Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Helene Clerk in 1645 in North Leith.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43390453
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/EGD/173&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #Edinburgh

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Elizabeth Geddie in 1651 in Temple.
Also accused: Elizabeth Jonston.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43395551
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/JO/2722&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #Midlothian

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Jonnet Buttar in 1700 in Kinloch.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43393882
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/EGD/1902&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #PerthAndKinross

Air For Petronella by Medusa Quartet

I went to see a cello player with my sister, Raphael Weinwroth-Brown one evening. I’ve seen him once before after my sister told me how amazing his music is. There was an opening quarter before his performance, Medusa, and their songs were beautiful as well.

One that stood out to me – and probably everyone there – is a song called ‘Air for Petronella’. Before playing this beautiful piece, they told us the meaning behind the song. It’s about an innocent girl who was tried as a witch in Ireland. She was completely innocent of the accusation and was the first person in Ireland to be burned at the stake for witchcraft in Ireland. She was accused due to being a follower of Dame Alice Kyteler who was charged for witchcraft – all of her associates were deemed guilty as well, including young Petronella. Kyteler fled for her life, leaving Petronella to be flogged and burned at the stake for the crime of “heresy”.

Saskia Tomkins composed this melancholically beautiful piece after reading about this true story. She couldn’t sleep one night, upset about the injustice toward an innocent girl, and wrote this song for the quartet.

https://youtu.be/LZzs3WJQUw8?si=OMCCA4lq_yxRZHl9

As they played the beautiful but sad song, almost everyone was in tears. It’s a deep sadness for Petronella herself, and for everyone who has been put to death for doing nothing wrong. Fanaticism has claimed many lives and shows cruelty to anyone who appears to be a threat to it.

It’s a sobering reminder of how many women (and some men) suffered throughout history for being too wise, too knowledgeable about science, for challenging current beliefs of the time, or simply being in the wrong place. This has been on my mind a lot since I saw this played live, and wanted to share it with you all.

Medusa is an independent quarter based out of Toronto. Go Canada and live music!

This song is a kind tribute to Petronella.

Ireland’s First Witching Burning

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Jonet Jack in 1637 in Banff.
Also accused: Margaret Livie.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43396210
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/LA/3178&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #Aberdeenshire

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Christiane Steill in 1649 in Borthwick.
Also accused: Agnes Forsyth, Margaret Admiston, Margaret Ritchie, James Dik, Margaret Hermiston, Margaret Adinstoun, Margaret Dick, Janet Gibb, Margaret Johnston, Robert Acreskine, John Haggon, Sara Leonard, James Hugo.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43393943
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/EGD/1949&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #Midlothian

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Margaret Law in 1679 in Bonhard.
Also accused: Jean Ffoddin.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43396024
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/LA/2943&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #Falkirk

Places and people from the Scottish Witchcraft Trials:
Henry Christian in 1710 in Reisgill.
Also accused: Ann Sutherland.
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q43395960
Survey of Scottish Witchcraft:
https://witches.shca.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.accusedrecord&accusedref=A/LA/2849&search_string=lastname

#ScottishHistory #WitchTrials #ScottishHighlands

Nacht über einem Hügel im Spessart.

Kerzen im Gras. Alte Holzspielzeuge im Tau.

Erinnerung an die Unschuldigen der Hexenverfolgung.
Erinnerung an die Verbrannten.

Night over a lonely hill in the Spessart forest, Germany.

Candles in the grass. Wooden toys in the dew.

In memory of the innocents of the witch trials.
In memory of those who were burned.

#Spessart #Hexenverfolgung #WitchTrials #Erinnerung #Memory #History #Germany