Understanding the historical context of the Scottish witch trials | English

Starter quiz

'Executed' means the same as ...

'attacked'.

'murdered'.

'killed as a punishment for a crime'. ✓

'stolen'.
What does it mean if you are 'convicted' of a crime?

A court says that maybe you did it.

A court says that you did it. ✓

A court says that you did not do it.
Put these steps in order to show what happens if someone is guilty of a crime.

1

⇔

a person is accused of a crime

2

⇔

a person is put on trial

3

⇔

a person is convicted of the crime

4

⇔

a person is sent to jail
Which of the following do the police still do today in the UK?

arrest people they think have committed crimes ✓

torture people they think have committed crimes

gather evidence about people they think have committed crimes ✓

ask other people about people they think have committed crimes ✓
Which religion has historically been most common in the UK?

Islam

Buddhism

Christianity ✓

Hinduism

Judaism
Put these historical events in the order they happened.

1

⇔

the birth of Jesus Christ

2

⇔

the Romans leave Britain

3

⇔

the Vikings invade Britain

4

⇔

the Tudor period (e.g., Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare)

5

⇔

the Victorian Era

During which period did the Scottish witch trials take place?

the Bronze Age

the Roman occupation of Britain

the Medieval period

the Early Modern period ✓

the modern period
Which of these were beliefs held by many people in the Early Modern period in Scotland?

the devil could impact daily life ✓

religion was unimportant

witches had real power to harm people ✓

witches were guided by the devil ✓
Which of these were often true of the people who were accused of being witches in Early Modern Scotland?

they were usually women ✓

they were usually illiterate ✓

they were usually older and lived alone ✓

they were usually powerful and wealthy
Which of the following were used as proof of someone being a witch?

fingerprints

eye colour

neighbours' opinions ✓

not bleeding when pricked with a needle ✓

having birthmarks ✓
Which of the following has already been done in Scotland?

a memorial for victims of the witch trials

a pardon for victims of the witch trials

an apology to victims of the witch trials ✓
What is the key purpose of a memorial?

to make a place more beautiful

to represent a political party

to remind us about an event or person ✓

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The Scottish witch trials occurred during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries in Scotland.
Individuals who were prosecuted as witches were often executed.
Witches were recognised by the church as being capable of causing real harm.
Witches were seen as linked to the devil and were therefore also heretical.
Life at this time was very much dominated by the church and the desire to stamp out any connections to the devil.

Pupils who are Christian may find it hard to connect their faith to the one depicted here.

Explain to children that religions evolve over time and that beliefs are not always fixed.

Memorial - a structure or statue designed to remind people of a person or event
Trial - an examination of evidence to decide if someone is guilty or innocent of a crime
Early modern period - the period between Medieval and modern times (around 1500-1800 AD)
Devil - the spirit of evil in Christian and Jewish traditions