The Witches' Pardon
Seriously...
BBC
4.1 • 885 Ratings
🗓️ 1 April 2022
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
From allegations of cursing the king's ships, to shape-shifting into animals, or dancing with the devil, three centuries ago witch-hunting was a mania that spread right across Europe. But nowhere did it exert a greater grip than in Scotland, which had an execution rate five times higher than England's. It remains an example of just how vicious sexism and misogyny - exacerbated by superstitious beliefs and religious extremism - can be. Now campaigners are on course to win an official pardon for the estimated four thousand - mostly women - tried as witches. Leading QC Claire Mitchell, known for her prominent role in the Lockerbie appeal, is also fighting for an apology for all those accused, and for a national monument to mark the state-sanctioned atrocities she calls "the greatest miscarriage of justice in Scottish history." Claire Mitchell and co-founder Zoe Vendittozi hope that First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon will issue a formal apology. But will she? And why does it matter? Once again 'witch' is a name being levelled at women, usually in high profile cultural or political roles. It's not unusual to see figures like Hillary Clinton, Nicola Sturgeon, Professor Mary Beard, in twitter memes with green faces, stirring cauldrons and wearing pointy hats. Dani Garavelli takes a fresh look at the history and at why women were so often accused of being witches. She explores the campaign which has gained mass traction across the UK and Europe, and spawned a copy-cat campaign in Catalonia. Which power structures were being maintained then, and which ones now? Producer: Caitlin Smith Presenter: Dani Garavelli Sound Design: Joel Cox
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This was an impregnable fortress. The only way you get out was in a wooden box. |
| 0:05.0 | The controversial maximum security prison impossible to escape from. |
| 0:09.0 | And one of the duties of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.0 | The IRA inmates who found a way. of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.5 | The IRA inmates who found a way. |
| 0:14.5 | I'm Carlo Gableer and I'll be navigating a path |
| 0:19.5 | through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in British and Irish history. |
| 0:25.0 | The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by them. |
| 0:28.5 | Escape from the maze, listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:35.0 | BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:39.0 | Hi there, you're listening to seriously from BBC Radio 4, and I'm your host, Vanessa Casule. |
| 0:47.0 | This podcast brings you an incredible selection of documentaries about everything you could imagine, |
| 0:52.0 | and some things you couldn't. |
| 0:54.6 | Next up, something captivating, enlightening and seriously good. |
| 1:01.5 | It's 530 in the morning. Dawn is about to break on International Women's Day |
| 1:06.2 | 2022. I'm at the top of Carton Hill in the centre of Edinburgh to witness an execution of sorts. In a moment flames will lick the skirts of Agnes Sampson. |
| 1:17.6 | She was one of the so-called North Beric Witches strangled, then burned at the stake for conjuring storms to sink King James the 6th's ship in 1591. |
| 1:27.0 | For 200 years Scotland conducted witch hunts. |
| 1:31.0 | In all 2,500 people mostly women were executed. 4,000 were accused. |
| 1:38.0 | There's a candle for every one of them here on Carlton Hill placed in a ring round Agnes. |
| 1:45.6 | Artist Laura Graham lights the touch paper. There's smoke and then suddenly Agnes's whole body is ablaze. |
| 1:55.7 | The sight of the effigy burning on the Edinburgh skyline reminds us of a time when women |
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