Isobel Gowdie was a Scottish woman who lived in the village of Auldearn in the mid-1600s. Like most women of her time and status, she would probably have spent her life being unnoticed by the general populace, and certainly by those of us who live three centuries later. She would have been grown up, married, had a few babies, and then died all within a few square miles of her birthplace, and then faded off into obscurity.
However, Isobel's name has lived on for one very important reason. In 1662, she was tried and convicted of practicing witchcraft. Over a six-week period, ministers and, one presumes, inquisitors managed to gather four separate and very detailed confessions from Isabel, along with nearly thirty magical charms designed to do everything from killing crops to flying with the Fae. Because of the unusual detail of the Gowdie confessions, there has been some question as to their authenticity. The first transcripts didn't appear until the early 1800s, and the whereabouts of the original documents was unknown.
Historian Emma Wilby of the University of Exeter has just released a new book in hopes of shedding light on the case of Isobel Gowdie. She said she was "intrigued by Gowdie's confessions because they have been cited as the most extraordinary on record for their content and literary quality and because she was reputed to have confessed without torture, while some scholars have identified shamanisti' themes in her work, tying in with Wilby's own interest in the role of dreams and visions in witchcraft belief."
During the course of her research, Wilby was able to locate the original trial documents and verify their authenticity. Her book, "The Visions of Isobel Gowdie", will be released in August by Sussex Academic Press.
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However, Isobel's name has lived on for one very important reason. In 1662, she was tried and convicted of practicing witchcraft. Over a six-week period, ministers and, one presumes, inquisitors managed to gather four separate and very detailed confessions from Isabel, along with nearly thirty magical charms designed to do everything from killing crops to flying with the Fae. Because of the unusual detail of the Gowdie confessions, there has been some question as to their authenticity. The first transcripts didn't appear until the early 1800s, and the whereabouts of the original documents was unknown.
Historian Emma Wilby of the University of Exeter has just released a new book in hopes of shedding light on the case of Isobel Gowdie. She said she was "intrigued by Gowdie's confessions because they have been cited as the most extraordinary on record for their content and literary quality and because she was reputed to have confessed without torture, while some scholars have identified shamanisti' themes in her work, tying in with Wilby's own interest in the role of dreams and visions in witchcraft belief."
During the course of her research, Wilby was able to locate the original trial documents and verify their authenticity. Her book, "The Visions of Isobel Gowdie", will be released in August by Sussex Academic Press.
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This sounds really interesting. I want to read it. I hope my local library gets at least one copy.
This does sound very interesting. I am studying the Salem Witch tragedy right now and this is in the same time frame. Maybe I can find the book on Amazon.
Wow…$65 for a paperback book on Amazon…that’s REALLY steep!! Think I’ll keep it on a ‘wish list’ and hope that the price comes down when competitive vendors offer it.