Witch Hunt

Susan Morrison and Len Pennie explore what it takes to be King in medieval Scotland, where ruthlessness and brutality where qualities at the top of the job description.

Dr. Martha McGill, a historian specializing in the supernatural during the 17th and 18th centuries, dives into the fascinating decline of witch hunts in Scotland. She discusses the interplay of rising skepticism and ongoing fears of demonic possession. The conversation explores chaotic symptoms attributed to possession, historical cases like Christian Shaw, and how societal panic fueled witch trials. McGill also highlights alternative perspectives, suggesting some accusations stemmed from medical issues or societal manipulation, illustrating a complex narrative of fear and agency.

Discover how Scotland's obsession with witchcraft led to five times more executions than the European average. The discussion reveals the impact of civil wars and political strife on public perception, fueling the rise of infamous witch-finders. Dive into the terrifying details of witch executions, from burning pyres to the communal bloodlust. Explore the tragic story of Helen Guthrie, wrongfully accused and executed due to manipulated testimonies. The podcast dissects the paranoid climate of the 17th century, blending fear, faith, and societal turmoil.

Mickey Brock, a historian at Washington and Lee University, Julian Goodere from Edinburgh University, and Sierra Dye of Guelph University delve into the chilling history of witch hunts in Scotland. They discuss how women's verbal disputes often spiraled into accusations of witchcraft, revealing societal fears of outspoken women. The conversation touches on the significance of rituals and the psychological effects of curses, alongside the inherent gender dynamics that fueled these dark narratives. Together, they illuminate the intertwined fates of women and witchcraft in a turbulent era.

The witchcraft trials were one of the biggest injustices in Scotland’s history, a massive miscarriage of justice, but how did people come to believe in such a thing and what did they believe about it? Our panel of Scottish historians are here to take you deep into the psyche of the 16th and 17th centuries, along with our hosts Susan Morrison and Louise Yeoman. This time we find out about beliefs in fairies, spirit guides, charms and ritual objects. While the elite believed in the witches’ sabbath and the demonic pact, it wasn’t necessarily the case that ordinary people did. Efforts to make ordinary people confess to witchcraft led to them telling all kinds of interesting stories. People accused of witchcraft meet the dead, go into fairy hills, worry about being sent as sacrifices to Hell, hang out with the Queen and King of the fairies, deliver fairy children, lose their own… Often these people are healers and diviners - able to tell the future, to tell who is riding with the fairies, to cure cattle and people. But to the Kirk, what they are up to is suspicious and can lead to a witch-trial.

In this enlightening discussion, Faye Skelton, a cognitive psychologist and expert on miscarriages of justice, dives into the chilling details of Scotland's witch hunts in 1597. She explores the psychological tactics used to extract false confessions, revealing how fear and paranoia of the unknown fueled these injustices. Skelton draws compelling parallels between historical witch hunts and modern interrogation methods, emphasizing the fragility of justice and the human psyche's susceptibility to coercion during moments of national crisis.

Introducing Scotland's war on witches and witchcraft with Susan Morrison and Louise Yeoman talking to a team of top historians about the role of King James in witch trials.

From the 16th to the early 18th centuries, witch hunts took place in Scotland. In this podcast series Susan Morrison, along with Dr Louise Yeoman and a team of expert historians, explores how events aligned to allow this to happen. How did it get to the stage where many innocent people, mostly women, were executed for imaginary crimes?