Most of us know this, the witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 have become something that few people haven't heard about, and most know, if only anecdotally, that trials just like it happened across Europe and in the European colonies of North America. Putting witches on trial is something that predates Christianity. In fact, Charlemagne, who ruled much of Europe at the beginning of the 9th century, declared that anyone caught burning a witch, would be executed. But religious fervor in the late 1500s began to turn witchcraft into something that was more evil, more feared, and more panic-inducing. A lot of the beliefs about witches that were common in the Salem trials actually came into the public mind through a trial in England in 1612. The Pendle Witches, as they were called, all confessed to have sold their souls to the devil himself. They took credit for supernatural acts, claiming to have bewitched their neighbors. After a short trial, all 10 of the suspected witches were hanged. It was during this time that witchcraft laws were passed in England, Wales, and Scotland. Each were designed to outlaw and prosecute anyone who practiced it, as well as those that supported them. The Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 declared those crimes to be capital offenses, which meant they were punishable by death. In England, it's estimated that roughly 500 people were tried as witches, but in Scotland, that number was much higher. Estimates ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 suspects brought to trial, and over 1,500 of those were executed. The first major test of the Scottish Witchcraft Act took place in 1590. King James VI had travelled to Europe to marry Princess Anne, sister of the King of Denmark. When a terrible storm prevented their first attempt at a return trip, a Danish admiral made an offhand comment about witches. That set off a witch hunt in both Denmark and Scotland. As a result, over 100 people from North Barracur are arrested, and over 70 of those were convicted. Most confessed under torture, although historians are unclear as to how many were actually executed. Just seven years later, Scotland became caught up in what historians now call the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597. The first case came to light in March of that year, with the trial of Janet Wissart of Aberdeen. She was accused of using a cantrip and burned for the crime. A month later, though, a key suspect was brought in. Margaret Aitken from Belwiry was arrested and promptly tortured for information. She struck a deal with her accusers, however, and promised to locate more witches in exchange for her life. But remember, almost all of us would promise anything if it meant that the torture would stop. In a sense, Margaret was helping to build a nesting doll of lies. She would find the fake witches for the people who believed that witches were real. Over 400 people from across the country were accused of witchcraft. Many of those suspects were identified by Margaret, called out for the simple crime of being noticed by her. It took the authorities over four months to discover that she herself was a fraud, but at that point it was too late. Over 200 people had already been executed. A second great witch hunt took place over the course of a year between 1661 and 1662, and this time nearly 700 suspects were arrested, and more than half of them were killed. The methods varied, but most were burned, strangled, or drowned, or even crushed beneath heavy stones. And I'm telling you all of this so that you can understand the fever that seemed to have spread throughout Scotland. People were afraid. They were afraid that witches might be real things, and that their neighbors might secretly beat one. Mostly though they were afraid of being accused, because once the judicial system sunk its teeth into them, there was little hope.