A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1700+
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
Sorcery, Socery, n. Also: sorcerye, -ie, sorcere, sorsery, -arie, sorcherie, socerye, -ie, socerre, sossery, -ie, soscerie, sossary, sossorye, sosarie. [ME and e.m.E. sorceri (Cursor M.), -ie (1357), sorserye (Chaucer), also late north. ME and e.m.E. socery (c1460), OF sorcerie (1170 in Greimas).] Sorcery, witchcraft; an instance of sorcery; a magical rite or practice. Also pl.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints i 279.
Than Petir sa agayne hym wrocht, At all sic spech he mad of nocht, And all his sorcery vndide a1400 Legends of the Saints x 59.
With thare sorcery wald tha Lat men to gange a fute away a1400 Legends of the Saints xxx 120.
Of sorcery scho cuth do 1456 Hay II 40/20. 1494 Loutfut MS 114b.
Thai sal suere before the juge that thai haue not apon thair personnys stane of vertu na herbe charme sorcery no wichcraft nor na thing that thair beleif is in bot in God & the abiliter of thair personnys 1535 Stewart 16182.
Out of my sicht with thi sorcerie 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 153/33.
Sic ignorant peple … ascriuit the workis of the apostolis to be sorcerie and wichecraft 1576 Criminal Trials I ii 51.
Dilatit of the vsing of sorcerie, witchcraft and incantatioune with invocatioun of spretis of the devill 1584 Gowrie P. 28.
Sorcerye 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I 103.
Jonet Wischert, … brint for sorcerie 1597 Criminal Trials II 29.
Geving … out … that thai had craft of sorcerie 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 22/2.
Sorcerie is a Latine worde, … taken from casting of the lot, & therefore he that vseth it, is called sortiarius à sorte 1617 Kirkwall Sheriff Ct. Act Bk. 7b.
That no persone … of nae rank … sall hyd … any kynd of thift sorcere witchcraft [etc.] 1629 Justiciary Cases I 107.
Could nevir haif cassin sorcerie upone him or Jonet Hodge his wyfe to caus hir butter misthryve(b) a1500 Henr. Orph. 588.
This perfyte wisdome … drawis vpwart our affectioun Fra wichcraft, spaying and sorsery 1563 Acts II 539/1.
The hauy and abominabill superstitioun vsit … be vsing of witchcraftis, sorsarie and necromancie 1575 Rep. Hist. MSS, Var. Coll. V 100.
Imputing ane hedeous cryme of sorsarie to me(c) c1460 Consail Vys Man 439.
Trow nocht in dremys nor socery a1500 Henr. Fab. 890 (Bann.).
The pegas perolus Transformit be assent of socerre 1513 Doug. i Prol. 208.
Quha wait gyf he in visioun thydder went By art magike, socery or enchantment 1531 Bell. Boece II 495.
Thay accusit hir of socery [M. socerye] and incantationis 1551 Hamilton Catechism 254.
And sumtyme lippinis mair in the devil be socery … than thai lippin in the name of God 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 136.
Perceauing that thy former wichecraft and socerie cassin on the said vmquhile Walter Cruikshank culd not wirk 1650 Lamont Diary 20.
Ther was a fast apointed by the Comiss. of the Gener. Assemb. … the maine causes werre the great securitie of the land, … the abounding of socerie [etc.] 1719 Old-lore Misc. II iii 172.
The noise of witchcraft and socerie(d) 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV 680.
Sorcherie, inchantment and uthiris divilish divysis(e) c1420 Wynt. i 846 (W).
In Pers wes first foundit … wichecraft and sossery c1500-c1512 Dunb.(STS) l 6.
His mother was ane farie queyne, Gottin be sossery 1509 Justiciary Rec. II 144.
Gif thair be ony wichcraift or sossary wsyt in the realme 1513 Doug. iv vii 30.
Appollo, with hys sossery 1513 Doug. iv ix 42.
Sossary c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii 33.
Now mony vsis sosserie, Doand the deuylis of Hell coniure 1622-6 Bisset I 58/36.
He remembring on weirdis gevin to him be wiches and sosarie in visionis 1661 Rec. of Old Tolbooth in Bk. Old Edinb. C. IV 142.
Being … found guiltie … of the cryme of soscerie and witchcraftpl. 1563 Dunkeld Presb. II 54.
Ony sic usaris or abusaris foirsaidis of witchcraftis, sorsareis, or necromancie 1633 Orkney Witch Trial in Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V 554.
Ye ar indyted for airt and pairt of using and practising of witchcraftis, sorceries, divinationes and charmis 1699 Caithness Church Rec. in Old-lore Misc. II ii 111.
As to sorceries and heathenish practices at lukwakes
