Ashes and Stones: A Scottish Journey in Search of Witches and Witness

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Charlotte Humphery, Senior Commissioning Editor at Sceptre, says: ‘ Ashes and Stones is a beautiful exploration of a dark history that is often forgotten or trivialised. Thousands of women were murdered by state forces during the witch hunts and Allyson Shaw revives some of these women – through historical records, physical presence and informed imagination – with tenderness and compassion. In this book, she has created her own memorial that is rich with magic of folk lore and the power of the Scottish landscape and resonant with the politics of today. We are delighted to be publishing this brilliant and important book.’ But, for me, what really set Ashes and Stones apart was the way it was written. Without wishing to spoil it, the author herself had an extremely compelling reason not only to write the book, but to include within it, a memoir of why she has chosen to do this. This lends added poignancy to each piece of information she uncovers and each grave she stands overs. The depth of research is fascinating and I think anyone reading will only be encouraged to investigate more into this aspect of history that is not spoken about enough. Shaw said: “I longed for an authentic glimpse of the women executed for witchcraft hundreds of years ago, and I went out into the landscape to meet them. Their voices and lives became braided with my own in moving and unexpected ways. I’m excited that Sceptre will bring this humanising perspective on the accused to a wider audience.” I have always been fascinated by the history of the witch trials, but Shaw's book has to be one of the most thought-provoking, most human-centred accounts to have been written. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time indeed.

Allyson Shaw leads us to a compelling tale of a journey across Scotland while visiting the memorials of so-called "witches" or the scenes of witch trials while discussing the history of those innocents unjustly murdered through misogyny and deep-rooted superstition. Instead of researching actual historical evidence about these kinds of questions, Shaw is much more interested in talking about herself. She especially notes two experiences: her lifetime of chronic illness and the fact that she was assaulted by a boyfriend when she was a young woman. She carefully explains that she sees her own suffering reflected in the suffering of the women she studies. “In these accused women,” she writes, “I see myself and so many like me who are marginalized and erased.” Feeling connected to the accused women’s histories—and the strength she sees in them—gives her a sense of both identity and responsibility. The word ‘mycophobia’ was coined in 1887 but fear, loathing and hostility towards the fungi kingdom has been with certain parts of the world since the dawn of humanity. Other cultures can’t get enough mushrooms in their cooking pots, medicine chests and spiritual lives. What is it about Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘foul pustules’ that brings out such extremes in people and just how old is fungal folklore anyway?A moving and personal journey, along rugged coasts and through remote villages and cities, in search of the traces of those accused of witchcraft in seventeenth-century Scotland. I would highly recommend this book, not just to those interested in witch trials, but anyone interested in history and the history of women. Allyson Shaw, from the US but part of the Scottish diaspora manages to weave together a beautiful narrative by mixing the search for heritage, both in blood and bond, with the painful memories of the treatment of women in the past. Rather than following the typical narrative of sensationalising the reasons why the women accused of witchcraft were accused, she instead focuses on the circumstances surrounding it. Much of witchcraft popular writing tends towards a want to theorise that maybe these women were witches, or had done something to make others think they really were. As a historian who studied witchcraft as part of her course, it was wonderful to see Shaw mention several of the witchcraft scholars that I was familiar with and had read throughout my studies. My conclusions from the course were similar to Shaw: these women weren't witches in any way. They were just women. This book was clearly written with an American audience in mind, the history is both incredibly basic but missing proper context. Shaw explains who James VI is, because apparently people only know of him because of his bible, but mentions nothing of his upbringing, which would provide some context for his beliefs. She both blames the reformation and Scotland’s conversion to Calvinism, and yet later says the last witch trial took place in Caithness because it was overwhelmingly catholic. Shaw claims it was a co-ordinated effort by men in power, it wasn’t, they didn’t have to, they just had to stir up hate and let human nature do the rest.

This was a truly eye opening book of research into the many years of Scottish witch trials and the horrendous treatment dished out to so many, over so many years. Ashes and Stones is a moving and personal journey, along rugged coasts and through remote villages and modern cities, in search of the traces of those accused of witchcraft in seventeenth-century Scotland. Shaw's prose is easily read, and with the personal story alongside, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable, and relatable read. Within my own historical writing I also focused on connecting with the past, and seeing how much of it could be reflected in my own life. Being able to relate to history is one of the best ways to understand history, and to understand its continued relevance in today's society. In Ashes and Stones we visit modern memorials and standing stones, and roam among forests and hedge mazes, folklore and political fantasies. From fairy hills to forgotten caves, we explore a spellbound landscape. Ashes and u0026 Stones is a moving and personal journey, along rugged coasts and through remote villages and modern cities, in search of the traces of those accused of witchcraft in seventeenth-century Scotland. We visit modern memorials, roadside shrines and standing stones and roam among forests and hedge mazes, folk lore and political fantasies. From fairy hills to forgotten caves, we explore a spellbound landscape.Allyson Shaw untangles the myth of witchcraft and gives voice to those erased by it. Her elegant and lucid prose weaves threads of history and feminist reclamation, alongside beautiful travel, nature and memoir writing, to create a vibrant memorial. This is the untold story of the witches’ monuments of Scotland and the women’s lives they mark. Ashes and u0026 Stones is a trove of folklore linking the lives of modern women to the horrors of the past, and it is record of resilience and a call to choose and remember our ancestors. Ashes and Stones: A Scottish Journey in Search of Witches and Witness by Allyson Shaw – eBook Details

