This belief gained force, when Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican monk in the late 13th Century, argued that the world was full of evil and dangerous demons. Aquinas argued that these demons had the habit of reaping the sperm of men and spreading it among women, thus association between sex and witchcraft began. Demons, thus, are seen as not merely seeking their own pleasure, but intent, also, on leading men into temptation.

The Cathars fled the papal persecution of Pope Innocent III for their alleged heresies, and migrated into Western Europe. There, in the mid-1400s, torture was inflicted on heretics suspected of magical pacts or demon-driven sexual misconduct, which led to alarming confessions. Tortured defendants admitted to flying on poles and animals to attend satanic assemblies presided over by Satan, who appeared in the form of a goat or other animals. Some told of having repeatedly kissed Satan's backside as a display of their loyalty. Still others admitted to casting spells on neighbors, bestiality, or even to conjuring up storms. Witchcraft, as a defined practice and crime, began to take shape.

The participation of King James in the persecution of witchcraft and witch-hunting had its origins in his marriage to Princess Anne of Denmark in 1589. During the voyage to Scotland for the wedding, Anne met with a bad storm, and landed in Norway. James traveled to Scandinavia and the wedding took place in Denmark. The royal newlyweds encountered terrible seas on the return voyage, which the ship's captain blamed on witches. When six Danish women confessed to causing the storms that the royal couple experienced, King James authorized torture and burning of any and all suspected witches. Dozens of condemned witches in England were burned at the stake, in what would become the largest witch-hunt in British history. With the demonic relationship of all things paranormal in the Bible firmly entrenched in mainstream thought, and with King James fresh from the horrific torture and slaughter of witches, the translation of the Bible began in 1604.

In the next installment of this series, we will cover more of the misconceptions about the occult and the amazing biblical bestiary.