king james – The Thing About Witch Hunts Podcast

Show Notes

Historian Mary W. Craig returns to discuss her new book, *A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil’s Handmaidens, which traces the arc from the 1563 Witchcraft Act through its abolition in 1736.

Craig explores how beliefs that had existed for generations became capital crimes, examining the theological frameworks, political upheavals, and social structures that shaped prosecutions. The conversation moves from John Knox’s influence on Scottish law to the chaos of 1661-62, when local courts abandoned proper procedures.

Drawing on trial records and historical documents, Craig discusses who was accused, how interrogations were conducted, and why the trauma made Scottish descendants harder to trace than their New England counterparts. She also reflects on what medieval Scottish communities believed before the Reformation and how those beliefs were reinterpreted.

A History of Scottish Witches will be available February 2025 from Pen and Sword Books and is now available for pre-order.

Keywords: Scottish witch trials, Mary W. Craig, Scottish history, 1563 Witchcraft Act, Reformation Scotland, historical research, witch trial records, social history, legal history Scotland