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/2154 Margrat Og

name of accused
Margrat Og
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/2101
Case date start
4/4/1597
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

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by others (primary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Found guilty on six points of the dittay, including the ones about carrying out ritual acts of protection and causing illness.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Dancing
Notes
Margart Bane claimed that Og had attended meetings with other witches and the devil her master. It was also claimed that Og's daughters were with her at the meetings, but none of this was confessed by Og. Details were included in the dittay against Og. They all danced around a grey stone.

Meeting places

  • Craigleauch

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Accused of going to the burn of Bogloch on the first Monday of the quarter and taking some of the water and casting it over her shoulder. Also accused of collecting the dew off the grass with a blanket at the same time. This was testified by the minister as being a ceremony associated with witchcraft. Accused of cutting her heidleas (ribbon) into 9 pieces and burying them under the barn door of a neighbour. Accused of passing a knife 3 times over a cow while it was being bulled ?to ensure fertility. Laid a new calf on a piece of turf to met/measure it.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • Protective

Elf/fairy elements

  • Green

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Ribbon
  • Turf
  • Water
  • Knife

Religious motif

  • Nine
  • Pilgrimage

Calendar customs

  • Halloween
  • Quarter day

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal death
  • Transferring disease
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
Accused of causing the death of animals by burying a ribbon cut into 9 under the barn door. Accused of causing illness after dispute about debt. Also of bewitching ?poisoning with some mutton. Refused some thread, blew in woman's face who took ill

Cause of witch's malice

  • Debt
  • Grudge

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Animals

    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
    Spalding Club Miscellany Vol I, pp. 142-5, 153-6. None
    Spalding Club Miscellany Vol V, p 67. financial accounts of her execution