Og,Margrat

Case Reference: C/EGD/2154

Case Summary
Case RefC/EGD/2154
AccusedMargrat Og
Case Start Date4/4/1597
Case Date24/4/1597
Age at Case37
Common NameOg,Margrat
Characterisation
TypePrimarySecondary
Unorthodox Religious Practice — ✓
Demonic — ✓
Fairies — ✓
Maleficium — ✓
Implicated by Another ✓ ✓
Neighbourhood Dispute — ✓
White Magic — ✓

Notes: Found guilty on six points of the dittay, including the ones about carrying out ritual acts of protection and causing illness.

Devil PresentYes
Communal SexNo
Devil WorshipNo
Food and DrinkNo
DancingYes
SingingNo

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
PlaceLocationInversion
CraigleauchNo

Elphane/Fairyland✓
Food/Drink—
Verbal Formulae—
Ritual Acts✓
Familiars—
Shape Changing—
Dreams/Visions—
Unorthodox Religious Practice✓
Sympathetic Magic✓
Riding Dead—

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.

Elf/Fairy Elements
  • Green
Ritual Objects
  • Ribbon
  • Turf
  • Water
  • Knife
Religious Motifs
  • Nine
  • Pilgrimage

Harm
Human Illness✓
Human Death✓
Animal Illness—
Animal Death✓
Female Infertility—
Male Impotence—
Methods
Aggravating Disease—
Transferring Disease✓
Laying On—
Quarreling✓
Cursing✓
Poisoning—
Healing / Other
Removal of Bewitchment—
Recognised Healer—
Healing Humans—
Healing Animals—
Midwifery—
Property Damage✓
Weather Modification—

Disease 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

Property Damage Types
  • Animals
White Magic
  • Protective

  • Debt
  • Grudge

  • Halloween
  • Quarter day

NameTitleInvolvementNotes
John Irving Chancellor
Thomas Leslie MrSheriff-depute
John Leslie of BalquhanSheriff-depute
John Ross MrInvestigator
Alexander Rutherford Prosecutor

SourceReferenceNotes
Spalding Club MiscellanyVol I, pp. 142-5, 153-6.
Spalding Club MiscellanyVol V, p 67.financial accounts of her execution
Trials (2)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/LA/2222 No
T/JO/1312 24/4/15971597 GuiltyExecution Yes