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There's reports of the trial confessions, alongside the torture that led to some of these confessions - it often reads like fiction but it is so scary to think that these things actually happened to these women! It looks in to the history of the time, the reformation of religion, the misogyny, paranoia and power that men had over women and it really adds A creative non-fiction book detailing Allyson’s investigation of the women hunted and killed during the Scottish witch trials that occurred during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Allyson provides a perfect description of what she has written: In an effort to understand how such an atrocity could have happened, academic historians have investigated the underlying cauldron of religious and social disruption in European communities as the area transformed from medieval to modern. There is no obvious answer for why community leaders started believing that witches lived in their midst. Some scholars suggest that part of the explanation might be economic. Most of the witchcraft accusations and executions in Scotland happened during five specific periods lasting only a year or two, and those specific years had especially intense financial upheavals during which many communities were forced to reduce aid for spinsters, widows, people with disabilities, and other people in need of social support. These people seem to have been accused of witchcraft in much higher numbers than other community members. A sin-eater was a ‘long, leane, ugly, lamentable poor raskal’ (Aubrey, 1687) who, by eating a special meal over the coffin, consumed a dead person’s sins and thus helped them enter heaven. In this talk Dr Helen Frisby surveys the historical evidence for this fascinating old funerary character and their mysterious rituals in service of the souls of the dead. As it turns out, things aren’t quite what they might first seem – but Helen will suggest that it’s the sin-eater’s very elusiveness within the historical record which has enabled them to rise again in present-day film, TV and literature.

Allyson Shaw untangles the myth of witchcraft and gives voice to those erased by it. Her elegant and lucid prose weaves together threads of history and feminist reclamation to create a vibrant memorial. This is the untold story of the witches' monuments of Scotland and the women's lives they mark. Ashes and Stones is a trove of folklore linking the lives of contemporary women to the horrors of the past, a record of resilience and a call to choose and remember our ancestors. As the author visits each area to learn more about the women she has researched, you really feel her connection with the areas and their stories. She gives these women their voices all these years later, and hearing about their treatment and trials was truly astonishing. I always am fascinated by the stories of witch trials from all over the world, and focussing on the Scottish ones was a brilliant way to get a sense of the history and poor treatment that was the norm for so long. And by naming the women, it made it even more powerful as you really got a sense of the character and the insanity of the whole movement. Although historians of witchcraft often focus on why specific people might have been accused, the question is not of particular interest to Shaw. She seems to believe that even asking why individuals were targeted implies that they were at fault. “The people who died during the witch-hunts in Scotland,” she insists defensively, “were not witches.” Scholars are not trying to blame the victims. Instead, they are trying to understand why entire societies started not only to believe witchcraft was real but to think that people they knew well were consorting with the devil, to accuse them in formal trials, and to allow people in authority to act on those accusations by imprisoning, torturing, and executing their neighbors. Allyson Shaw has built a monument in words to the thousands persecuted as witches in Scotland. A fascinating and necessary book.' Peter Ross

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Shaw writes of the sense of displacement she felt living in the USA that drew her to emigrate to Britain, eventually settling in Scotland. A beautifully written journey through Scottish history and across the Scottish landscape in search of the women accused and killed during the witch hunts. Allyson Shaw untangles the myth of witchcraft and gives voice to those erased by it. Her elegant and lucid prose weaves threads of history and feminist reclamation, alongside beautiful travel, nature and memoir writing, to create a vibrant memorial. This is the untold story of the witches’ monuments of Scotland and the women’s lives they mark. Ashes and Stones is a trove of folklore linking the lives of modern women to the horrors of the past, and it is record of resilience and a call to choose and remember our ancestors.

I longed for an authentic glimpse of the women executed for witchcraft hundreds of years ago, and I went out into the landscape to meet them. Their voices and lives became braided with my own in moving and unexpected ways. I’m excited that Sceptre will bring this humanising perspective on the accused to a wider audience.’ –Allyson Shaw After reading this I feel I learned nothing, all this book did was irritate me. And that’s a shame because there are so many stories to be told. Around 2500 people were executed for witchcraft in Scotland. For comparison 112 were executed in England and 19 in the US. There are quite literally thousands of stories to be told, but this book told us who some of them were, Edinburgh University has a database that can do that. I got no sense of who they were, what their lives were like, and I got no sense of how witch trials affected the communities. Awful, awful book

Shaw's attention to detail and careful research make the historical setting of the book come to life, providing us readers with a deeper understanding of the cultural and social environment in which these prejudices occurred. Despite the subject matter, Shaw's writing style is engaging and accessible, striking a balance between providing enough historical context and keeping the narrative flowing. Overall, ‘Ashes & Stones’ was an inspiring, beautifully written book, rich in descriptions of the Scottish landscape and powerful accounts of those who were victims of these trials. It concludes with a glossary and bibliography. Written with such poignancy and endurance, the book is authentic and unromantic as it details the horrific events of the witch-hunts across Scotland made even more real as the author stands before the memorials such as stones, mazes or sculptures, forcing the reader to confront the heartbreaking truths that claimed so many innocent lives.