The Witch Trials of Scotland

Historians have uncovered evidence that the chapel, built during the 15th century, was a prison for accused witches while they faced trial and before they were taken away to be executed.

Many historians believe that Aberdeen buried more witches than any other city. 

An iron ring in the north wall of the chapel is all that's left of it's murderous past.

Records have been discovered from Aberdeen's city archives revealing that this ring was installed to chain the witches up while they were being held in the prison.

Aberdeen has meticulous records of their witch trials. These records include payments to the black smith for installing the iron rings that were used to imprison the accused. 

They discovered that 23 women and one man were tried and executed for witchcraft in the city during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597.

This ring was installed specially to secure those who had been accused of committing witchcraft.

This was the last place these people saw before they were taken off to be killed and their bodies burned.

In 1597 Scotland was in the middle of it's great Witch Hunt under the order of King James VI of Scotland. (that's the King below)

They had everything needed for witchhunting – peat for burning, tar barrels, rope and stakes.

The city’s records include a detailed cost of materials that were used to tar and burn the accused women.

Like so many other stories of accusations of witchcraft, they were often made by people in the community who just maybe perhaps had a motive to see the accused convicted.

The names and crimes of each ‘witch’ are recorded in the city’s records and signed by the provost of the time. There's even a plaque with Alexander's name still in the church. (See below)

Each of those found guilty of witchcraft were taken from St Mary’s chapel, strangled and then their bodies were burned.

No remains of the witches have been found at the site, but excavations at the church have found the remains of more than 2,000 individuals buried at the site.

The remains of the accused “witches” would have been buried somewhere else near or on “unhallowed ground.”

Traditional English Trifle

We are so ready for this...

According to Amanda’s Cooking, the English didn’t “invent” the trifle, the Scottish did. The Scots have recipes that date back to the late 1500’s.

But, since Scotland and England united to become the United Kingdom, calling the trifle “English” is accurate enough.

This recipe is wonderful, borrowed from Amanda’s Cooking at:

Amanda's Cooking

Ingredients

CUSTARD LAYER

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoon cornstarch

CAKE LAYER

9x13 white or yellow cake, baked and cooled

1/2 cup cream sherry

3 heaping tablespoons seedless red raspberry jam or preserves

FRUIT LAYER

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon cream sherry

1 tablespoon sugar

WHIPPED CREAM

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Custard

Combine the milk, heavy cream and vanilla in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, stirring frequently. 

Heat the milk mixture over low-medium heat until it just begins to simmer and steam rises from the surface.

Meanwhile, mix the sugar and cornstarch together with a fork. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar mixture until light and smooth.

HINT: I use my KitchenAid for this, but only as a stand. 

I hand whisk but use the bowl of the mixer attached to the machine so that I don't have to hold the bowl as well. 

This allows me to whisk and pour at the same time, which is needed in the next step.

Remove the warmed milk from the stove and while whisking the egg yolks constantly, dribble a few drops at a time into the yolks. Adding the hot liquid very, very slowly in the beginning will temper the eggs, allowing them to warm gradually so that they don't curdle, or worse, scramble! 

Once you have dribbled in a good amount you can increase the amount of liquid you add at a time, whisking continuously until all the milk has been added.

Pour the contents of the mixer bowl into the saucepan and heat over medium, stirring constantly. 

Keep stirring, ensuring that the milk mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, until thickened, anywhere from 2-6 minutes. 

Custard will be thick and smooth. 

Pour into a shallow bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface of the custard. 

This will prevent a skin from forming on top. 

Cool in the refrigerator until chilled.

For the Cake

Cut the cake into large manageable squares. 

Cut those squares in half horizontally. 

Open the squares so that the cut sides are facing up. 

Brush the cake with the cream sherry. 

Spread the sherries cake with the raspberry jam. 

Cut the cake into cubes.

For the Fruit

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, raspberries, sherry and sugar. 

Stir to coat and allow to macerate. 

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the trifle.

For the Whipped Cream

Combine the heavy whipping cream and the powdered sugar in a larger mixer bowl. 

Beat on high for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. 

Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Assemble the Trifle

Place 1/3 of the cake cubes in the bottom of the trifle dish, jam side up. 

Top the cake cubes with 1/3 of the fruit, followed by 1/3 of the custard and finally with 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layers two more times. 

Decorate the top with fresh fruit. 

Keep chilled until ready to serve.

350 Year Old Scottish Witch Trials Book

The pages of a 350-year-old book used to record the names of those accused of witchcraft in Scotland have been published.

The Names of Witches in Scotland, 1658 collection, was drawn up during a time when the persecution of supposed witches was fever pitched.

The book also lists the towns where the accused lived and includes the confession.

It is believed many were healers, practicing traditional folk medicine. 

Some of the notes give small insights into the lives of those accused. 

A majority of those accused of witchcraft were women although the records reveal that some men were also persecuted. 

Folk medicine was Witchcraft 

The passing of the Scottish Witchcraft Act in 1563 made witchcraft, or consulting with witches, capital crimes in Scotland.

It is estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 women were publicly accused of being witches in 16th and 17th Century Scotland.

The outbreak of witch-hunting in the years 1658-1662, the period in which the list of names was created, is generally seen to be the height of persecution against witches in Scotland.

In many cases, the victims were healers, part of a tradition of folk medicine. Their treatments sometimes helped poor communities but accusations of witchcraft could crop up if they did not work.

Miriam Silverman, Ancestry senior content manager, said: "In the 17th century, people believed that the unholy forces of witchcraft were lurking in their communities, and those accused of being witches were persecuted on the basis of these dark suspicions."

"This might mean charms and spells, or the use of healing herbs and other types of folk medicine, or both. We'll probably never know the combinations of events that saw each of these individuals accused of witchcraft.

"It's a mysterious document: "It gives us a fleeting view of a world beyond orthodox medicine and expensively trained physicians, in which people in small towns and villages looked for their own routes to understanding the world and came into conflict with the state for doing it."

Census to list pagans for the first time in Scotland

Pagans have long been regarded as devil worshippers, but Scotland’s Pagans are finally gaining official recognition.

Paganism, which honors nature as sacred, were strong in the British Isles for thousands of years before being displaced by Christianity.

The growing popularity of modern versions of paganism, particularly among the young, means that it will appear — for the first time — in the 2021 census for Scotland.

Even though the religion question of the census is voluntary, the addition of Paganism has important consequences. 

With the Pagan option it increases visibility as a faith community.

It shows the community the growth of Paganism.

The Viking Festival

 

Every Year in the cold harsh Winter, Scotland has a celebration Viking Festival.

It's the Up Helly Aa.

For more info: VISIT HERE