Podcast Summary

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Episode: Who Was The Witch Queen of Scotland?
Host: Dr. Kate Lister
Guest: Mary Craig, historian and author of The Borders Witch Hunt and A History of Scottish Witches
Date: March 3, 2026

Overview

This riveting episode delves into the life and myth of Isabel Gowdy, a 17th-century Scottish woman whose lurid confessions of witchcraft made her infamous. Host Dr. Kate Lister is joined by historian Mary Craig to explore the social, political, and religious climate that led to Scotland’s intense witch hunts, with particular focus on the extraordinary, fairy-filled testimony of Gowdy—often dubbed "the Queen of the Witches."

Key Discussion Points

1. Setting the Scene: Scotland’s Witch Panic

• [01:42] Dr. Kate Lister introduces the infamous confession of Isabel Gowdy, made in 1662—a time of mass hysteria over witchcraft in Scotland.

• [02:26] Lister underscores Gowdy’s confession for its exceptional candor and erotic content, including vivid descriptions of sex with the devil:

  “She describes him lying as heavily as a sack of malt and says that she found his nature within me. Cold as spring well water.”
  (Dr. Kate Lister, 01:56)

• [06:56] Scotland’s witch trials were especially intense—10 times more executions per head than England. Political upheaval, abrupt religious changes, and the import of continental ideas all contributed to a unique Scottish fervor.

  “We appear to have persecuted, tried and executed 10 times more witches per head of population than England.”
  (Mary Craig, 07:07)

2. Historical and Political Backdrop

• [07:18–10:15] Mary Craig details the rapid shift from Catholicism to protestant Calvinism in Scotland versus gradual change in England, and references King James VI/I’s obsession with witchcraft.
• [10:15] James’s Daemonologie book is compared to Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time—bought by many, read by few.
• [10:24] The “Malleus Maleficarum,” an earlier, notorious witch hunting manual, went viral thanks to the printing press, fueling paranoia.

3. Changing Definitions and Social Perceptions of “Witch”

• [12:10] Discussion on what was believed to make someone a witch—often healers or charmers who gained power from fairies, not necessarily the devil.

  "A witch would have been somebody who was a Christian...but tended to be a healer or a charmer, and they got their power from the fairies."
  (Mary Craig, 12:27)

• [14:28] Magic was part of everyday life, even among royalty (e.g., Elizabeth I's advisor John Dee).

4. Isabel Gowdy’s Life and Confessions

• [14:45] Little is known about Gowdy's personal life—her age, children, and reasons for arrest remain unknown.

• [16:53] Four confessions were extracted over six weeks, under severe psychological (if not physical) duress.

  "I maintain, being dragged from your house by the moral authority in your area...you're terrified. You're living in a world of sin. I think that's pretty close to psychological torture."
  (Mary Craig, 17:34)

• [18:12] The interrogation methods included invasive body searches for “devil’s marks,” which could involve public and intimate searches amounting to sexual assault.

5. Detailed Confessions and Their Peculiarity

• [26:13] Gowdy’s confessions included:

  • Renouncing baptism
  • Sex with the devil
  • Flying at night, leaving a broomstick decoy in her bed
  • Visiting fairyland, transforming into a hare
  • Elf-shot arrows, fairy feasts, and more

• [27:35] Most of her "offenses" revolved around dealings with fairies and fantasy rather than harming others—a notable divergence from typical witch trial confessions.

  “She doesn’t actually confess to much witchcraft, just hanging out with the fairies.”
  (Dr. Kate Lister, 27:35)

• [30:16] The limits of Gowdy's imagination highlight the era's deprivation:

  “To her, that was wealth, that was riches. Having enough food, riding on a horse—Isabel wouldn’t have ever ridden on a horse. She couldn’t afford to buy a horse.”
  (Mary Craig, 30:16)

6. Aftermath and Unsolved Mysteries

• [31:02] Gowdy’s ultimate fate is unknown; there are no surviving trial records.

  • She may have died before trial, been considered “addled in her wits,” or suffered an undocumented end.

  "She possibly died in her cell. I think she died before trial."
  (Mary Craig, 44:12)

7. Broader Witchcraft Context in Scotland

• [37:59] 84% of Scottish witch trials targeted women, especially those associated with healing or fairy magic.

• [39:55] Age profiles were broad, but most accused were middle-aged women. Occasional children and upper-class women were also accused.

• [40:26] Conviction usually resulted in public strangulation and burning of the body—a deterrent and a communal lesson.

  “You were usually worried to death, which was strangled and then your dead body burned...so there were no graves.”
  (Mary Craig, 40:26)

8. The Horror and Legacy of Witch Trials

• [42:11] The psychological trauma was generational, affecting not just victims but communities and children:

  “There is no way that child’s not going to have trauma...the local minister would say, oh, well, see, told you. Daughter of a witch, now she’s acting like a witch.”
  (Mary Craig, 42:11)

9. Gowdy’s Enduring Legacy

• [43:03] Her confessions were published in the 19th century by Pitcairn, captivating the Victorian imagination.
• [43:40] The sexual elements ("sex with the devil") continue to fascinate and provoke questions about the fixations of her interrogators.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We appear to have persecuted, tried and executed 10 times more witches per head of population than England.”
  (Mary Craig, 07:07)

• “It was almost as if you’d sort of flicked a switch. On Monday you’re Catholic and on Tuesday you’re Protestant.”
  (Mary Craig, 07:54)

• “Go big—go much bigger than that!...if the devil’s given you his power, why just make someone’s cow sick?”
  (Dr. Kate Lister, 29:08)

• “That really broke my heart...that’s the limits of her experience.”
  (Dr. Kate Lister, 30:05)

• “There is no way that child’s not going to have trauma.”
  (Mary Craig, 42:11)

• “Possibly she died in her cell. I think she died before trial.”
  (Mary Craig, 44:12)

Important Timestamps

• [01:42] Introduction to Isabel Gowdy and the content of her confessions
• [06:56–08:15] Witch trial intensity in Scotland and causes
• [10:15–11:17] Influence of James VI/I and “viral” books on witch hunting
• [12:10–14:28] Definitions of “witch” and fairy beliefs
• [16:53–19:39] Psychological aspects of interrogation and the “devil’s mark”
• [26:13–27:35] Main points of Gowdy’s confessions
• [30:05–30:42] Socioeconomic realities reflected in confessions
• [31:02–32:00] The unknown fate of Isabel Gowdy
• [37:59–40:19] Gender and age breakdowns in Scottish witch trials
• [40:26–42:27] Execution methods and generational trauma
• [43:03–43:55] Publication and Victorian reinterpretation of Gowdy’s story
• [44:12–44:48] Craig’s theory on Gowdy’s death in prison

Closing Thoughts

Mary Craig and Dr. Kate Lister paint a haunting picture of paranoia, deprivation, and cruelty, but also of the strange and fascinating worldviews of 17th-century Scotland. The mystery surrounding Isabel Gowdy’s end, and the weird, vivid richness of her confessions, anchor this exploration of witchcraft’s place in collective memory and its lingering resonance in society and culture today.

Further Readings/Follow-Up:

• Find more from Mary Craig at marywcraig.com
• Look out for her book, A History of Scottish Witches (March 2027)

For fans of scandalous, surprising history, future Betwixt The Sheets episodes will continue exploring sex and scandal through the ages—including a new miniseries on Hollywood’s golden age.