Clan Forbes Story of Scottish Witchcraft

Scotland has a long-standing association with the supernatural. Despite a cultural leaning toward folklore and certain elements of ancient Celtic mythology, the witch craze of the 17th century resulted in mass executions, with no leniency for anyone who resembled a witch. What did witches look like in early modern Scotland, you ask?

In Gaelic, the word most closely associated with our definition of a witch is Cailleach. This word translates to “old woman” or “hag” - definitely common visuals associated with scary witches for us. There are numerous Gaelic poems and stories that feature a Cailleach character, or some form of the term. In the 20th century, Scottish folklorist Donald Alexander Mackenzie gave her the name Beira, Queen of Winter, who is said to have been responsible for the creation of many of the beautiful mountain scapes throughout Scotland. Rather than painting a picture of an evil and purely mythical old woman, the witch in the form of the Cailleach was often portrayed as being more connected to pagan traditions associated with seasonal deities in Scotland than a trick or treat icon, with Goddess-like powers that were far from fairytale. Of course, culturally, the Scots have often blended folklore with their contemporary beliefs, which is part of what makes Scotland such a truly magical place. But, how then could something like the witch craze with so many “witch” trials and executions happen in a place like Scotland? It turns out, Scotland’s fascination with faeries, druids, and magic only encouraged very real and widespread fear of witches during a time when propaganda against any supposed anti-Christian activity at all was absolutely rife.

Fast forward a few centuries to the early 20th and hop on a boat over to America, and we discover the story of a witch taking on a different definition of the term and bearing the name Forbes. From Taskee, Missouri, Josie Forbes was a clairvoyant, referred to as the “Witch of Taskee” by those who knew of her gifts. By day, she was a schoolteacher, but as her popularity grew, she became more well known as a clairvoyant. She was described as often delivering her prophecies from a trance like state, even engaging in acts of possession. Forbes provided services to ordinary people as well as law officials, even helping an accused woman get acquitted of her husband’s murder. She is thought to have had had thousands of visitors during her life as a clairvoyant and it is clear that the population at large really believed in her skills.

Despite Josie Forbes being a somewhat spooky figure, this is really the story of someone who was revered and beloved in her community. It seems a far cry from the tragic tales of witches in the early modern era, both in Scotland and in America. The story of the Witch of Taskee is one Clan Forbes tale we're sure to remember!