The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman, January 2003

The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft logo

Case Details

C/EGD/1474 Jonet Braidheid

name of accused
Jonet Braidheid
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1460
Case date start
14/4/1662
Given case date
no information
Case commission
no information
case complaint
no information
case correspondence
no information
case chronicle
no information
other details
no information

characterisation

  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
She named over 44 people of being at a witches' meeting including her husband and mother-in-law.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
The Devil sucked her blood out of the spot where she was marked. [possible vampire?]. He spouted it out of his mouth and sprinkled it over her head to baptise her 'Christian'. She said he was as cold as spring well water inside of her. The Devil gave her money which turned red and saw her repeatedly. He paid her after sex.
  • Male mekle, roch, blackman with cloven feet.

Demonic pacts

  • Head and foot
  • Anti-baptism
  • Devil's Mark
  • New name Christian
  • Sex

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
  • Food and drink
Notes
She confessed to a large meeting in the kirk of Nairn at night. The Devil was sitting in the reader's desk with a book. The Devil called all their names out of a book and her husband, who was the officer, called them at the door. Her husband and another woman held her up to the Devil. They took meat and corn from people to eat. They filled a sheep's bag with cooked meat to kill and destroy the Laird of Park and Lochloy.

Meeting places

  • Nairn Kirk
  • Darnvay

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Used dog flesh and sheep flesh to make drugs (enchanted charms). They left cooked flesh bits sprinkled all over the gates and property of two Lairds from the area (Park and Lochloy) in an attempt to destroy them and their posterity. They also made a picture of clay of the Laird of Park. They prayed to the Devil and burned the image.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Elfshot

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Flesh
  • Wax/clay images

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
Notes
Took away corn and killed animals and the proprietor. Did collective maleficium to kill and destroy local lairds.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Animals
    • Crops

    weather modification

    • no information

    Notes
    None

    Other charges

    • no information

    Notes
    None

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    None
    Case Notes
    None
    references
    name notes
    RPC 3rd series, vol 1, p 243. None
    Pitcairn III, p. 616-8 None