“Outlander” fans recognize the name Geillis Duncan, who, like Claire, is a time traveler. She came from the 1960s to aid the Jacobite cause of putting Charles Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) on the throne. In the series, she is arrested for being suspected of witchcraft. She confesses to poisoning her husband and selling an “ill-wish” charm. She was burned at the stake for her crimes. Her character is based off a real-life Geillis Duncan.
The real Geillis Duncan was a teenage maid for the deputy bailiff, David Seaton. Seaton became suspicious of Duncan when she began sneaking out at night. Suddenly, she was able to heal the injured and cure the ill, so she was accused of being a witch.
In 1591, Duncan was the first witch to under trial, being
tried as a witch during the North Berwick Trials. They found the Devil’s Mark,
also known on her neck when they were
investigating her. A Devil’s Mark, also referred to as a Witch’s Mark, is a
skin blemish that was tested to see if it was sensitive. If no pain was felt
and no blood was drawn from the area, the person with the blemish was
considered a witch. It was believed that the devil used an iron or his claws to
make the marks, while some believed the devil licked the person.
Duncan was interrogated and she released the names of others
who were practicing witchcraft. During her interrogation, she admitted to being
on a boat called the “Grace of God” with the devils and other alleged members of
the coven. She also confessed to attempting to cast a spell on the hat of the laird
of Balnaird.
She was brutally
tortured for months and eventually, she was burned at the stake. She was taken
to Castle Hill in Edinburgh on December 4, 1594 to be executed. In her final
statement, she claimed that what she said about the others who were accused was
untrue and she only said them because of the torture Seaton put her through.
Unfortunately, it was too late for Duncan and the two
co-accused, Euphame and Barbara. It is believed that Euphame and Barbara were
executed before Duncan was.
The Berwick Witch Trials continued for two years after
Geilis was executed and 70 were investigated during this time. Historians
believe that the torture those investigated endured was so brutal that they had
no other option but to confess to make it end.
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