The Witch Hunter Chronicles 1

by Stuart Daly

  WITCHES

  Witchcraft: The seventeenth century was a period in which people believed in the Devil and witchcraft. Tens of thousands of heretics (people who did not follow, or criticised, the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church) were condemned to death as witches. These victims of the Inquisition came from all sectors of society.

  The Blood Countess: Although Countess Gretchen Kraus is fictitious, she is based on the real-life Transylvanian Countess, Elizabeth Báthory, who bathed in the blood of maidens in an attempt to avoid ageing. Interestingly, Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, modelled Count Dracula off Elizabeth Báthory and Vlad Tepes. Vlad Tepes was a Transylvanian Prince who defended the easternmost territories of the Holy Roman Empire against the armies of Islam, often performing acts of extreme cruelty, of which impalement was his preferred method of execution.

  Walpurgis Night: Back in the seventeenth century, it was commonly believed that on the night of April 30 – when a pagan festival would be held to celebrate the last day of winter – witches performed Sabbaths (black masses). The Harz Mountains of central Germany have a long history of witchcraft, particularly Brocken Mountain. Schloss Kriegsberg, however, is a product of my imagination.

  Grimoires: These are evil texts that are used to summon demons. The most famous of these texts is the Clavis Salomonis, the Key of Solomon, created during the Middle Ages.

  Malleus Maleficarum: Arguably the most infamous book written in history, the Malleus Maleficarum – the Hammer of the Witches – existed. Created by the Inquisitors James Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer, this text was used throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as the Inquisitor’s handbook on how to detect witches. In The Witch Hunter Chronicles, the text is riddled with cryptic passages which, when deciphered, unlock powerful spells.

  BIBLICAL RELICS

  The Scourge of Jericho: As stated in the Bible, seven trumpets and the Ark of the Covenant were used by the tribes of Israel to destroy the Canaanite city of Jericho. The appearance of one of these trumpets – the Scourge of Jericho – in Württemberg is purely fictitious.

  The trumpets and the Ark of the Covenant were stored for a period of time in the Temple of Solomon, which the Knights Templar happened to use as their headquarters in the Holy Land. Many people believe that they came across these treasures and used them to accrue their great wealth and power.

  SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Childs, John, Warfare in the Seventeenth Century, London, Cassell & Co., 2001

  Cohen, Richard, By the Sword: Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai Warriors, Swashbucklers and Olympians, New York, Pan Macmillan, 2002

  Maund, Kari and Phil Nanson, The Four Musketeers: The True Story of D’Artagnan, Porthos, Aramis and Athos, Stroud, Tempus Books, 2005)

  Summers, Montague, The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, Peter Smith Publisher, New York, 1971

  Withers, Harvey J.S., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Swords and Sabres, Alto Books, London, 2008

  This book has come so far from when the idea of The Witch Hunter Chronicles first came to me whilst exploring the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber – which everybody must see at least once in their lifetime – to the finished product you are holding in your hands. The book has evolved so much from its initial draft: the title has changed, characters have changed – some have even changed gender! – and major plot developments have been added.

  There are many people who have helped me with this book. First and foremost, I am particularly grateful to my publisher, Zoe Walton. From our initial meeting one rainy afternoon in a coffee shop in North Sydney, she has had complete faith in The Witch Hunter Chronicles. Without her belief in me, The Scourge of Jericho might still be sitting as an unpolished draft on a shelf in my study.

  Writing can be a lonely profession. Sometimes I can spend an entire day bent over my laptop, trying to get a fight scene just right. It is during these moments that my children – my three little musketeers: Winter, Ronan and Willow – have provided me inspiration, often sitting on my lap, demanding to be read excerpts from the novel and offering their advice. Although Willow is too young to speak, her goos and gaas often guide me in the right direction.

  A special thank you must be given to my editors, Cristina Briones and Abigail Nathan, for bringing the book to life, going through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb and leaving no stone unturned. I am in gratitude to my family and friends, who have provided me invaluable encouragement and support: to my brothers, Gavin and Warren Daly; to all of my work colleagues, particularly Brian Downton and David Miller; to Lana Kaschella and to Ben Rekic, who is a never-ending source of bizarre historical information; to Joe and Lisa Gioia, Pat and Alan Birkhead, Jackie and Tony Harb, Robert and Lesley Gioia, Grace Silvio, David Lynch, Sally Beardmore, Alan and Caroline Dearn, Danielle O’Hara, Jessica Hodgson, Shayne Mikkelsen, Sharon Knight and Lea Sutherland.

  None of this would have been possible without the support of my wife, Belinda. From the moment I first put pen to paper, she has encouraged me to follow my dreams and never look back.

  And finally, to you, the reader. A book is only as strong as its readership. With your continued support, I hope to take the Hexenjäger on many – many! – more adventures.

  Stuart is a History teacher in a private high school in Sydney. Inspired by the works of Dumas, Pérez-Reverte and Matthew Reilly, and drawing upon his knowledge of the English Civil War and the Thirty Years’ War, he has long considered writing an action-packed adventure series set in the seventeenth century. His biggest fan – and critic – is his six-year-old daughter, who can often be found sitting on his lap in his study as he types away on his next novel. The Scourge of Jericho is his first book, and he is currently working on further titles in The Witch Hunter Chronicles.

  BOOK TWO: THE ARMY OF THE UNDEAD

  The Watchers.

  Four fallen angels who have roamed the earth for several millennia, searching for the Tablet of Breaking – a device which, when activated, will destroy the world.

  When the resurrected corpse of a prophet reveals that the relic lies hidden in the lost city of Sodom, Jakob and his companions, their blades still slick with the blood of slain witches, are sent to locate the Tablet before it falls into the hands of the Watchers.

  Pursued by an army of undead, the mission is a desperate race against time. From the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora to a trap-riddled mausoleum lying at the bottom of the Dead Sea, the Hexenjäger must stay one step ahead of the fallen angels – for the cost of failure will mean Armageddon!

  Coming soon …