Witches in Atholl
Extract from MS249 The Atholl Experience
A present to Mary, Queen of Scots
It was alleged that the witches of Atholl sent a present to
Queen Mary in 1570.
Calderwood writes:
'About this time a present was sent, as was supposed, from the
witches of Atholl to the Scottish Queene; a prettie hart horne, not
exceeding in quantitie the palme of a man's hand, covered with gold
and artificiallie wrought. In the head of it were curiouslie
engraven the armes of Scotland; in the neather part of it a
throne, and a gentlewoman sitting in the same, in a robe royall,
with a crown upon her head. Under her feet was a rose
environned with a thistle. Under that were two lyons, the one
bigger, the other lesser. The bigger lyon held his paw upon
the face of the other, as his lord and commander. Beneath all
were written these words: "Fall what may fall, the lyon sall be
lord of all" '
Source: History of the Church of Scotland MS of David
Calderwood, ed. Thomas Thomson, Woodrow Society, 8 Vols.,
1842-49; Hunter, Thos., The Diocese & Presbytery of
Dunkeld, 1660-1689, 1917 in The Atholl Experience, Volume 2,
p37
Illustration: The Witch of Beinn a'Ghlo, from The
Art of Deerstalking by William Scrope, 1847, The Atholl
Experience Vol 9(2)
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