A tale of two maidens
Edinburgh's murderesses and beheading machines
Do you like to read books that are set in the place you're visiting while you're there? Recently, I went to Edinburgh for my mini-moon. My book pick was The Maiden by Kate Forster, a grim true tale set in the Scottish capital.
Inspired by a true story, Lady Christian Nimmo is accused of murdering her lover in 17th-century Edinburgh. The novel explores her affair with her aunt's husband, James Forrester, and the events leading to his death. Intertwined is the story of Violet, offering another voice.
The Maiden follows the lives of two women from very different classes of society who are groomed, manipulated and used by a wealthy lord, James Forrester. Lady Christian knows a world of wealth and Violet, who works as a prostitute, is from the lower dregs of society. Despite the complex events of the novel and the motivations behind their actions, this novel ultimately shows the lack of empathy and justice in the 17th century toward their gender and class and how the odds are stacked against them.
Now, if you look closely beyond the stunning florals of this cover, you’ll see a wooden device. This is the other “maiden” of the story.
Before the guillotine, there was the Scottish beheading machine, “The Maiden,” operated in Scotland from the 16th to 18th centuries. Used to create a spectacle at executions, it beheaded over 150 people. A surviving one can be seen at The National Museum of Scotland. Its shadow looms throughout the book, a constant reminder to the women about what happens when they take power into their own hands.
There are some theories around why it was called “The Maiden,” though the correct one remains unknown. Although constructed in 1594, it remained unused for a while, linking it to an untouched maiden. The other theory is that it was a cleaner form of execution when compared to the messiness of axes previously used for beheadings.
Having stood before the real thing in The National Museum of Scotland, looking up at where the wicked blade would have come hurtling down, the story’s events become all the more powerful.
In the shadow of death, a murderess’s voice is heard.