When exploring a land that’s filled with culture and tradition one can’t ignore some of the darker and more suspect aspects of what’s there to be offered, but upon learning a little more about the idea of witchcraft and superstition it’s easy to see how fear can grip anyone, especially when, despite the many pages that have documented such things, people don’t tend to want to learn about what doesn’t interest them. But following Sam and Graham, and putting up with their joking nature in such an episode as this, is fairly easy since one can’t help but feel the strange but very present solemnity of the locations they visit since the cemetery, the prison, and the standing stones are all sites that carry a great deal of history and are to be revered as much as they are observed. Let’s admit that it’s a bit infectious to try and remain witty in the face of something that covers over something that humans are still attempting to fully understand, but the fact is still present that it’s wiser to show some reverence and not play about with every breath. Still, one can’t help but get a good chuckle at Graham’s predicament when he’s trussed up as a witch might have been back in the day.
It does speak to a far more brutal time in history however when being accused of witchcraft carried a very steep price since the people of the day had moved beyond their simpler, pagan ways, the same ways that belonged to the Picts, those that fought constantly against the Roman occupation of England and were often kept to the north by such structures as Hadrian’s Wall. Moving forward hundreds of years from those times, however, Scotland became a place that was ruled not so much by fear, but by laws, order, and of course in a big way by the church. Witches, or those suspected of being witches for one reason or another, were often persecuted and in some cases tortured in various ways to gain a confession. What’s seen in the movies and on TV isn’t always as accurate as it can be, since sensationalism tends to ramp up or mask the real horror that went on since those suspected of witchcraft weren’t treated as prisoners are today, meaning they weren’t given the benefit of doubt that often. The fear of witchcraft at that time was so great that plenty of people were persecuted for no better reason than because they were suspected of crimes that they likely didn’t commit.
The history that suffuses Scotland is a diverse one that includes the Picts and the Vikings since Scandinavian explorers/raiders/settlers made Scotland their home at one point, and helped to influence their history moving forward. The story is that the Scandinavian folk had a much easier time settling in Scotland since unlike Ireland, where they also attempted to settle, they weren’t swept away by the English. That might sound hard to believe, but the history that’s been written and kept for so long appears to support the idea that the Vikings did in fact have a great deal to do with how Scotland’s history came to be what it is now. If no one is willing to believe that then they might start by the end of this episode. There’s not a lot of concrete knowledge concerning the Picts, but it’s known that they were some of the earliest residents of Scotland, and along with the Vikings they practiced what would be called heathen, or pagan according to Christianity, rites that are a little bizarre to some but are somehow very compelling in their very different ways. As one can see, Graham and Sam definitely got into the act and were more than a little caught up in the celebration. Simply watching the show thus far has made a longing to see Scotland in its entirety a desire without a doubt, though it’s completely understood that it might be best to find a tour guide, or guides, that are knowledgable when it comes to various landmarks and sites in order to experience as much as one can when visiting this region of the world.
But thus far the show has been a good bit of fun since while it hasn’t shown absolutely everything that Scotland has to offer, it’s definitely shown a few key areas that would be great for the tourism trade, so long as people are able to respect the history and the traditions of the land much as the people still appear to do. It’s a very simple thing to do when it comes to respecting and honoring the history and customs of a place, and it’s advised to do so as well. With eight episodes planned out, we’re at the halfway point now in this miniseries, and there’s still plenty to come.
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