By now the northern Dúnedain realm of Arnor, sister-kingdom to the southerly Gondor, had already become split into three warring successor states – Rhudaur, Cardolan and Arthedain. It was into this febrile situation that the Lord of the Nazgûl reappeared in TA 1300 and began to fulfil Sauron's plan to bring down the North-kingdom altogether. Adjacent to its territories he founded the dark domain of Angmar – where, from his capital of Carn Dûm, he began his campaign of open war against the Dúnedain of Arnor. It was during this series of conflicts that they labelled their new enemy's undead sorcerer-chieftain with the title of "Witch-king, Lord of Angmar". The Witch-king, beaten, yet having successfully brought down the kingdoms of the former Arnor, fled the north. Angmar was now leaderless, and soon collapsed. James learned of the burnings and decided to start his own witch hunt. Unfortunately for many good people in East Lothian, there was already suspicions around several local people.

a b "A Talk by Maxine Sanders" part 3, Witchcraft and Wicca Issue 5, p. 22. London: Children of Artemis. https://alexandrianwitchcraft.org/witchcraft-and-wicca-beltane-to-lammas-2002/David Reid, David Hume of Godscroft's History of the House of Angus, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 2005), p. 396-8.

In the preface, King James states that he chose to write the content in the form of a dialogue to better entertain the reader. By doing so, he follows the method of many philosophical writers prior to his time. As the main plot, Philomathes hears news in the kingdom regarding the rumors of witchcraft which seems all miraculous and amazing but could find no one knowledgeable on the matter to have a serious political discussion on the issue. He finds a philosopher named Epistemon who is very knowledgeable on the topics of theology. [A 2] Book One [ edit ] The third book is the conclusion of the whole dialogue. James says that demons are under the direct supervision of God and are unable to act without God's permission, and he shows how God uses demonic forces as a "Rod of Correction" when men stray from His will. Demons may also be commissioned by witches or magicians to conduct acts of ill will against others. He quotes previous authors who state that each devil has the ability to appear in diverse shapes or forms for varying purposes. [A 3] [A 4] Ultimately the works of demons (despite their attempts to do otherwise) will end in the further glorification of God . [A 3] [A 4]

See also

But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Be gone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.

King James, in his philosophical treatise Daemonologie (1597), rejected the theory that the witch was performing an act of ventriloquism, but also denied that she had truly summoned the spirit of Samuel. He wrote that the Devil is permitted at times to take on the likeness of the saints, citing 2Corinthians11:14, which says that "Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light". [17] James describes the witch of Endor as "Saul's Pythonese", likening her to the ancient Greek oracle Pythia. He asserts the reality of witchcraft, arguing that if such things were not possible, they would not be prohibited in Scripture: [17] James, an insecure young king, found himself swept up in their fears and paranoia. Returning from Denmark freshly scarred from the storm, he wanted – no demanded – answers. Who were these witches that wished him dead? And he became directly involved in the witch trials; dark events that use torture to extract confessions. Poetic works retelling the story include " Saul" by Lord Byron, published in his 1815 collection Hebrew Melodies, [28] and "In Endor" by Shaul Tchernichovsky (1893), a major work of modern Hebrew poetry which paints Saul as a sympathetic figure. [29] Rudyard Kipling, a year after the death of his son at the Battle of Loos, wrote a poem called " En-Dor" (published 1919), using the story as a device to criticise contemporary mediums. [30] The first sighting of the Nazgûl in Middle-earth was reported in SA 2251. For the next 1200 years the greatest among them, known simply as the Lord of the Nazgûl, would serve Sauron as one of the commanders of his armies. He fought in the Age's climactic war against the Last Alliance of Elves and Men between SA 3434 and SA 3441, when the Dark Lord was eventually defeated and the One Ring taken from him. With Sauron's spirit and power dissipated, the nine Nazgûl were no longer able to maintain their physical presence and they too disappeared – at least temporarily – from Middle-earth.di Fiosa, Jimahl (2004). "Alex Sanders on Adeptness and Reincarnation: An interview with Alex Sanders, 26 November 1974 by Loriel". A Voice in the Forest: Spirit conversations with Alex Sanders. Southborough, MA: Harvest Shadows Publications. ISBN 0-9741740-0-9. David Reid, David Hume of Godscroft's History of the House of Angus, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 2005), p. 398. a b "Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of History". The Witch Persecution in Scotland. Vol.3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania. Dept. of History. 1912. pp.19–23 . Retrieved 17 June 2016.