North Berwick - widespread Flashcards
(11 cards)
what 3 main areas account for the prosecutions being so widespread?
judicial procedures in Scotland
the lack of strong central control
the role of King James
why did the judicial procedures make witch trials easy to arrange and conditions likely?
1591: 5 judges named on commission with no specified subjects and were able to torture at will
1592: commissions given by king to nobles and magistrates for the investigation and trials of witches
1595: authorities in Edinburgh tortured a suspected witch and she was executed despite the fact she recanted the confession that was made under torture
what was the trial against Janet Wishart?
Aberdeen in 1597
accused of raising storms and causing death and injury
executive alongside an accused accomplice
dow did the trial of Janet Wishart spread?
around 400 accusations were made in total
Margaret Aitken helped authorities identify other witches, but they became suspicious when she idneitifed people as guilty whom she’d originally deemed innocent
hunt was at a time of poor harvest and widespread plague and disease - often considered ideal conditions for witch-hunts
what procedures were involved in the case of Janet Wishart?
interrogations and trials carried out at a local level. This meant executions were under the instruction of local authorities who would rely on disgruntled local witnesses
how was there a lack of central control?
witch hunts often under the control of local officials, outside of central control
difficult for govt and James to maintain central control
what was the role of ‘Daemonologie’
published 1597
key points include:
- danger of the Devil
- witches are in allegiance with the Devil
beliefs of the devil:
- can shapeshift
- can take people’s spirits
- can transport in a way like teleportation
provides a guide to identifying witches
why did James write ‘Daemonologie’?
prove witchcraft was real, and so was the devil
prove that witches can be punished
how was James responsible for the persecutions of the 1590s?
promoted North Berwick hunt
publication of Daemonologie
however historians have questioned his role, suggesting he was a sceptic at North Berwick
James’ involvement in the Stirlingshire panic
he took an active interest and wanted to interrogate the witches personally
the case came close to being quashed but James reignited it
later scepticism
James became sceptical of witchcraft by 1600 due to the apparent miscarriage of justice in 1597
James became more concerned with discovering fraudulent witches than those using real supernatural powers
