Author Mary Craig wrings her hands in distress as she narrates, in first-person, the excruciating experiences a victim of the witch-hunting craze in the 16th century likely endured. This is a presentation that brings a new dimension of realism to her book Borders Witch Hunt: 17th Century Witchcraft Trials in the Scottish Borders. As she talks to the audience while embodying this character, we get an acute sense of the fact these horrors actually did happen – and not in a far-away, detached land of fantasy – but just down the street, where witches were hanged in front of Edinburgh castle.
This show is one of many events part of ScotlandsFest, an exploration and celebration of the literature of Scotland, and its intersections with history, culture, and politics. Ran by Luath Press, writers that have published under their organisation are invited to present their works, so audiences can engage with the extensive thought and research that went into them.
Craig opts for an immersive storytelling approach to achieve this, by performing a soliloquy that very effectively displays the torment and frustration that women falsely accused of witchcraft would have gone through. She narrates the internal dialogue of a quasi-historical figure, Agnes, and imagines how her daily life leading up to conviction may have been like. Agnes led a seemingly very normal life; however, this did not stop her from being accused of sorcery. During this dark period in Scottish history, the world flipped upside down, with seemingly benevolent ministers prosecuting innocent women and children, leading many to live in perpetual fear.
Craig describes this frightening world through a character that described her frutrations through a slightly comical personality, providing comedic relief to the perturbing themes that were explored. This made the show both entertaining and informative. Her expertise was further highlighted in the Q&A, as she proved to be both a compelling person to listen to and someone who welcomed questions with considered and insightful responses.
This event offers the opportunity to peek into the mind of these authors, and into the rich history of Scotland and the people that inhabited it across the ages. It gives the chance to also talk to knowledgeable writers and even come away with a signed book!
ScotlandsFest is running until 27 August at St Columba’s by the Castle Scottish Episcopal Church.
Image by Jason Park, provided by Luath Press Ltd for press use by The Student.
