Witchcraft and Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Scotland module (HY51046)
Explore the Scottish witch-hunt from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.
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Credits
20
Module code
HY51046
This module explores the role and significance of witchcraft in early modern Scotland (c.1560-c.1730) through comprehensive study of both magical beliefs and witch persecutions.
What you will learn
In this module, you will:
study topics on magical beliefs, e.g. the magical realm, the demonic pact, and magic, sex, and gender
study topics on witch persecutions, e.g. identifying the witch, trying the witch, patterns of witch-hunting, the great witch-hunt (1662), the decline of witch-hunting, the growth of scepticism, and events up to and beyond the 1736 Witchcraft Act
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
demonstrate solid knowledge on popular and elite understandings of witchcraft
appreciate why witchcraft was viewed as a socio-political threat
demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of how the authorities and society responded to the challenge of witchcraft