North Berwick witch trials
E347702
The North Berwick witch trials were a series of late 16th-century Scottish prosecutions, closely associated with King James VI, in which dozens of people were accused of witchcraft and conspiracy, helping to ignite a broader wave of witch hunts in Scotland.
All labels observed (2)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| North Berwick witch hunt | 1 |
| North Berwick witch trials canonical | 1 |
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Scottish witch trials
ⓘ
historical event ⓘ witch trials ⓘ |
| allegedActivity | witches’ sabbath at North Berwick Kirk ⓘ |
| allegedMethod | raising storms at sea ⓘ |
| allegedPlot | to kill King James VI ⓘ |
| allegedTargetEvent | voyage of James VI and Anne of Denmark ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
North Berwick witch trials
ⓘ
surface form:
North Berwick witch hunt
|
| associatedMonarch | James VI and I ⓘ |
| broaderContext |
European witch craze
ⓘ
early modern Scottish justice system ⓘ |
| chronologicalPosition | preceded major 17th-century Scottish witch hunts ⓘ |
| country | Kingdom of Scotland ⓘ |
| endTime | 1592 ⓘ |
| executionMethod | strangling and burning ⓘ |
| fieldOfStudy |
Scottish history
ⓘ
witchcraft studies ⓘ |
| genderOfMostAccused | female ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
helped shape royal attitudes to witchcraft
ⓘ
one of the earliest major Scottish witch trials ⓘ |
| impact |
influenced Scottish demonology
ⓘ
stimulated further witch hunts in Scotland ⓘ |
| influencedAuthor |
James VI and I
ⓘ
surface form:
James VI of Scotland
|
| influencedWork | Daemonologie ⓘ |
| involvedCourt | Privy Council of Scotland ⓘ |
| involvedInstitution |
Church of Scotland
ⓘ
surface form:
Kirk (Church of Scotland)
|
| legalBasis |
Witchcraft Act 1563
ⓘ
surface form:
Scottish witchcraft act of 1563
|
| legalOutcome | confessions extracted under torture ⓘ |
| location |
East Lothian
ⓘ
North Berwick ⓘ Scotland ⓘ |
| mainAccusation |
conspiracy against the king
ⓘ
sorcery ⓘ witchcraft ⓘ |
| memorialization | subject of modern historical research ⓘ |
| notableAccused |
Agnes Sampson
ⓘ
Barbara Napier ⓘ Euphemia Maclean ⓘ John Fian ⓘ |
| numberOfAccused | dozens ⓘ |
| religiousContext | Protestant Scotland ⓘ |
| result | executions of several accused ⓘ |
| significantPerson |
James VI and I
ⓘ
surface form:
James VI of Scotland
|
| startTime | 1590 ⓘ |
| tortureMethod |
boot (leg crushing)
ⓘ
pilliwinks (thumbscrews) ⓘ public shaving of body hair ⓘ sleep deprivation ⓘ |
| typeOfCrimeCharged | treason through witchcraft ⓘ |
| useOfTorture | yes ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
North Berwick witch hunt