Shakespeare's Restless World 10. Toil and Trouble
Apr 27, 2012
A deep dive into beliefs about witches in late 16th-century England and Scotland. Stories of a storm-tossed royal voyage and sensational trials bring political fear and magic to life. A church-hung model ship and a confessed witch’s eerie rites highlight how objects and pamphlets shaped public perceptions of power and peril.
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Model Ship Offered After Stormy Voyage
- Neil MacGregor describes a 65 cm Danish-style model ship offered in thanks for survival from witch-brewed storms.
- The model was displayed in Leith to thank God for delivering King James and Anne from tempest and witchcraft.
Everyday Belief Versus Learned Demonology
- Keith Thomas explains ordinary people divided witchcraft into helpful 'white' witches and harmful 'black' witches who caused physical damage.
- Learned demonology then turned black witches into heretics who contracted with the devil and flew to diabolical gatherings.
Scottish Witches Seen As Political Threats
- Scottish witchcraft was often political, linked to plots against rulers rather than just local harms.
- That made witches in Scotland particularly associated with treasonous acts like trying to sink a king's ship.