The witch report! Council says ‘stereotypical’ mural must go
It was supposed to be a bold memorial to a village’s dark past.
But po-faced council chiefs have ordered the giant mural of a hook-nosed witch to be removed from a pub in Pittenweem, Fife.
they say the image is based on ‘false narratives’ and that the caricature did not look like a real witch.
Created by street artist Bobby McNamara, known by the pseudonym Rogue One, the mural appeared on the Larachmhor tavern last Halloween, in recognition of the village’s historical links to witch trials.
But Lib Dem councillor Fiona Corps said it made a ‘mockery of the village history’.
Planners have rejected an application to keep the image on the pub’s gable end.
Councillor Sean Dillon told the planning committee on Wednesday: ‘the mural depicts a stereotypical witch with warts and all, which inaccurately depicts women who were tried and executed for supposedly practising “witchcraft”.’
At least 26 people were tortured and 18 killed in Pittenweem during the 18th century after being accused of being in league
‘Historically inaccurate false narratives’
with the devil. the most notorious incident involved the death of Janet Cornfoot in 1705. She was swung from a rope, stoned, then crushed under a door piled with boulders by a mob. A horse and cart was ridden repeatedly over her.
Mr McNamara told the BBC that ‘a few locals did moan a bit about the mural being mean and ugly and they’d rather not expose their village witch history so much’.
He added: ‘I get that. It’s understandable. But the owners wanted it, and I enjoyed doing something edgy and scary.’
Fife Council’s built heritage team said the mural on the category B-listed building is ‘based on historically inaccurate false narratives perpetuated by popular media’.
Planners said it would have ‘a significant detrimental impact on the character and appearance’ of the conservation area and the building’s setting.
Enforcement action will now be taken to ensure it is removed from the building.
the Scottish Daily Mail attempted to contact the pub’s owner but they were unavailable for comment.