A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil’s Handmaidens
In Scotland, at least 3,837 people were tried for witchcraft. Yet in England, with a population four to five times larger, only 500 were. What caused such different outcomes between the two countries? After reading A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil’s Handmaidens by Mary W. Craig, the answer could be religions and rulers.
Basically, when the Catholic Church denied King Henry VIII a divorce, he declared himself the head of England’s church and state. In comparison, people in the Scottish Highlands tended to be Catholic, Central and Western Scots were Calvinist/Presbyterian, and the Lowlands leaned toward Episcopal. In addition, Scotland was ruled by a succession of squabbling regents until their young monarchs were of an age to rule.
And Auld Clooty was everywhere!
When King James VI of Scotland’s ships survived treacherous winds in 1589 on their voyage to bring home his new bride, Anne of Denmark, he claimed it was witchcraft. In Denmark, Anna Koldings and 12 others were burned at the stake for the crime. In Scotland, 70 suspected witches were rounded up in North Berwick, tortured until they confessed, and tried. Those found guilty were strangled and their bodies burned so the devil could not resurrect their bodies. King James participated in the trials, and in 1597 he published his treatise on witchcraft, called Daemonologie.
After Queen Elizabeth I’s death in 1603, James was crowned king of England and abandoned his country, returning only once in 22 years. His successors continued that trend, leaving Scotland in religious and political turmoil. Five major witch trials occurred, with the worst ones in 1628-1631 and 1661-1662. In 1736, the Scottish Witchcraft Act was repealed, which abolished the crime of witchcraft, stating the crime does not exist. However, a new crime of “pretended witchcraft” was put on the books, which carried a maximum penalty of one year’s imprisonment.
A History of Scottish Witches does not use a chronological or thematic sequence, causing repetition and making the narrative difficult to follow at times. Sections on fairies and folk beliefs don’t seem to tie into the surrounding witchcraft storylines. However, Craig succeeds in explaining how closely entwined Scotland’s courts and churches were involved in witchcraft accusations and executions. She also demonstrates how wars, epidemics, crop failures, and lack of royal oversight shaped Scottish history.
Thanks to Pen & Sword Books for the ARC.