The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

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

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Case Details

C/EGD/2162 Issobell Oige

name of accused
Issobell Oige
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/2109
Case date start
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

  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • other (secondary characteristic)
  • other (primary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
  • other text Not known
Characterisation Notes
None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Animal Devil as beast

Demonic pacts

  • Kisses Devil's bottom

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Dancing
Notes
meeting the same as the others in this group. Margaret Bane appears to have given this information rather than the individuals themselves. They all danced around a grey stone.

Meeting places

  • Hill of Cragleuche Hilltop

musical instruments

  • Unspecified

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
Notes
Accused of being able to cause storms by hanging a beetle from a thread and whispering words to it. Also accused of using special green thread to bewitch cloth so that it would sell at market. 2 other women had a share in the cloth and Oige promised them that it would get a good price at market. The women asked her how she knew and she then enchanted the cloth with the green thread, which had been used in a winding sheet. The cloth was sold at the market when other people's cloth was not.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Green

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Thread
  • Beetle

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Halloween

Diseases or illness

Notes
None

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

  • Weather modification

    • Damage to property

    • no information

    weather modification

    • Storm
    Notes
    Accused of being able to cause the wind to blow loud and quiet as she desired, using a beetle.

    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. 151-2, 153-6, 192-3. None