Allison Balfour

Shari'ar da aka yi a shekara ta 1594 na maƙaryaci **Allison Balfour** ko **Margaret Balfour** tana ɗaya daga cikin shari'o'in maita na Scotland da aka fi ambaton su akai-akai. Balfour ya zauna a Tsibirin Orkney na Scotland a yankin Stenness . A wannan lokacin a Scotland, Dokar Maƙaryaci ta Scotland ta 1563 ta sanya hukunci don maita wanda za'a iya azabtar da shi ta hanyar mutuwa.

Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, wanda aka fi sani da Black Patie, yana da iko da Orkney a cikin 1594 a lokacin gwajin Balfour. Patie ya gamsu cewa 'yan uwansa, musamman John Stewart, Earl na Carrick, suna shirin kashe shi. Patie ta gano guba a hannun daya daga cikin bayin Yahaya, Thomas Paplay, wanda bayan an azabtar da shi na kwanaki goma sha ɗaya ya furta kuma ya haɗa Balfour tsakanin masu makirci.

Kodayake Paplay ya janye ikirarinsa kafin a kashe shi, an kai Balfour da iyalinta Kirkwall, inda aka azabtar da su har sai an cire ikirarin. An yi wa Balfour shari'a, an same shi da laifin maita, kuma an yanke masa hukuncin kisa. Kamar yadda Paplay ya yi, Balfour ta janye ikirarin ta nan da nan kafin a kashe ta a ranar 16 ga watan Disamba na shekara ta 1594, ta yi shelar rashin laifi da kuma ba da cikakken bayani game da azabtar da aka yi mata da danginta. An kashe ta a Gallow Ha' a Kirkwall a ranar 16 ga Disamba 1594.

## Tarihi
Mazaunan tsibirin Orkney suna da dogon al'adar imani da siffofin maita, maita da halittu masu ban mamaki.[5] An yarda da ikon sihiri a matsayin wani ɓangare na rayuwa kuma ba a yi musu tambayoyi ba.[6] Yin farautar maƙaryaci a Scotland ya fara ne a cikin kimanin shekara ta 1550;  majalisar dokokin Maryamu, Sarauniya ta Scots ta zartar da Dokar Maƙaryaci ta Scotland a cikin shekara ta 1563 (ko da yake Maryamu a ƙarƙashin matsin lamba daga Furotesta ta jinkirta al'amarin har sai da ya yiwu),  suna yin hukuncin maita a ƙarƙashin hukuncin kisa.[6][7][8] Kodayake tsibirin Orkney ya kasance a hukumance a ƙarƙashin dokar Norway har zuwa 1611,  Scotland ce ta gudanar da shi daga 1468  a ƙarƙashin mulkin Scottish earls.[9][11] Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, wanda aka fi sani da Black Patie, yana da iko da tsibirin a cikin 1594 a lokacin gwajin maƙaryaci na farko. Iyalin Stewart suna da mummunan hali ga juna: Patie yana da dangantaka mai tsanani da mahaifinsa  kuma ya nuna ƙiyayya ga 'yan uwansa, musamman John Stewart, Earl na Carrick, wanda Patie ya gamsu da niyyar kashe shi. [13] Ya sami Thomas Paplay, bawan Yahaya, tare da guba.[4] An azabtar da Paplay har kwana goma sha ɗaya har sai da ya furta,  yana mai suna Allison Balfour daga cikin masu makirci. [14][15] Ya janye ikirarinsa kafin a kashe shi.[16]

Ana samun bayanai kaɗan ne kawai game da gwajin maƙaryaci a Orkney kafin 1612,  amma Julian Goodare ya bayyana cikakkun bayanai game da hukuncin Balfour [2] a matsayin "ɗaya daga cikin shari'o'in maita da aka fi ambaton su a Scotland. " [2] Balfour ta zauna a wani yanki na Stenness da aka sani da Ireland, [3]  tare da tsohuwar matarsa Taillifeir da 'ya'yanta.[9][18] Mai warkarwa ta halitta mai suna, 'yan uwansa da abokansu, wadanda ke shirin kashe shi, sun nemi shawara kan yadda za su yi wa Black Patie sihiri.[18][19] Na farko daga cikin shawarwari da yawa da ake zargi ya faru ne a watan Oktoba na shekara ta 1593,  sakamakon ba a sani ba amma Black Patie bai sha wahala ba. [18][19] Duk da haka, an kama Balfour kuma an kai shi Kirkwall don a gwada shi a watan Disamba na shekara ta 1594.[19][20]

Wannan shari'ar ba ta da kyau saboda an gabatar da ita ne kawai a kan ikon Patie, yayin da yawancin shari'ar maƙaryaci ta Scotland ke buƙatar kwamiti na mai adalci.[2] An gudanar da mafi yawan shari'o'in maƙaryaci a Cocin St Magnus Cathedral,  inda fursunoni za su iya kasancewa a kurkuku, amma an gudanar da Balfour a Kirkwall Castle. [21][3] Masanin tarihin Orcadian Ernest Marwick ya yi hasashen cewa azabtarwa na iya faruwa a cikin babban coci.[19] Henry Colville na Orphir, Minista kuma babban aboki na Patie ya yi wa Balfour tambayoyi na kwana biyu.[22]

## Tortura
Henry Colville ya yi ƙoƙari ya sami isasshen shaida daga Balfour don ba Patie damar daukar mataki a kan ɗan'uwansa, John Stewart . [19] An azabtar da ita na tsawon sa'o'i arba'in da takwas tare da Colville yana ɗaukar matsayin "mai tambaya da mai ta'aziyya ta ruhaniya".[23] An rufe ƙafafunta a cikin wani kayan aiki da ake kira caschielawes, na'urar da aka yi da baƙin ƙarfe wanda za'a iya dumama shi da wuta har sai jikin wanda aka azabtar ya fara ƙonewa. [3][24] Lokacin da ta rasa sani, kamar yadda ta yi sau da yawa, an cire na'urar har sai an iya taya da ita kuma azabtarwa ta ci gaba.[3] Yayin da Balfour ta ci gaba da nuna rashin laifi, Colville ta mayar da hankalinsa ga mijinta, ɗanta, da 'yarta mai shekaru bakwai.[24] Taillifeir, mijinta, an azabtar da shi a gabanta ta hanyar amfani da baƙin ƙarfe ko da yake ba a san ainihin irin na'urar da wannan yake ba.[24] Marwick ya bayyana su a matsayin masu ɗaurewa [3] amma masanin tarihi Sigurd Towrie [3] ya nuna su a matsayin hanyar matsawa ta hanyar sanya fam 700 (320 na duwatsu a jikin wanda aka azabtar.[1][1] Lokacin da Balfour har yanzu ba za ta furta ba an tilasta mata kallon ɗanta yana sanya ƙafafunsa a cikin takalmin ƙarfe.[26] Na'urar, wacce ta shimfiɗa daga gwiwarsa zuwa idonsa, an buga ta sau hamsin da bakwai da babban guduma.[3] Takalman suna haifar da mummunan murkushewa da yanka ga nama da ƙasusuwa.[3]￼

Balfour ta kai ga raguwa lokacin da Colville ta azabtar da 'yarta.[26] Ya sanya hannayen yarinyar a cikin yatsun yatsa, wanda kuma ake kira *pinniewinkles*,  yana yayyafa yatsun yaron.[26] Colville ta tabbatar wa Balfour cewa ba za a kashe ta ba idan ta furta.[19] Ta sauƙaƙe kuma a ƙarshe Colville ta sami isasshen yarda da laifi don kotun ta iya yanke mata hukunci.[19]

## Manazarta