大象传媒

Ann an c貌ig ceud deug is naochad (1590), chaidh c霉isean-c霉irte m矛-chli霉iteach a chumail ann am Bearaig a Tuath. Bha iad co-cheangailte ri buidseachd, gu s貌nraichte de bhith a鈥� feuchainn ri long an R矛gh a chur fodha. Chaidh grunnan a chur gu b脿s ann an teine, an d猫idh dhaibh ci霉rradh fhulang. Bha an R矛gh, Seumas VI, a鈥� creidsinn gun robh buidseachd f矛or, agus sgr矛obh e leabhar mun chuspair air an robh Daemonologie.听

Anns an aon bhliadhna a th脿inig Daemonologie a-mach, bha grunn ch霉isean-c霉irte air feadh Alba, agus daoine fo chasaid de bhuidseachd. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh mu dh脿 cheud dhiubh air an cur gu b脿s.听

Shocraich c霉isean an d猫idh sin, ach bha tuilleadh ainneirt an aghaidh 鈥榖uidsichean鈥� no 鈥榖ana-bhuidsichean鈥� anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. Agus tha sin gam thoirt air ais gu Iseabail Gowdie 脿 Allt 脠ireann a chaidh air beulaibh luchd-ceasnachaidh ann an sia ceud deug, seasgad 始s a dh脿 (1662). Thairis air sia seachdainean, rinn i aideachadh de bhuidseachd ceithir tursan. Bha i air a cumail fo ghlas na h-aonar fad na h-霉ine sin. Cha robh gnothaichean na f脿bhar gu h-ionadail, ge-t脿. Bha ministear na paraiste agus an t-uachdaran dhen bheachd gum biodh b脿s bana-bhuidsich ceart is cothromach.听

Anns a鈥� chiad aideachadh aice, thuirt Iseabail gun do choinnich i ris an Donas anns an eaglais ann an Allt 脠ireann air an oidhche. Rinn an Donas a chomharra air a gualainn agus dheoghail e fuil bhuaithe. Cha robh Iseabail leatha fh猫in. Bha buidheann ann. Bha comas aca sgiathadh air eich dhraoidheil is a dhol a-steach tro uinneagan ann an taighean nan uaislean.

San d脿rna aideachadh, thuirt i gun deach i a ch猫ilidh air Banrigh nan S矛thichean. Ach ghabh Iseabail eagal an sin oir bha taigh na Banrigh l脿n tharbh-uisge. Bha i an s脿s ann an cruth-atharrachadh cuideachd. Dh鈥檉haodadh i a cur fh猫in ann an cruth cathaig. Bha feadhainn eile comasach air an cur fh猫in ann an cruth cait no maighich. Thuirt i gun do rinn i 矛omhaighean cr猫adha de mhic an uachdarain leis an amas gum biodh iad a鈥� fulang tinneas no b脿s.

Chan eil mi cinnteach an robh fios aig Iseabail gun robh i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh a teisteanais-b脿is fh猫in, ach lean i oirre. Dh鈥檌nns i rannan a chanadh i fh猫in is na bana-bhuidsichean eile airson an cruth atharrachadh. Chl脿ir an luchd-ceasnachaidh barrachd rannan-buidseachd bho Iseabail na fhuaireadh riamh bho neach sam bith eile ann am Breatainn.

Dh鈥檌nns Gowdie do a luchd-ceasnachaidh mar a bha saighdean beaga draoidheil aig an Donas. Bhiodh esan gan toirt do na bana-bhuidsichean airson losgadh air daoine. Duine sam bith air am bualadh saighead dhen t-se貌rsa sin, bhiodh iad a鈥� faighinn b脿s.

Anns an treas aideachadh aice, thug Iseabail ainmean seachad de dhaoine a chaidh a mharbhadh le buidseachd. Rinn i cunntas de thuras a chaidh i a dh鈥橝llt 脠ireann air adhbhar an Donais, agus i ann an riochd maighich. Nuair a bha i na maighich, thuirt i, chaidh prasgan chon 脿s a d猫idh. Fhuair i air falbh bhuapa le bhith a鈥� ruith bho thaigh gu taigh gus an d鈥� fhuair i cothrom a cur air ais ann an riochd daonna.

Mura robh sin gu le貌r, bha tuilleadh aig Iseabail ri aideachadh, cuid dheth gu math m矛-thaitneach, mar a chluinneas sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: tuilleadh ainneirt: more [additional] oppression, violence; Allt 脠ireann: Auldearn; aideachadh: confession; an Donas: the Devil; Banrigh nan S矛thichean: The Queen of the Fairies; cruth-atharrachadh: shapeshifting, transformation, transmogrification; teisteanais-b脿is: death certificate; saighdean: arrows; m矛-thaitneach: unpleasant.听

Abairtean na Litreach: chaidh c霉isean-c霉irte m矛-chli霉iteach a chumail ann am Bearaig a Tuath: infamous court cases were held in North Berwick; gu s貌nraichte de bhith a鈥� feuchainn ri long an R矛gh a chur fodha: particularly of attempting to sink the King鈥檚 ship; chaidh grunnan a chur gu b脿s ann an teine, an d猫idh dhaibh ci霉rradh fhulang: some people were put to death in a fire, after they had suffered torture; thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh mu dh脿 cheud dhiubh air an cur gu b脿s: it is thought that about two hundred of them were put to death; shocraich c霉isean an d猫idh sin: matters settled down after that; air beulaibh luchd-ceasnachaidh: in front of interrogators; air a cumail fo ghlas na h-aonar: kept in solitary confinement; cha robh gnothaichean na f脿bhar gu h-ionadail, ge-t脿: matters were not in her favour locally, however; rinn an Donas a chomharra air a gualainn agus dheoghail e fuil bhuaithe: the Devil made his mark on her shoulder and he sucked blood from it; sgiathadh air eich dhraoidheil: flying on magic horses; tro uinneagan ann an taighean nan uaislean: through windows in the houses of the gentry; l脿n tharbh-uisge: full of water-bulls; dh鈥檉haodadh i a cur fh猫in ann an cruth cathaig: she could put herself in the form of a jackdaw; ann an cruth cait no maighich: in the form of a cat or hare; gun do rinn i 矛omhaighean cr猫adha de mhic an uachdarain: that she made clay images of the landlord鈥檚 sons; leis an amas gum biodh iad a鈥� fulang tinneas no b脿s: with the aim that they would suffer illness or death; rannan a chanadh i fh猫in is na bana-bhuidsichean eile: chants/verses she and the other witches would say; chl脿ir an luchd-ceasnachaidh barrachd rannan-buidseachd: the interrogators recorded more witchcraft verses; a cur air ais ann an riochd daonna: to put her[self] back in human form.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: de thuras a chaidh i a dh鈥橝llt 脠ireann air adhbhar an Donais, agus i ann an riochd maighich: of a time she went to Auldearn on behalf of the Devil, when she was in the form of a hare. Note the use of agus here to start a clause 鈥� it wouldn鈥檛 idiomatically be translated as 鈥榓nd鈥� in this type of situation.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chaidh prasgan chon 脿s a d猫idh: a pack of dogs chased her.