In the bustling port town of Aberdeen in the year 1597, the air was thick not only with the salt of the North Sea but also the tension of suspicion and fear. It was against this backdrop that Marioun Wod, a woman of lower socioeconomic standing working as a nurse, found herself ensnared in the web of the witch trials that defined an era of Scottish history. Known locally, perhaps due to her origins being Gaelic or from Ireland, or specifically from Caithness as hinted by her moniker "Catness norische," Marioun's life would have been one of hard work and resilience, tending to the sick and infirm in her community.
On April 15th of that year, the records tell us Marioun stood trial in Aberdeen, alongside three others accused of witchcraft. However, the specific charges levied against her remain shrouded in mystery, as the historical documents do not detail the accusations nor the verdict rendered by the court. Marioun, along with her co-accused, denied the charges, which was a courageous stand given the harsh climate of the time, where allegations alone could seal a person's fate. The outcome of her trial is lost to history, but the very act of surviving its record speaks to the profound impact of such proceedings on individuals like Marioun Wod, whose lives were indelibly marked by the fear and superstition of their time.