Scottich Witch Trials of 1590

The European witch-hunts that took place from 1400 to 1800 were complete monstrosities of justice, but the brutality seemed to have been concentrated more in certain parts of Europe than other parts. This is especially true in the British Isles during the witch trials of 1590-1593, where Scotland, a country with a fourth of the population of England, experienced three times as many executions as them. Before these particular trials, England and Scotland were both only mildly involved in the hunts, but a Scottish witch's confession in late 1590 unveiled a plot to kill King James VI by creating a storm to sink his ship. This confession led to the implementation of others and quickly festered into the widely publicized hunts throughout Scotland in the late 16th century.

The Scottish witch-hunts of 1590 began in Tranent, a city just outside of Edinburgh, with the accusation of a maidservant named Geillis Duncane. Duncane was a kind hearted woman who used her vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and healing techniques to "[take] in hand all such as were troubled or grieved with anie kinde of sickness or infirmitie: and in short space did perfourme many matters most miraculous (sic)." Her ability to cure illness caused her master David Seaton, a deputy bailiff, to become suspicious of her. He was a callous and unsympathetic man who could not comprehend why someone would continuously go out of their way to help others. He was also wary of how a woman in such a humble position had acquired such an extensive knowledge of medicines and healing. Seaton's suspicions seemed to be confirmed when he found Duncane sneaking out of the house late at night. When she was unable to answer where she was at night and how she gained her power to heal, she was immediately accused of consorting with the Devil. When she refused to confess to the crime of witchcraft, Seaton had her tortured.

There was a plethora of torture devices used on those accused of witchcraft in the 1500's, Duncane was fortunate to only have experienced a few. The first device used on Duncane was a vice called the pillwinkles, also known as thumbscrews, which crushed the bones in her fingers. When that did not work, her head was "thrawed", which consisted of it being bound with rope or cord, then twisted and wrenched savagely. When she still would not confess, a diligent search of her body was conducted where the Devil's mark was found on her throat. Once the mark was found Duncane confessed that her attention to the sick had been done at the wicked suggestion of the Devil and that her cures were results of witchcraft.

Immediately upon imprisonment Duncane began to implement others, men as well as women. Some of the first victims of her accusations were Agnes Sampson, Doctor James Fian, alias John Cunningham, Grey Meal and Agnes Tompson. These are just a few of the seventy people that Geillis Duncane accused. Upon torture, they not only confessed to the crime of witchcraft, but they also invented a colorful story that professed that the Devil had told them that they were to be led by the Earl of Bothwell to murder King James VI and overthrow the Scottish throne. There have been conflicting accounts to whether or not the Earl was involved with the North Berwick witches, but his involvement, or lack thereof is irrelevant to the fate of these accused witches. Their accounts included a detailed meeting of as many as 200 witches, who were all named by Duncane as well as those she accused, in the Kirk of North Berwick on Halloween of 1589.

Once the accused witches admitted to this convention, elaborate accounts of the meeting surfaced. Everybody that Duncane accused, including Duncane herself had an important role in this wicked gathering at the North Berwick shore. James Fian acted as the President of the coven and Grey Meal was the doorkeeper, insuring that no one would intrude on their meeting. When the King's ship was spotted the Devil instructed Agnes Tompson to christen a cat by drawing it nine times across a fire, then she was to throw the dead cat in the sea to create a great storm. After the cat was thrown into the water, the witches marched back to the forest, all following the lead of Geillis, who "was playing a quick-step on the Jew's harp." On reaching the Kirk they marched three times around, in the opposite direction of the rotation of the sun, then Dr. Fian blew into the "keyhole of the forest," which allowed the coven into the Devil's den. When they entered the sacred office of the Devil he was seen standing in the darkness wearing a black robe. He then proceeded to take roll and then he began his sermon. He ended his sermon by lifting his coat tails and requested his followers to kiss his backside as a token of their allegiance, which they all did. The intended outcome of this convention was the death of the