Scream Queens: Isobel Gowdie

Isobel Gowdie (fl. 1662) was a Scottish woman who confessed to witchcraft during a period historians now call “The Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661-1662.” She told elaborate, extensive, and often subversive, stories about being a witch.

For Further Reading: 

• Go in the Devil’s Name
• The Subversive Fantasy of Isobel Gowdie
• Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials
• The Visions Of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft And Dark Shamanism In Seventeenth Century Scotland
• The Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661-1662

October is the perfect time to delve into all things spooky. So this month, we're talking about the women who give us goosebumps. Some are real-life creators of spine-chilling works of fiction. Others are the subjects of frightening folklore. Either way, these Scream Queens are sure to give you a scare.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Before we get started, a quick heads up that this
episode contains mentions of violence. Hello from Wonder Media Network.
I'm Jenny Kaplan and this is Wamanica. October is the
perfect time to delve into all things spooky. So this
month we're talking about women who give us goosebumps. Some
are real life creators of spine chilling works of fiction.

(00:21):
Others are the subjects of frightening folklore. Either way, these
screen queens are sure to give you a scare. Today
we're talking about a woman whose confessions spun shocking stories
that bewitched her fellow Scots. Whether her tales were true
or not, their subversive nature struck fear into the hearts
of many and added fuel to the fire of a

(00:42):
national moral panic. Meet Isabel Goudy. Isabel Goudy was alive
during the mid sixteen hundreds. It was a time of
great upheaval in Scottish history, particularly for women, and it
was particularly influence by the aftermath of the Scottish Reformation,
when the country broke away from the Catholic Church and

(01:05):
became Protestant. As the states shifted to a new form
of religion, political, social and economic life was in flux.
Mainstream Scottish society became more sensitive to dissenting voices, and
they sought to eradicate anyone who spoke against the prevailing
religious ideology. Influential members of the ruling elite, including the

(01:27):
King of Scotland himself, became deeply concerned about the possibility
of sorcery. In fifteen sixty three, the Scottish Parliament had
passed the Witchcraft Act, which made witchcraft a capital crime.
It was around this time that witch hunting became seen
as a more legitimate profession in Scotland. Witch Hunters, also
known as prickers, were paid by the number of so

(01:49):
called witches they found. This was an appealing financial incentive
that prompted many to lean into their most paranoia induced instincts.
This was the environment Isabel was born into. There aren't
any record, but she was likely from a village near
the Scottish Highlands. For most of her life she lived

(02:11):
in a small earthen house with her husband, who was
probably a farm worker. We don't know much about Isabel's childhood,
but we do know that her life took a drastic turn.
In sixteen sixty two. Isabel was targeted by a local
pricker and accused of witchcraft. While in custody, she confessed
that she covenanted with the devil and was part of

(02:33):
a larger coven of witches. These confessions came after she
had likely been kept in solitary confinement, and while some
historians say the confessions were voluntary, others suspect that Isabel
was subject to certain forms of torture, like beating in
sleep deprivation. Between the spring of sixteen sixty one and

(02:55):
the fall of sixteen sixty two, at least six hundred
and sixty four people across Scotland were accused of witchcraft,
isabelle among them. It's said that more than three hundred
women were executed as a result. This period of intense
panic became known as the Great Scottish witch Hunt of
sixteen sixty one and sixteen sixty two. What makes Isabel's

(03:17):
story unique is the testimony she gave when she was
accused of being a witch. Her confessions are considered the
most extensive of any witch trial interrogation. They also have
a certain literary flare. Isabel was questioned four times during
April and May of sixteen sixty two. Unlike many other women,
accused of witchcraft. Isabel appears to have leaned into the accusation,

(03:40):
using it as a chance to go in depth about
her dalliances with the devil. In one testimony, she says,
Satan quote was a very big, dark, hairy man. He
will lay all heavy upon us like a malt sac.
He would come to my housetop in the shape of
a crow now, and then I would voice at the

(04:00):
first hearing of it, and would go forth with him.
In another confession, she admits to killing a number of people.
Isabel also claimed to have destroyed her neighbour's crops and
cast spells over the local minister, a man she disliked immensely.
She also mentioned that she had the ability to shape
shift into cats, hairs and other animals. At midnight, she

(04:22):
said she met with her coven to listen to the
devil's sermon, dance wildly, and fly through the air on cornstalks.
It was truly a spectacle. Many believed that Isabel's stories
were the result of mold induced hallucinations or some form
of psychosis. Nevertheless, Isabel's elaborate tales drew both the attention
and disgust of the local community. She made fun of

(04:46):
the men who interrogated her, and also managed to recite
her stories in rhyming iambic pentameter, an outlandish embellishment to
a situation that was already sensational in the beginning. Crowds
gathered to hear her confessions and coouraging her performance, but
by her fourth confession, she was alone with her interrogators
everyone else was gone. After her trial, Isabel was found

(05:09):
guilty and is believed to have been taken to the
outskirts of town to be strangled and burned at the stake.
During her interrogations, she implicated another twelve people as members
of her coven. Since her death, Isabel has been the
subject of many songs and plays. Some say that her ghost,
which supposedly takes the form of a green lady, still

(05:30):
haunts the area where she once lived. All month, We're
talking about Scream Queens. For more information, find us on
Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan,
my favorite sister and co creator. Tune in tomorrow for
a special bonus episode brought to you by the CBS
original Elsbeth Talk to You then,