Violet Mar

Scottish woman accused of witchcraft

Violet Mar (died 1577) was a Scottish woman accused of plotting the death of Regent Morton by witchcraft.

## History[edit]

Violet lived at Kildeis or Keldeis in Muthill or Methven in Perthshire. She was accused of using "sorcery, witchcraft, incantations, and the invocation of spirits" apparently to bring down the ruler of Scotland, Regent Morton. There is hardly anything known of her life and motivations.[1]

A local laird Robert Murray of Abercairny was involved in her arrest and trial. He asked his sister-in-law, Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar for advice. She was at time the head of the household of the king, James VI, at Stirling Castle.[2]

In September 1577 Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar wrote to Robert Murray, telling not to come to Stirling Castle, because Regent Morton was coming. The Laird of Abercairny wanted to bring Violet Mar to Stirling, and Annabell Murray advised him to get written statements from her accusers.[3] This was the second letter on the subject from the Countess of Mar, and she was clearly active in planning the trial of Violet Mar. It has been suggested that the Countess helped form the attitudes of James VI of Scotland towards women accused of witchcraft.[4]

On 10 October 1577 a royal messenger, Robert Binning, was sent from Edinburgh to summon Margaret Murray, Lady Clackmannan (another sister of Catherine Murray, Lady Abercairney and the Countess of Mar), the Laird of Abercairny and his wife Catherine Murray, and others, to come before the Privy Council on 18 October. Binning also brought the summons for the assize of Violet Mar, to be held on 24 October.[5]

Violet Mar was brought to trial and convicted on 24 October 1577.[6]

## Apology from Scottish government[edit]

In March 2022 Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, apologized for the persecution of alleged witches during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The Scottish government had not apologized previously.[7]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Robert Pitcairn, Ancient Criminal Trials, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1833), pp. 75-6.
2. ^ Michael Wasser, 'Scotland's First Witch Hunt', Julian Goodare, Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), p. 29.
3. ^ HMC 3rd Report: C. H. D. Moray (London, 1872), p. 419, now National Library of Scotland.
4. ^ Michael Wasser, 'Scotland's First Witch Hunt', Julian Goodare, Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), pp. 29, 33 fn. 65.
5. ^ Charles Thorpe McInnes, Accounts of the Treasurer, 1574-1580, vol. 13 (Edinburgh, 1978), p. 182.
6. ^ Robert Pitcairn, Ancient Criminal Trials, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1833), pp. 75-6: Michael Wasser, 'Scotland's First Witch Hunt', Julian Goodare, Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), p. 29.
7. ^ Cramer, Maria (9 March 2022). "Scotland Apologizes for History of Witchcraft Persecution". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2022.

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Magic and witchcraft in Britain

Folk magic|

| Variants|

* Anglo-Saxon metrical charms
* Anglo-Saxon paganism
* Cunning folk in Britain
* Goetia
* Nicnevin

|

Magicians|

* Dummy, the Witch of Sible Hedingham
* James Murrell
* George Pickingill

Ceremonial magic|

| Organizations|

* A∴A∴
* Alpha et Omega
* Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor
* Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
* O∴A∴A∴
* Ordo Aurum Solis
* Ordo Templi Orientis
* Society of the Inner Light
* Typhonian Order

|

Magicians|

* Peter J. Carroll
* Andrew Chumbley
* Aleister Crowley
* John Dee
* Kenneth Grant
* Dion Fortune
* Phil Hine
* James Lees
* Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers
* Madeline Montalban
* Alan Moore
* Austin Osman Spare
* A. E. Waite

Early Modern
witchcraft|

| Trials|

* Windsor Witches
* 1579
* Witches of Warboys
* 1589–1593
* North Berwick witch trials
* 1590
* Aberdeen witch trials of 1596-1597
* 1596-1597
* Pendle witches
* 1612
* Northamptonshire witch trials
* 1612
* Samlesbury witches
* 1612
* Witches of Belvoir
* 1619
* Bury St Edmunds witch trials
* 1645, 1662, 1655, 1694
* Alloa witches
* 1658
* Bideford witch trial
* 1684
* Paisley witches
* 1696
* Pittenweem witches
* 1704
* Islandmagee witch trial
* 1711

|

Accused
witches|

* Lilias Adie
* Margaret Aitken
* Allison Balfour
* Margaret Bane
* Margaret Barclay
* Magdalene Blair
* Janet Boyman
* Margaret Burges
* Katherine Campbell
* Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis
* Meg Dow
* Margaret Duchill
* Geillis Duncan
* Bessie Dunlop
* Isobel Elliot
* Issobell Fergussone
* John Fian
* Agnes Finnie
* Maud Galt
* Gormshuil Mhòr na Maighe (aka Gormla)
* Isobel Gowdie
* Helen Guthrie
* Janet Horne
* Grissel Jaffray
* Mary Hicks
* Marie Lamont
* Beatrix Leslie
* Euphame MacCalzean
* Elspeth McEwen
* Violet Mar
* Barbara Napier
* Alice Nutter
* Mary Pannal
* Alison Pearson
* George and Lachlan Rattray
* Elspeth Reoch
* Agnes Sampson
* Isobell Shyrie
* Bessie Stevenson
* Anna Tait
* Annaple Thomsone
* Marioun Twedy
* Issobell Young
* Marion Walker
* Beatrix Watsone
* Jane Weir
* Major Thomas Weir
* Janet Wishart
* Bessie Wright

Witch hunters and
Witch-prickers|

* Christian Caldwell
* John Kincaid

Neopagan witchcraft|

| Variants|

* Wicca: Alexandrian Wicca
* Gardnerian Wicca
* Cochrane's Craft

|

Neopagan
witches|

* Artemis
* Charles Cardell
* Robert Cochrane
* Dafo
* Stewart Farrar
* Janet Farrar
* Gerald Gardner
* Frederic Lamond
* Sybil Leek
* Alex Sanders
* Doreen Valiente
* Cecil Williamson

Modern
witchcraft|

| Last person imprisoned under
the Witchcraft Act 1735.|

* Helen Duncan

|

Monuments
and museums|

| Monuments|

* Witches' Well, Edinburgh
* Maggie Wall

|

Museums|

* Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Cornwall

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