The North Berwick Witch Trials

Haunts

Today we aren’t just gathered to uncover the tyrannical events that lead to the burning of tens of thousands of accused witches. Don’t worry, we will get to that—but first we need to learn how to conjure something much, much darker.

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Huge thank you to the composers at Pixabay for the music in this week's episode. If you would like to support the artists, you may do so at the links provided below--

Music by Ashot-Danielyan-Composer from Pixabay

In this episode of Haunts, host Courtney explores the dark and chilling aftermath of the Trier witch trials and the ripple effect they had throughout Europe. Beginning with the grim events in Germany, Courtney traces how fear and tyranny fanned the flames of mass hysteria, ultimately influencing King James VI’s notorious witch hunts in Scotland. As the episode delves into King James’s fascination with demonology, necromancy, and the occult—topics he documented in his controversial pamphlet Demonology—listeners are challenged to confront the unsettling connections between these historical horrors and the paranormal beliefs that endure today. From the harrowing fate of Agnes Sampson during the North Berwick Witch Trials to the haunting legacy she left behind at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace, this episode blends history with the spectral, reminding us that the veil between worlds is thinner than we might believe. Stay tuned, but tread carefully—some knowledge may be best left in the shadows.