Interesting article.....
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| Thu, 11-04-2004 - 8:38am |
I thought this was an interesting article from CNN.com and thought I would hear everyone's views on it. I guess, better late than never.... ;-)
Town to officially pardon executed witches
3,500 women and children killed in witch hunts
Friday, October 29, 2004 Posted: 12:00 PM EDT (1600 GMT)
PRESTONPANS, Scotland (AP) -- Accused witches -- and their cats -- executed during a wave of hysteria and religious ferment centuries ago will be pardoned on Halloween in this Scottish township.
"There'll be no witches' hats, dress-ups or that sort of thing -- it will be a fairly solemn occasion," Adele Conn, spokeswoman for the baronial court that granted the pardons, said by telephone interview Friday.
Sunday's ceremony will publicly declare pardons for 81 local people executed in the 16th and 17th centuries for being witches. The pardons have been granted under ancient feudal powers due to be abolished within weeks.
More than 3,500 Scots, mainly woman and children, and their cats were killed in witch hunts at a time of political intrigue and religious ferment. Many were condemned on flimsy evidence, such as owning a black cat or brewing homemade remedies.
Prestonpans region had recorded one of the largest numbers of witch executions in all of Scotland, said Conn, who is the "mountjoye," or official spokeswoman, for the Barons Courts of Prestoungrange & Dolphinstoun.
She said Gordon Prestoungrange, the 14th baron, granted the pardons for the convictions in the last session of his court, which is due to be abolished on November 28.
"'Most of those persons condemned for witchcraft within the jurisdiction of the Baron Courts of Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun were convicted on the basis of spectral evidence -- that is to say, prosecuting witnesses declared that they felt the presence of evil sprits or heard spirit voices,"' the court said in its written findings.
"Such spectral evidence is impossible to prove or to disprove; nor is it possible for the accused to cross-examine the spirit concerned. One is convicted upon the very making of such charges without any possibility of offering a defense."
The court declared an absolute pardon to all those convicted, "as well as to the cats concerned."
Conn said 15 local descendants of executed witches had been invited to attend the ceremony and inaugural Witches' Remembrance Day, which will become an annual event in the township each Halloween.
"It's too late to apologize but it's a sort of symbolic recognition that these people were put to death for hysterical ignorance and paranoia," said local historian Roy Pugh, who presented evidence to the court in support of the pardons.
The last execution for witchcraft in Scotland was in 1727. Such cases were outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which made it a crime only to pretend to be a witch.




Lena
I think that is a wonderful step in the right direction to publicly recognize the wrongdoing of that time and grant the pardons to those that suffered executions.
Hi Gang,
I have the most amazing miracle to share about this article.
This past week I was in Vegas for a seminar over the weekend hosted by some of my favorite enlightened individuals. It was great reconnecting with all of my friends, but the most amazing part was a conversation with one of the participants.
We were talking about healings and a specific healer and she brought up the fact that this healer had mentioned she had been a witch several times. I shared with her the news of this article and we both suddenly felt an overwhelming energy and release.
She was one of the witches that is talked about in the article. We both immediately recognized this and she had shared that one time she was working with the healer he had expressed something about getting rid of that old Scottish thing. The conveyance of this articles information gave her closure on an event that happened so many years ago. It was so powerful to share that with her and to be able to convey the message for her that she had been pardoned.
She expressed later in the day that she hadn't planned to go to the seminar as she was just there a week or two ago, but at the last minute she decided to come along with a friend that wanted to go. After talking to me she realized that hearing that message from me was the reason she was meant to be there for the event.
I want to say thank you for sharing the article so that I could deliver the message to someone that truly benefited from it. It just goes to show that it is never too late to acknowledge someome and let them know there is nothing wrong with what they choose - to not pass any judgement. You never know who's life will be touched by your efforts.
Namaste,
Lena
Wel-l-l-l-llllll, it's ABOUT TIME! Hee! Hee! Seriously, though it is a nice thing for them to do and will hopefully go a long way toward helping people understand and get away from the steretyped nastiness. Good for them for doing it! Thumbs up! :D
Gypsy
Blessings,
Gypsy
)O(
What a wonderful story! Synchronicity is awesome, isn't it?! :D
By the way, Merry Meet! I'm pretty new to the board, arrived while you were gone. :P
Gypsy
Blessings,
Gypsy
)O(
What a wonderful story!
~Nicole