Janet Forsyth of Westray

Known in folk stories as the Westray Storm Witch, Janet Forsyth was accused of witchcraft and stood trial in 1629. Janet was said to have rowed out into very rough seas to save a sailing ship that had come into difficulty during a storm. She helped the crew sail to safety but unfortunately this was her downfall as people didn’t believe she could’ve navigated through the storm without witchcraft. The folk story gives her a happy ending, pronouncing that her lover came to the dungeon to rescue her, but records show that she was executed in Kirkwall. The stone around my painting is based off the entrance to Marwick’s Hole, the entrance to a dungeon in St Magnus’ Cathedral in Kirkwall. This was where most of Orkney’s witch trials were held, at least 70 people stood accused between 1594 and 1700 although many records have been lost.