The Witch Trials of North Berwick | Dark Pages & Eerie Epistles Podcast Ep.5

[@booknerdcatlady]

About 14 years ago, I attended an exhibit about the history of torture that featured a lot of the devices you describe and more. Truly horrifying. I think the exhibit was sponsored by a human rights group. It toured several cities.

[@yerabbit]

this extreme brutal violence is often left out of these stories, most accounts just say "confessed under torture" and leave it at that.

[@millymollymrst3537]

These poor women should be remembered for what they endured.😢

[@jungtothehuimang]

Women being blamed for men sexualizing and torturing them is horrifying and yet not at all shocking. Even less shocking that these were Christian men carrying it out.

[@brigidspencer5123]

Yes, much like “good Christian men” molesting children and young women today. Why these misogynists called themselves followers of Jesus of Nazareth and claimed to believe in The 10 Commandments while doing the exact opposite is a mystery.😢

[@Skullnaught]

@@jungtothehuimang these women would've been Christian as well?

[@jungtothehuimang]

@@Skullnaught this is not at all a gotcha lol, religious men abuse & manipulated women all of the time using their religion as an excuse to do so.

[@findmeintheorangegrove]

What they went through was horrendous. Too little, too late but it does mean something that the Scottish government recently apologised and pardoned these women and men of their "crimes". Thanks for the brilliant video Cinzia! ❤️

[@lauraowens01]

My thing about the European Witch Hunts (which people confuse all too often with the Salem Witch Trials), is that people only focus on either the religious persecution of Pagans or the inherent misogyny behind the events. The truth is that it was mix of religious persecution and misogyny... the men who wanted power couldn't allow paganism to continue, because women were considered both sacred and equal relative to men... the story becomes much more tragic when one wraps their head around that often forgotten overlap.

[@faust8218]

Women were considered equal relative to men under paganism? That is definitely not true. The pre-Christian cultures of Europe were some of the most toxically masculine cultures to ever exist, and were patriarchal just like the later Christian ones, just in different ways.

[@lainiwakura1776]

Also America hung its witches, Europeans burned them. Also a man was accused of being a witch, Giles Corey, in America and was crushed to death with flat stones, his last words were "more weight."

[@3n0d1a]

Definitely misogyny, definitely religion. All the major power structures really. Read Caliban and the Witch, it all comes back to capitalism. As always, lol

[@animation1234111]

Except the vast majority of pagan societies in europe were patriarchal. There is no evidence their paganism held women as equal. Christianity has sacred women of its own. Paganism posed no political threat.

[@Popular_Novel]

Thinking about the amount of people, mostly women and girls, falsley accused, tortured, and excecuted for something like witchcraft is devastating. Thank you for this video. I hope all of these people found the peace and rest denied them in life.

[@lenaramoon4617]

and it still happens to this day

[@studio_mair]

Of course, the wrong that these women were supposed to have done, next to being witches, was supposedly ally with the devil to... ruin the king. What a grandiose and sadistic ego trip these men were on. @CinziaDuBois, your work is excellent.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Thank you for exposing the inhumanity done by the god fearing. Too many forget what vileness is in the creation of their faiths.

[@kek6969-w9y]

Biased revisionism from people who made up iron maidens... And when it comes to the true cases, the most true and strict branch of christians didnt pursue anything like that.

[@BeeWhistler]

What happened at those witch trials was a corruption of faith. If anyone was serving devils, it was the accusers.

[@sonorasgirl]

Cheers - I wish this wasn’t part of the history of Christianity or anything/the world (I am Christian) but since it is, it’s better to know so current witch hunts (*ehem* trans folks being the current “witches”) can be prevented

[@MsJaytee1975]

It shows how little Scottish history is known, if you talk about witch trials most people think of Salem or Pendle. 19 people were killed at Salem, 132 in England and around 2500 in Scotland. Almost every town and village in Scotland has a witch trial. Reading about them it’s interesting to see who was targeted, it was often older women, usually poor, often disabled. Basically those with very little or no power, people they could torture and kill without any backlash.

[@Horus070]

Not all poor they had people with influence as well being killed under several means … a witch, a devil sympathizer .. or conspiring against the king. Then people wonder why so many did exactly what the royalty asked them to. The fear of being killed was real !

[@erichaig1204]

What an eye opening episode. Thank you for the more candid and human approach that you took.

[@derpherpblerp]

Picture my surprise when a rando dude shifts his failure to a poor woman... :/

[@CinziaDuBois]

I know this is deeply inappropriate, but when I first read your comment, I thought it was a euphemism

[@derpherpblerp]

@@CinziaDuBois I mean...it could have been

[@lainiwakura1776]

Victims of witch hunts tended to be old midwives or healing women...

