Witchcraft and Belief in Scotland, 1563-1736 (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Some knowledge of early-modern European history will be helpful. Those who have covered general history of Scotland of the period will have some advantage, but all are welcome.

Content of Course

1. Introduction - witchcraft in Scotland and Europe.

2. Witches in the community: who were the witches and what did they do?

3. Witchcraft and demonology: God and the Devil.

4. Witchcraft and popular culture: fairies and demons.

5. Witch hunting: church, state and community.

6. The justice process: from accusation to execution.

7. Gender differences: the experiences of women and men.

8. Regional patterns and differences; decline in witch hunting.

9. Judicial scepticism, religious tolerance or scientific enlightenment?

10. Continuation of witchcraft beliefs.

Teaching method(s)

Lecture-based, discussion of primary sources and documents.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be able to:

• Describe what was understood to be witchcraft by early modern society;

• Discuss the relationship between popular and elite cultural interpretations of witchcraft;

• Identify key features that were used to indicate demonic witchcraft;

• Analyse contemporary documents;

• Evaluate evidence relating to witchcraft belief and prosecution.

Sources

Core Readings

• Goodare, J., 2002. The Scottish Witch-hunt in Context. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

• Goodare, J., Martin, L. and Miller, J., 2008. Witchcraft and Belief in Early-Modern Scotland. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Larner, C., 2000. Enemies of God. Edinburgh: John Donald.

• Levack, B., 2006. The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe. London: Longman.

• Normand, L. and Roberts, G., 2000. Witchcraft in Early Modern Scotland: James VI's Demonology and the North Berwick Witches. Exeter: EUP.

Web Sources

www.shc.ed.ac.uk/research/witches

Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Database (On-line database of witchcraft trial information)

Class Handouts

Photocopies of some primary documents will be provided.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.