An exhibition remembering 13 women wrongly accused of and persecuted for witchcraft in Scotland has been on display in Dunfermline.
Witches in Word, Not Deed is currently on show at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries.
It consists of 13 dresses that are all personalised and imprinted with words used against each of the women accused of witchcraft in some form. These have all been created as historically accurate as possible.
Carolyn Sutton, creator of the exhibition, said: “During my studies, I learned the importance of exploring difficult heritage and how it can play a big role in addressing social justice issues.
"I wanted to find a way to remember these women in a way that dispelled myths and long-held misconceptions about the people who were persecuted as witches.
“I’d hoped this could help people relate to the victims on a deeper level than they might have strictly through text or other mediums. I really wanted to promote compassion and understanding.
“It was important to me to give these women their voices back and restore their identity and dignity. Another objective was to create conversations about the power of words and talk about some of the ways in which these accusations came about.
“I also wanted the chance to draw parallels between the witch trials and our lives today, and to talk about how dangerous othering and scapegoating can be.”
Carolyn has been interested in folklore since childhood, and after moving to Scotland in 2012, she started researching local folklore for a different photography-based project.
It was not long after that she discovered the history of the witch trials.
She added: “I hadn’t been aware of the full extent of the witchcraft trials here and in Europe before this. It was quite a shock.
"The photography project shifted because it just didn’t all fit together, and so this topic was still simmering away in the back of my mind all this time.
“I didn’t know what it would turn into until the day that it all finally clicked into place.”
With a background in art/library science and an MFA in Heritage and Exhibition Design, Carolyn was well-equipped for all the extensive research required for the project.
READ MORE: Memorial for Scottish witches held at Dunfermline Abbey
Speaking of the dresses in the exhibition, Carolyn told the Press: “The dresses are worn by empty forms with a light shining out of the top, bringing attention to the loss of life and identity in which the witch trials resulted.
“Each of them also has a booklet of the texts printed on their dress, a panel that gives information about each of the women and what happened to them (or as much as we know), embroidery hoops with maps with red pins marking where they lived, and another with themes that tie these stories into the larger witch trials.
“The dresses and accompanying pieces are all printed on natural linen, which is meant to resemble the parchment and paper these records are printed on. Each also has a wooden sign with the woman’s basic information.
“At the end of the exhibition, there is a book of remembrance and an interactive which asks visitors to consider reasons why they might have been accused of witchcraft if they’d lived in those times, or to share words that have been used against them personally.
"Those pieces of linen then become part of the exhibition.”
When asked if there is a woman accused of witchcraft that she is most interested in, Carolyn said: “That’s a difficult question for me to answer. I’m very invested in each of them and feel connected to them, which I suppose sounds a bit strange outside of my own head.
“I will say that there is one woman in particular that I searched for in the archives longer than all the others.
“Sadly, I still ended up with very little information outside of a folktale and a brief mention of her trial which was held sometime around 1630.
“The history of the woman referred to as Scota Bess, Queen of the Orkney Witches, still eludes me, and for now, her true story is seemingly lost to history. I haven’t given up, though, and I have every intention of continuing to look for her.”
Witches in Word, Not Deed will be at DCLG until Saturday, November 16.
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