to more than 50 accusations of witchcraft, and John Fian, a local schoolteacher, admitted to striking a deal with the devil and serving as a register and scholar for many aspiring witches in the area. Naturally, both confessions were gained under severe torture, and both of the accused were ultimately put to death for their crimes.