This is the Witches Well in Edinburgh. It is situated at the bottom of Edinburgh
Castle Esplanade just before you go out onto the Royal Mile. It marks the spot where many (so called)
witches were executed in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The plaque reads:-
"This fountain,
designed by John Duncan, R.S.A. is near the site on which many witches were
burned at the stake. The wicked head and
serene head signify that some used their exceptional knowledge for evil
purposes while others were misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but
good. The serpent has the dual
significance of evil and wisdom. The
foxglove spray further emphasises the dual purpose of many common objects."
One of those who was killed here was Agnes Sampson who was
strangled then burned in 1591/2. She and
many others had been accused of witchcraft by Geillis Duncan, a servant of David
Seaton of Tranent. Her employer accused her of going out at night to help the
sick! Geillis was horribly tortured as were the others, in order that they
would "confess" to their crimes.
As Diana Gabaldon points out in the Author's Note at the end
of Cross Stitch, the last recorded burning of a witch in Scotland was in
Dornoch in 1727 when Janet Home was found guilty of witchcraft, covered in tar,
put in a barrel and then publicly burned.
The last Scot to be jailed under the Witchcraft Act was a
Scottish spiritualist medium, Helen Duncan (1897-1956) who was imprisoned in
1944. This was during WW2 - there was
concern because at a seance she had told the relative of a sailor that he had
died when his ship sank. The Government
had been trying to keep the sinking secret.
There was also concern that she was taking advantage of grieving
relatives. Interestingly, the Witchcraft
Act of 1735 was not repealed until 1951.
It wasn't until I was reading this over that I noticed a
strange coincidence. First we have Geillis Duncan
accused of witchcraft, then John Duncan
designer of the Witches Well and finally Helen Duncan - charged under the Witchcraft Act. Wow!
Love, Liz
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9 comments:
That was very interesting. What a coincidence with the names. Is it a very common name?
Doo be, doo be, doo be, doo be! That's too much of a coincidence.
xx
A coincidence????? Not sure....
Yes, that is a strange coincidence, isn't it?
Goodness, I can't believe that Act wasn't repealed until the Fifties - that's astonishing. xxx
Really interesting post, Liz. I'll need to remember to visit the Witches Well next time I'm in Edinburgh. I recently wrote a post about Bessie Dunlop, a witch who was tried for Witchcraft in Edinburgh in the 16th century.
Looking forward to seeing you at the terminal next month! Can't believe the start of the season is upon us already.
Fee xxx
What an interesting post Liz.I think if you were anything that people couldn't understand back in the day you were in danger - as a left hander I would have stood no chance! Thanks for a really good read! Jane x
Wow, our last name is Duncan and I know my hubby's family came from Scotland. Don't think they had any witches in the family tree, but I don't really know. Sad to think about those poor women, just trying to help people.
How interesting and scary.
Typical of blokes feeling threatened by women.
So, Geillis and her friends were out there ministering to the sick and actually improving lives, while the barber surgeons were putting leaches on everyone and wondering why it wasn't working.
Poor ladies. May they rest in peace.
Thanks for the post, Liz. It was really interesting.
I love the spooky Duncan coincidence (or is it - cue Twilight Zone theme).
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