HALLOWEEN 2025
EVERY SINGLE THREAD REMEMBERS THE THOUSANDS PERSECUTED UNDER SCOTLAND’S W*TCHCRAFT ACT.
Between 1563 and 1736, an estimated 2,500 Scots—85% of them women—were executed under Scotland’s W*tchcraft Act. Enacted three years after Scotland declared Protestantism its official religion in 1560, the vague law triggered neighbor-against-neighbor accusations. Suspects faced "w*tch prickers" who probed for bodily marks, endured sleep deprivation and torture, and were typically strangled and burned. While the last execution occurred in 1727 and the law was repealed in 1736, their stories have long lacked a dedicated national monument. 🕯️📜
Now, that history is woven into a living memorial. Registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans in February, a new commemorative fabric was created by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi (W*tches of Scotland campaign, founded 2020) alongside Clare Campbell of the Prickly Thistle weaving mill in Evanton. Kilts and garments will be crafted from the pattern, with a portion of proceeds going to charity. 🧶✨
Every design element carries exact historical weight:
• Black & Gray: Signify this dark era and the ashes of the victims.
• Red & Pink: Reflect the legal tape used to bind court papers then and now.
• 173 Threads: The width of the large black blocks marks the 173 years the act was enforced.
• 15 & 17 Threads: The thinner lines represent the digit sums of the year enacted (1+5+6+3 = 15 for 1563) and repealed (1+7+3+6 = 17 for 1736).
• Three Stripes: Mirror the campaign’s three core missions: a legal pardon, an apology, and a national memorial (with apologies already granted in 2022 by then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Church of Scotland). ⚖️🏴
When historical monuments prove difficult to build, wearable remembrance ensures forgotten lives remain seen and spoken for. How do you think modern societies should best honor those wronged by historical injustice?
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The start and peak of the witch craze
Early 15th century: The witch hunt phenomenon first appeared in large numbers in southeastern France and western Switzerland.
1486: The publication of Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) by German inquisitor Heinrich Kramer became an influential guide for hunting and interrogating witches.
1560–1630: This period is generally considered the peak of the European witch hunt, especially in central and southern Germany. Religious turmoil from the Protestant Reformation and conflicts like the Thirty Years' War fueled suspicion and mass hysteria.
1590: The North Berwick witch trials in Scotland began after King James VI, who feared witches were plotting against him, personally oversaw torture and executions.
The decline and end of the hunts
1486: The publication of Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) by German inquisitor Heinrich Kramer became an influential guide for hunting and interrogating witches.
1560–1630: This period is generally considered the peak of the European witch hunt, especially in central and southern Germany. Religious turmoil from the Protestant Reformation and conflicts like the Thirty Years' War fueled suspicion and mass hysteria.
1590: The North Berwick witch trials in Scotland began after King James VI, who feared witches were plotting against him, personally oversaw torture and executions.
The decline and end of the hunts
Mid-17th century: As skepticism grew among judges and intellectuals, trials began to fade across much of Europe.
1635: The Roman Inquisition acknowledged that its own trials were often illegally conducted, and some places started treating witchcraft cases with more caution.
1735: Britain's Witchcraft Act ended the traditional prosecution of witchcraft as a legal offense, shifting focus to fraud.
1782: The execution of Anna Göldi in Glarus, Switzerland, is often cited as the last official execution for witchcraft in Europe, though the specific charge was poisoning.
Contributing factors
Several complex factors drove the witch hunts:
1635: The Roman Inquisition acknowledged that its own trials were often illegally conducted, and some places started treating witchcraft cases with more caution.
1735: Britain's Witchcraft Act ended the traditional prosecution of witchcraft as a legal offense, shifting focus to fraud.
1782: The execution of Anna Göldi in Glarus, Switzerland, is often cited as the last official execution for witchcraft in Europe, though the specific charge was poisoning.
Contributing factors
Several complex factors drove the witch hunts:
Fear of the Devil: The prevailing belief that witches were malevolent Devil-worshippers who had made a pact with Satan.
Religious conflict: Tensions during the Counter-Reformation and between Catholics and Protestants likely contributed to the panic.
Socio-economic turmoil: Climate changes like the "Little Ice Age," coupled with wars, disease, and poverty, made communities look for scapegoats.
Legal changes: The adoption of inquisitorial procedures in many courts, which often involved torture to extract confessions, created a cycle of accusation.
Religious conflict: Tensions during the Counter-Reformation and between Catholics and Protestants likely contributed to the panic.
Socio-economic turmoil: Climate changes like the "Little Ice Age," coupled with wars, disease, and poverty, made communities look for scapegoats.
Legal changes: The adoption of inquisitorial procedures in many courts, which often involved torture to extract confessions, created a cycle of accusation.
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