Auld Nick: The Devil in Scottish Folklore
Contents
"O Thou! whatever title suit thee, / Auld Hornie, Satan, Nick, or Clootie." Robert Burns's "Address to the Deil" lists just some of the many names Scots gave the Devil: Auld Nick, Auld Hornie, Clootie, the Deil, the Auld Chiel. The Devil loomed large in Scottish belief, from the terrifying figure of the witch trials, said to meet witches at North Berwick, to a familiar folk character who could be outwitted by clever farmers and fiddlers. This card explores the Devil in Scottish folklore.
TL;DR
- established The Devil had many Scots names, including Auld Nick, Auld Hornie, Clootie (from his cloven hooves), the Deil and the Auld Chiel.
- established Robert Burns's "Address to the Deil" (1786) treats the Devil with humour and even sympathy.
- established In the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, accused witches were said to have made pacts with the Devil. In the North Berwick trials of 1590–91, accused witches confessed to meeting the Devil in the kirk at North Berwick.
- traditional Some farms left a patch of land uncultivated for the Devil, called the "guidman's croft" or "Clootie's croft". The church condemned the practice.
- traditional Folk tales tell of the Devil being outwitted by clever humans, and of places named after him, such as the Devil's Elbow and the Devil's Beef Tub.
Key Facts
- Scots names
- Auld Nick, Auld Hornie, Clootie, the Deil, the Auld Chiel
- Burns
- "Address to the Deil" (1786)
- Witch trials
- Pacts with the Devil alleged
- North Berwick trials
- 1590–91
- Folk custom
- The "guidman's croft" left for the Devil
- Place names
- Devil's Elbow, Devil's Beef Tub, Devil's Staircase
A Note on Claims and Evidence
Each major claim carries one of three labels. established means supported by primary records, official bodies or several independent reliable sources. shared means the core fact is sound but sources disagree on details, dates or interpretation. traditional means widely repeated but not traceable to a primary or independent source.
Confessions in witch trials were often extracted under torture and reflect the beliefs of interrogators as much as of the accused. Folk tales vary widely.
Timeline
The Devil a familiar figure in Scottish religion and art.
Witchcraft Act makes witchcraft a capital crime.
North Berwick witch trials.
James VI publishes Daemonologie.
Witchcraft Act repealed.
Burns's "Address to the Deil" published.
Burns's "Tam o' Shanter" depicts the Devil playing the pipes.
Details
Many names
established Scots had many names for the Devil, often affectionate or euphemistic, perhaps to avoid saying his real name. "Clootie" refers to his cloven hooves ("cloots"), "Auld Hornie" to his horns, and "Auld Nick" is of uncertain origin.
The witch trials
established Under the Witchcraft Act of 1563, thousands of people, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft in Scotland, and many were executed. A central accusation was a pact with the Devil. In the North Berwick trials of 1590–91, accused witches confessed, under torture, to meeting the Devil in North Berwick kirk and plotting to raise storms against James VI's ship. James wrote Daemonologie (1597).
The guidman's croft
traditional In parts of Scotland, a corner of a farm was sometimes left uncultivated, as the "guidman's croft" or "Clootie's croft", to keep the Devil from harming the rest. The church condemned the practice, and kirk sessions ordered such land to be ploughed.
Burns's Deil
established In "Address to the Deil" (1786), Burns lists the Devil's names and tricks with humour, ending by hoping he might mend his ways: "O wad ye tak a thought an' men'!" In "Tam o' Shanter" (1791), Auld Nick plays the bagpipes for dancing witches in Alloway kirk.
Outwitting the Devil
traditional Folk tales often show the Devil being tricked by clever humans, such as a farmer who agrees to give him the "tops" of a crop and then plants potatoes. Places such as the Devil's Beef Tub near Moffat and the Devil's Staircase in Glen Coe carry his name.
Did You Know?
- "Clootie" refers to the Devil's cloven hooves.
- Burns addressed a poem to the Devil.
- Accused witches at North Berwick confessed to meeting the Devil.
- Some farmers left land uncultivated for the Devil.
- In "Tam o' Shanter", the Devil plays the bagpipes.
FAQ
1Who is Auld Nick?
A Scots name for the Devil.
2What other names did Scots use?
Auld Hornie, Clootie, the Deil and others.
3What was the guidman's croft?
Land left uncultivated for the Devil.
4How did Burns portray the Devil?
With humour and some sympathy.
5Why was the Devil important in witch trials?
Accused witches were said to have made pacts with him.
Sources and Further Reading
Primary/Institutional
- Robert Burns, "Address to the Deil" (1786)
- James VI, Daemonologie (1597)
Scholarly/Critical
- Lizanne Henderson, Witchcraft and Folk Belief in the Age of Enlightenment: Scotland, 1670–1740 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)
- Julian Goodare (ed.), The Scottish Witch-Hunt in Context (Manchester University Press, 2002)
Caveats: Myths and Disputed Claims
- Do not treat witch-trial confessions as evidence of real meetings with the Devil.
A Folklore story