[@olfactoryninja]

I know someone whose law school thesis was that the American witch trials were largely a mechanism for men to legally strip rights and property from independent women.

[@robcreel4257]

As dark as these stories are, I enjoy your telling of these stories. I am now following your podcasts.

[@SuzOfNine]

Shivers and chills. I love it! What an important story to keep alive. We can only hope that human kind continues to progress into enlightenment and justice. ❤

[@Elvertaw]

Thanks! Love your channel!! It makes me happy when you’ve uploaded. Your channel is informative and entertaining. Thanks again!!

[@-Ray_Moon-]

I have a special interest in the north Berwick witch trials!!!! This is the BEST piece of media I’ve ever seen on it!!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@brandyjean7015]

I adore your passion, and the eloquence you employ when describing these brutal truths. Even today, my grown sons wish I would practice 'in the broom closet ' Folks do fear what they don't know, so I patiently explain, assist, mentor & accept any who come to me in need. I practice my craft, as well as coexistence.

[@barjamlin7962]

Thank you for a beautifully written and performed video on a subject that is as fascinating as it is horrible. Shamefully, violence, fear, and repression born of religion remains with us.

[@bloochoob]

I’ve just found your channel. I love it! We even look alike, have the same giant book case collection, and I’m Scottish though I live in London. My iPad is propped up on one of my bookcases now as I potter around doing some sewing and DIY. I shall be listening and watching as I potter about and continue! 🎉😊 So happy to have found your channel, absolutely my thing ✨🏅😊

[@chronicdooler]

A crime against humanity that must never be forgotten. Truly the Witch Trials is one of Christianity greatest crimes... I do love all these videos

[@angstymedusa]

So tragic and horrifying.

[@sjmsutherland]

Thank you for making this video, it was hard going but so important people know what happened. History is sometimes hard to hear, but it needs to be!! Thank you again for this video!!xx

[@drjackdaw6627]

Another absolute favourite, sublime is the word.

[@winterburden]

Thanks for this fascinating witch trial video Cinzia! 😱

[@lifewithhollyt]

Cinzia, you are just one of a kind, and I have been very inspired by you! I've been following you for a year plus now, and I just want to say you have been doing a fantastic job all the way! I follow you on both your channels, GoodReads, and now spotify. You are one of the few who inspired me to start my own booktube channel and you are definitely the one to inspire me to read more classics, historical stories, mythology, and search for the darker history pages that people don't like to talk about. Thank you, for every effort you put into your videos & podcasts. Also, with your PhD, you are TOTALLY going to do great things!! I can feel it!! I hope, soon, to be able to subscribe to your patreon, too Sending all my beautiful bookish love to you (all). Lots of love, Holly xoxo

[@evanames5940]

Excellent

[@CinziaDuBois]

Thank you so much 😀

[@pedroxqui]

LotL: warning for torture Me: pfffff bring it on sis, i'm a tough guy -1 minute later - Me: OMG I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!! 😭

[@lainiwakura1776]

At least she got the worst one out of the way.

[@foxgloved8922]

You have such a wonderful voice for these videos💕

[@mezmarionybarra]

Fascinating and somehow not surprising. Amazing work and sharing thank you Cinzia❣️

[@klinischbrot]

I dig these. Thank you!

[@CinziaDuBois]

Glad to hear it!

[@XandruReguera]

The intro... ❤❤❤❤

[@mjkluck]

Good stuff, Kiddo.

[@jeffbrownstain]

🤔

[@ChixieMary]

Awesome video. Incredibly sensitive treatment of a truly destructive and detestable era and events. ❤ Lady Cinzia of the Library

[@gnostic268]

Really enjoyed this! Thank you

[@tibbers]

Yay! I was looking forward this witchy content.

[@TheSilveryew]

Thank you for this video Cinzia 🌻

[@magiegainey5036]

All done in the name of God.

[@lesliepowell-mccarty7067]

This had me in tears.

[@goblin3359]

My goodness I could listen to you read the phone book. Another fascinating video, and a tragic subject.

[@fritzanderson9474]

It was harrowing, a tale that develops exactly the details just as I'd dreaded them.

[@christophercrews1380]

Galis Duncan is a character in the Outlander series by Diana Gabledon.

[@manoela2452]

great video cinzia!!

[@Femmeagainstthemachine]

I love your videos. Could you please please consider doing Ann pedersdotter, burnt at the stake in 1590, Bergen. She was my (many greats) grandmother 🖤

[@koston_varjo3536]

Over on KZbin? I really need to go there some day....

