Scottich Witch Trials of 1590 :: essays research papers fc

The Eu rotaryan witch-hunts that took place from 1400 to 1800 were complete monstrosities of ripeice, but the brutality seemed to have been toilsome more in certain parts of Europe than other parts. This is curiously true in the British Isles during the witch trials of 1590-1593, where Scotland, a country with a fourth of the population of England, experienced three times as galore(postnominal) executions as them. Before these particular trials, England and Scotland were both only mildly conglomerate in the hunts, but a Scottish witchs justification in late 1590 unveiled a plot to kill queer James VI by creating a storm to sink his ship. This plea led to the implementation of others and quickly festered into the widely publicized hunts throughout Scotland in the late 16th century.The Scottish witch-hunts of 1590 began in Tranent, a city just outside of Edinburgh, with the accusation of a maidservant named Geillis Duncane. Duncane was a kind hearted cleaning lady who utilize her vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and healing techniques to take in egest all much(prenominal) as were troubled or grieved with anie kinde of sickness or infirmitie and in short space did perfourme many matters most miraculous (sic). Her faculty to cure illness caused her master David Seaton, a deputy bailiff, to become distrustful of her. He was a callous and unsympathetic man who could not take why someone would continuously go out of their way to divine service others. He was also wary of how a woman in such a humble position had acquired such an extensive knowledge of medicines and healing. Seatons suspicions seemed to be confirmed when he found Duncane sneaking out of the sign late at night. When she was unable to answer where she was at night and how she gained her berth to heal, she was immediately accused of consorting with the Devil. When she refused to confess to the crime of witchcraft, Seaton had her tortured.There was a superfluity of torture devices used on those accused of witchcraft in the 1500s, Duncane was gilded to only have experienced a few. The first device used on Duncane was a vice called the pillwinkles, also known as thumbscrews, which modest the bones in her fingers. When that did not work, her head was thrawed, which consisted of it being bound with rope or cord, then twisted and wrenched savagely. When she still would not confess, a industrious search of her body was conducted where the Devils mark was found on her throat.