BBC Radio Scotland FM

Witch Hunt

Factual: History

Exploring Scotland's war on witches and witchcraft with Susan Morrison and Louise Yeoman.

Witch Hunt: Quarrels, Women and Bad Magic

Quarrels, Women and Bad Magic

BBC Radio Scotland - Witch Hunt, Quarrels, Women and Bad Magic

Why were so many accused witches women and why did people believe their words had power?

Curses and quarrels abound as Susan Morrison and Louise Yeoman investigate why so many women were accused as witches in Scotland. Our team of expert historians weigh in.

The witchcraft trials were one of the biggest injustices in Scotland’s history, a massive miscarriage of justice, but how did people come to believe in such a thing and what did they believe about it? Our panel of Scottish historians are here to take you deep into the psyche of the 17th century, along with our hosts Susan Morrison and Louise Yeoman. 

This time - why were witches accused? Why were witches usually women? We begin with the power of the witch's curse and how people genuinely feared it. Curses came from quarrels, and women were seen to be the main users of words rather than physical violence to settle their scores.  In the 17th century people had stereotyped views about women that they too easily become loud mouthed,  over-sexed, vengeful and prey to the Devil - just the people you needed to crack down on to get right with God.

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