There are thousands of officially registered Scottish tartan designs, but only one is dedicated to the “witches” of Scotland. Certified earlier this month, the tricolor pattern is intended as a memorial honoring the thousands of women who were falsely accused of witchcraft during the 16th through 18th centuries. Most of the victims were hanged following sham trials and unjust convictions. Following their executions, their bodies were also burned and denied proper burial.
Accusations of witchcraft have offered a convenient way to subjugate and silence persecuted people for centuries. In Europe, this frequently also stemmed from a growing stigmatization of folk medicine and midwifery, practices most often associated with women. The most recognizable example in the United States is the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693. Over 200 people were accused, resulting in19 hangings–including 14 women. In Scotland, however, the Witchcraft Act of 1563 remained codified law for nearly 200 years, and helped justify the deaths of thousands of people. Witches of Scotland, an advocacy group campaigning for a formal governmental pardon and the construction of a national memorial, estimates around 84 percent of those cases centered on women. But while the organization secured an apology from then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2022, an official pardon and historic monument plans remain elusive. In the meantime, Witches of Scotland co-founder Claire Mitchell thought of another way to commemorate the Witchcraft Act’s many victims.
In collaboration with designer Clare Campbell, Mitchell created a new tartan whose tricolor scheme, weaving, and patterns all directly recall the Scottish witchcraft trials. Speaking with The Herald, Mitchell explained that the red threads represent the victims’ blood, the gray serves as a reminder of the ashes left after authorities burned their bodies, while the pink mimics the color of the tape used to tie legal documents. Each black square contains 173 threads for every year the Witchcraft Act was enforced, while the thin lines have either 15 or 17 threads—15 is the sum of the digits of the year the Witchcraft Act was passed (1+5+6+3), and 17 for when it was repealed (1+7+3+6).
“This tartan will be woven to make products to help create a ‘living memorial,’” reads the Witches of Scotland entry in the Scottish Register of Tartans.
Mitchell and Campbell expect their Witches of Scotland kilts to launch in May. However, unlike other tartan patterns, wearers aren’t restricted to a specific family or clan. Anyone can sport the pattern in support of the unjustly persecuted and vulnerable populations, both then and now.
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