by Cindy Vallar
The time? Fall, 1606
The place? The palace
The audience? King James I of England and his queen, Anne of Denmark, both cursed by witches
The event? Debut of William Shakespeare’s new play, Macbeth. The curtain opens on a cavern, in the center of which stands a boiling cauldron. Thunder crashes. Three witches enter.
Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Shakespeare’s tragedy emphasized what was already on the attendees’ minds: magic and devilry. Even before James ascended Scotland’s throne in 1567, his country’s parliament passed a law that made witchery a crime. Little wonder since the young monarch studied the subject, not as a believer, but as an opponent who was determined to irradicate the world of such wickedness. His determination turned to obsession once he suspected that witchery had been cast on him and his new bride in the last decade of the seventeenth century. His fixation culminated with the publishing of his treatise Daemonologie in 1597.
Macbeth’s witches are the embodiment of evil, but none of the characters ever refer to them as witches. Rather, in the original version of the play, they are Weyward Sisters. At the time, “wayward” was pronounced “WAY-rrd,” so rather than witches, they are three Weird Sisters who prophesy. Witchery and prophesy are two aspects of Scotland’s Otherworld. In this case, the Weird Sisters portend that Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, will be crowned king, and the descendants of Banquo, Thane of Lochaber, will also ascend the throne. Thus begins Macbeth’s downward spiral.
We are less concerned with the psychology here and more fascinated by the supernatural. Circa 1200, “other world” signified a land of spirits, the afterlife. A century later, those two words also incorporated the fantastical, an ideal world different from the one in which people lived. The Celts, later the Gaels, believed this parallel world encompassed the supernatural and, once a year, the pathway between our world and the otherworld intersected, allowing one to cross over and interact with the other. They called it Samhein (pronounced SAH-win), a three-day festival celebrated around October 31st. (In the Christian world, these are known as Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.)
Scotland’s Otherworld is comprised of many different facets. Witchery, both that of the Highlands and the Lowlands (and there was a difference), is but one of these. Second Sight, also known as an dà shealladh or the two sights, is another. But there are many others that might be familiar without us being aware of them: brownies, fairies, trolls, selkies or seal folk, mermaids and mermen, Nessie, kelpies, and banshees to name but a few. Another aspect of this Otherworld that Shakespeare incorporates into his Scottish play comes when Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth. But the supernatural doesn’t end with the final curtain coming down. Some believe, especially those within the theater, that the play itself is cursed. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back to the early 1600s. Fear not though. You aren’t necessarily permanently jinxed. Just exit the theater, spin around thrice, spit, and knock to go back inside. Or maybe run thrice around the theater and toss salt over your shoulder. Or knock on wood. Better yet, just don’t say “Macbeth” when you go to see the play.
Journey with Cindy into the diverse realms of Scotland’s Otherworld in her workshop Witches, Kelpies, and Fairies, Oh My! But beware: Sometimes, there really are things that go bump in the night.
Book Blurb: A Tall Ship, a Star, and Plunder
Banned from his home after solving a wizard’s riddle, Rumble must live in the dangerous world of men. He forms an uneasy alliance with exiled Vikings to retrieve a sacred chalice stolen by their fiendish arch nemesis, Ivan Skullsplitter. “Rumble the Dragon” is one of twenty-four amazing tales of bravado, daring, and dastardly deeds committed by legendary pirates. Travel the High Seas and the far reaches of the galaxy in this collection of tales that explore the past, present, and future of our favorite scalawags. Good luck, and may the wind be in your favor, blowing you toward good pickings and a safe harbor.
Author Bio:
A retired librarian, Cindy Vallar writes historical fiction and is a freelance editor specializing in historical fiction. Her works include The Scottish Thistle (a novel about Scotland’s Rising of 1745), “Odin’s Stone” (a romantic short story about how the Lord of the Isles settled a medieval feud on the Isle of Skye); and “Rumble the Dragon” (a historical fantasy about dragons and Vikings). For fourteen years, she penned an editing column called “The Red Pencil” that appeared in Historical Novels Review. A member of the Historical Novel Society, she continues to review for them and served on the Board of Directors for the fifth North American HNS Conference. She is also a member of Historical Writers of America and the National Association of Writers and Editors. She invites you to visit her award-winning web site, Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com), to learn more.
Don’t miss Cindy Vallar’s
Online Workshop
WITCHES, KELPIES, AND
FAIRIES. OH MY!
This 4 Week Course Starts October 3, 2022
Sponsored by FF&P
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