Article on "Witchcraft" in Scotland

[ThistleDown]

She lived and died in tough times.... Different times, different standards.

Yes, she did and they were, but history does repeat itself and we must learn as we evolve. Karl R referred to history as a mirror; it is that, and more than that. It is our sole opportunity to travel into the past, to study and learn from all that our forebears lived through, and to enable our steps forward to be always with a light on that knowledge. Without that knowledge/experience/understanding we are bound to repeat exceptionally blind follow-the-leader experiences of our ancestors.

History, of course, is in the eye of the beholder and we have many historians to learn from. My advice, as an historian: take none to be the absolute truth, except those told by tellers with vested interests in the falsehoods they, themselves, promulgate. Theirs will always be the truth for their purposes . We must take care that those are not the ones we move forward as 'history' for future generations.

The history of Scotland is rife with half-truths and semi-truths. Layered on top (or under) those we have the myths carried beyond our lands and shores by generation-after-generation of emigres to such an extent that they bear no resemblance to reality, or history.

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Rant over On the subject of witchcraft, a couple of relevant books from my library you may be interested in: 'Witch Hunt' by Isabel Adam; and 'The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology' by Rossel Hope Robbins.