Elspeth
Stories are fragments; splinters
of light in dark
spaces, tales more
of Teller than Told.
We can’t know your story as
you would tell it,
and would you
even recognise what we wrote?
(permission of Trove, Scotland)
“Elspeth McKewan is famous for being the last woman burned as a witch in Dumfries and Galloway. Imprisoned and tortured in Kirkcudbright Tolbooth, Elspeth endured for two long years before confessing In this sequence of poems ‘Restoring Elspeth’ Ros Ollin gives her a new story, as a real and complex human being living in a world shaped by religion and superstition.
Over generations Elspeth’s story has told of accusations against her and the detail of her terrible death, By exploring who she was, what happened to her – the accusations, the arrest, the torture, the trial as well as the execution – and the major questions of who might have wanted her dead, these poems try to understand Elspeth’s experiences and feelings and in doing so, to restore some respect and dignity to her life.
Every person named in the poems really existed and as new information emerged, writing the poems became a process of discovering history. There are historical notes about each poem as a resource for anyone who would like to explore more.
Although Elspeth’s end is known and she is just one of countless people silenced for other people’s gain, ‘Restoring Elspeth’ reminds us of her humanity and that every story can be known in a different way depending on who tells it. The poems finish on a note of hope.”
Elspeth: A dispersal
The last woman burned as a witch in Dumfries and Galloway has been known by many different versions of her name. I shall call her Elspeth McKewan, but I could just as easily have chosen– Mc’Ewen, MacGowan, McQueen or others. Her death is what made her famous – accusations of witchcraft, harsh imprisonment, cruel death – folk tale passed through word of mouth down generations.
I wanted to bring a dignity to a woman made famous by how her life ended – condemned as a witch to die a horrible death. This sequence of poems focuses on key events in her story and how she might have experienced them – as a complex human being – not a caricature or a symbol, but with strengths, weaknesses and flaws like the rest of us. I wanted to use my book to share her story, for her and others like her. Thank you for being part of this dispersal. I hope I’ve done her justice.
“…Elspeth. I can’t see your face.
Can only conjure your hands…”
I don’t think they all wanted her dead
Not all of them.
There had been too much killing
Most people were tired of it
And there were important things to think about
Like putting bread on the table
Bringing up children
Their own aches and pains.
But there were some
With more vested interests.
Landowners greedy for cattle,
Tightlipped Kirk men
Holders of old hatreds
Distracting people from other,
More dangerous thoughts.
And she was an easy enemy.
They burned her at Silver Craigs,
Alone in a place of strangers.
An old, unwilling executioner paid
In silver, beer and new clothes.
(permission of BeautifulPicture - Shutterstock)
The further they go, the rougher the ground, the slower
The walk, the old mare panting,
Nose and mouth pouring blood, spattering
Elspeth’s skirt, Beadle’s coat.
His first shout is not fear of witchcraft,
But fear the Minister’s horse is ruined.
Though he knows who will take the blame, so does she.
Her name, her Devil’s work.
(permission of Angela Miller)
(permission of Trove, Scotland)
All those who have suffered
They are in our bones
All those who have caused suffering
They are in our bones
All those who have loved
They are in our bones
All those who have destroyed love
They are in our bones
There is nothing in any living thing
That ever existed
That does not live in us.
(permission of Joshua Wells)
“Evocative, emotional and profoundly important read”
“… mixes history, archival evidence and poetry to reclaim Elspeth from labels imposed upon her”
“ … a beautiful, moving and important rendering of a woman who should be known for her life and not just her death”
“ Terrific! …. a tour de force as well as a labour of love”
“ a real contribution for anyone studying Elspeth McKewan and, more generally, witchcraft in Scotland.”
“ …a very deep and exquisite piece of writing .. wonderful to feel the compassion and understanding for her tragic story”
Love is what remains.