[@sandragarciaphotography4950]

Thanks for keeping these events alive. I am truly interested in this story and was wondering if you could recommend a good book/site where to study all of it thoroughly

[@elgranjuanileiva]

Came for the accent, stayed for the narrative and storytelling.

[@CAP198462]

Nanny Ogg, Magrat Garlick, and Granny Weatherwax still best witches.

[@afabfemboymusic]

super interesting! i would love to see a video regarding queer people/reproductive rights/bodily autonomy (edit, watched again while not cleaning and realized u talk about 2/3 of this :3) and witch hunts. i've heard anecdotes, but don't know where to find further info. also, love your videos. i'm trans, so a lot of the times if im watching historical type content it can get far right out of nowhere. it's nice to watch historical/academic content that i can be sure won't get homophobic/transphobic out of nowhere

[@Handnail]

Men and torture devices....detestable.

[@kariannecrysler640]

And the creation of the King James Bible came from men who didn’t stop this, but encouraged it. Moral? 🤔

[@willmendoza8498]

Such a tragedy. Love the show, though

[@BobAg_]

The issue we have as a modern audience is that we view these events through the lens of contemporary ideas that have only existed for a few hunderd years, wheras these historical happenings were done in a time and place where magick did indeed exist for these people. It's too easy from our lofty liberal pedestal to look down on history with a sneer, without stripping our modern sensibilities away and really transporting ourselves to that time. We can't judge history through the filter of modernity. The Church feared women because Paganism elevated them. They saw Pagan ritual as a direct threat to the new order they had established. Anything good and just in the Pagan tradition was reversed. Pan became The Devil, women - bringers of life - became mere subjects, lesser people. Women seen as having preternatural power were punished severely, as they most of all posed the biggest threat to the Christian doctrine. They broke the illusion by demonstrating power over and above that which Church elders could affect. When viewing history, context is king.

[@BeeWhistler]

I’m probably in the minority here as a Christian, but I want people to understand that when things like this are done in the name of God, those doing them are not representing the faith that tells us to love one another… they’re abusing something good to justify indulging their own filthy desires… just as it is any time someone claims to represent something good then does terrible things. If anyone was serving the devil in these events, it was the powerful, corrupt perverts who were clearly so enamored of the sexual cruelty they inflicted that they’d do anything to get their fix. And I at least believe they’ll be rewarded in kind… when they meet the God in whose name they did all these horrendous acts. I can’t imagine He’ll appreciate it one bit. I had to skim the torture portion… ugh… the level of cruelty is impossible to fully comprehend and I just don’t want to try. But it’s very important to expose the actions of corrupt people wherever they occur, and no matter who they claim to represent.

[@Skullnaught]

This needs more likes

[@mathieuleader8601]

its mad to think that this comes about from bread spores causing illusions

[@AScottishOdyssey]

Just a wee thing. Catriona is pronounce Cat-Ree-Na.

[@Jay.B.2046]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@Heothbremel]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😢

[@Louis--]

That was a thoroughly unpleasant tale. I hope your dogs gave you plenty of relief as you researched it and after you recorded it.

[@prestonmack320]

Why don't you do a video on Vlad the impaler

[@Eric-qo8vv]

Monotone

[@divyavanikadugula8089]

Is this the same king James whose version of the Bible every one reads today?😢

[@yulebones]

Yes. He also wrote a tract called "Daemonologie," which was used along with the Malleus Maleficarum to guide the hunting, torture, and execution of witches. I think the connection is one that is missed or handwaved far too easily.

[@joluoto]

It's the same, and it's also a really bad version of the Bible. Newer translations of the Bible had access to earlier versions of the texts and are thus more aligned with the original texts than King James, that was based heavily on the Vulgate, that in itself was a very sloppy translation.

[@MsJaytee1975]

Yep. Absolutely evil man.

[@oorzuis1419]

we were moved by realizing so much loss and lost pain. I pushed my hand on my lips to blow you some kisses.

[@sabithasajan5564]

Typical behaviour of Yahweh and his followers.

[@Marskilius]

Wwl... Yahweh used to be a storm and war god in the Canaanite pantheon, before he and El was smashed together and became the Abrahamic god we know today. Followers of a war god doing violent things, who would have thought? 🤔

[@simonliu-uw7tl]

That simple:bad witches are in high plcaces,can't tolerate good witches to survive.Dark magic are high appreciated by the lords.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

Hoaxes.

[@miniflem1]

Hi, great episode, but the music was a little too high in the mix. It made your commentary difficult to hear at times. Also have you tought about doing an episode on the Sawney Bean?