Suffer the Witch: Writing about Witchcraft

Join us to remember the accused witches of Scotland as we discuss the history of the witch trials and how to represent them in fiction.
About this Event

Overview

Are you a playwright, novelist, or storyteller intrigued by Scottish history?

Join Dr Louise Yeoman, broadcaster and historian, and Professor Julian Goodare, historian, for a discussion on the history of Scottish witchcraft and how to represent this in fiction.

Suffer the Witch: Writing about Witchcraft

Designed for authors, playwrights, and creatives, this workshop will broaden your knowledge of the witch hunt period by drawing on historically grounded information. You will discover the reasoning behind the witch hunts, the victims, and the atmosphere of Scottish society at the time. Our historians have worked on this topic for more than two decades and are the creators of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, a website and interactive map created to share their knowledge with the public. They are eager to engage with all who wish to learn more about the topic and will be available for informal discussion and questions.

Speaker bios

Dr Louise Yeoman is a broadcaster and historian. She is co-director of the online Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. Her work on the radio includes the podcast series Witch Hunt, produced by BBC Radio Scotland, which explores the history of the Scottish witch trials. She has previously worked as a manuscripts curator at the National Library of Scotland and completed her PhD at St Andrews University. Her publications include Reportage Scotland: Scottish history in the voices of those who were there (Luath Press and National Library of Scotland, 2005).

Professor Julian Goodare is a historian at the University of Edinburgh. He has published on a number of topics concerning sixteenth to eighteenth century Scottish history, including extensively on the witch trials. Titles include The European Witch-Hunt (Routledge, 2016). He is the director of the online Survey of Scottish Witchcraft.

SCHEDULE:

• 2:00 pm – 2:05pm: Welcome from Ewan McAndrew, Wikimedian in Residence.
• 2:05 pm - 2:20pm: In search of Scotland's accused witches - Professor Julian Goodare, Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, will speak about the various ideas of 'witchcraft' that appear in Scottish witchcraft trial records, and about the magical and religious world within which ideas of witchcraft made sense.
• 2:20 pm - 2:35pm: Scottish society in the 16th & 17th century - Dr. Louise Yeoman will speak on the religious context of Scottish society during the witch hunts, diving into the workings of the church courts and the misogyny that governed many beliefs about the accused witches.
• 2:35pm - 2:45pm: 'Map of Accused Witches of Scotland: exploring the witchcraft prosecutions in space and time' - Ewan McAndrew will discuss the creation of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Interactive Map and how creatives can use it to enhance their work.
• 2:45pm – 3:30pm: Q&A and open discussion with all the speakers.
• 3:30 pm - Thanks and event close.

Contact [email protected] or [email protected] if you have any questions.

Map of Accused Witches of Scoland - a student project

This project, created on by several interns, has transformed the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft by uploading it to Wikidata and creating a website that displays the residences of accused witches on an interactive map. The map includes filters such as gender, social class, and occupation, among others, allowing users to explore the data.

The website first launched in 2019, and since then, multiple interns have continued to enhance it, adding new visualizations and filters. For example, these now include case information filters, which allow users to explore accused witches' meeting places and pacts with the devil.

History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh Walking Tour

Ellie Whitehead, researcher at the University of Edinburgh, also created the History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh Walking Tour, released in collaboration with Curious Edinburgh. This tour allows you to follow in the footsteps of accused witches and their prosecutors, discussing the key themes of this history and providing a comprehensive and accurate introduction to the Scottish witch trials between the period 1591-1727.

The tour will take you down the Royal Mile and to selected other locations, such as Greyfriars Kirkyard, Holyrood Palace and the old Gallowlee execution site. The content is brought to life in videos featuring Professor Julian Goodare, Professor Emeritus of the University of Edinburgh and coordinator of the Survey for Scottish Witchcraft, and BBC broadcaster and historian Dr Louise Yeoman.

Ellie's efforts were to ensure that the tour is as accurate as possible and the importance of striking the right balance between entertainment and education when it comes to the history of the witch trials. She recently completed her dissertation titled ‘Satans Invisible World Discovered: The defence of the supernatural in seventeenth-century Scotland’.

Agenda

🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:05 PM
Welcome
Host: Ewan McAndrew
🕑: 02:05 PM - 02:20 PM
In Search Of Scotland's Accused Witches
Host: Professor Julian Goodare
🕑: 02:20 PM - 02:35 PM
Scottish Society in the 16th and 17th century
Host: Dr. Louise Yeoman
🕑: 02:35 PM - 02:45 PM
Map of Accused Witches of Scotland v2: Witch prosecutions in space and time
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:30 PM
Q&A and open discussion
Host: Ewan McAndrew
🕑: 03:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Thanks and event close!
Host: Ewan McAndrew