Chapter 37 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens in Kirkwall, Orkney, in December 1594, as the year tilts toward the winter solstice. Alison lies in her cell, the trial suspended without explanation, and passes the time in thick, dream-filled sleep.

In her dream, she revisits a conversation with her mother about the gifts of a Carrier. Her mother explains that The Book of Witching is many things—a storehouse, a map, and a door. In the dream, the book transforms through these forms, eventually becoming a black door with an iron handle shaped like a claw. Her mother tells her that a Carrier can soul-slip through the book, passing into the body of another Carrier for a time. Ravens are Carriers, and a human Carrier can slip into a raven's body in times of danger. The two souls coexist within the single body—a body is just a portal, a container for a soul. In the dream, Alison opens the door and is lifted high above the earth.

When the trial recommences, Alison is still recovering from the scorching of her legs and can only walk slowly with the aid of a stick. Mr. Addis leads her up the stairs. In the courtroom, Earl Patrick is absent, which is a relief, though John Stewart sits in his usual place, eyeing her sourly. Father Colville approaches wearing a smile that doesn't reach his eyes—a sign, Alison recognizes, that he is about to do something terrible. He announces to the gallery that they wish to apprehend William Balfour, and Bishop Vance nods approval.

A commotion erupts at the back of the court as two guards wrestle William from his seat, pulling his coat and hair. Four guards tie his hands and ankles. Alison cries out. Father Colville orders the guards to take William outside, and the spectators follow, pushing and shoving.

The crowd gathers at the front of the castle, out into the street, near the archway joining the castle estate to the marketplace. William is pinned down near a cart loaded with stones and a door. Alison pleads for them to leave him alone. William shouts at her not to confess—For Orkney!—before the guards gag him with a hangman's hood and a belt across his mouth.

Father Colville demands that Alison confess. She opens her mouth, willing herself to say the words, but William's shouts have lodged in her mind. She remembers what he told her when he visited—that her confession could be a tool Earl Patrick could use to deepen his plundering of Orkney. She shakes her head.

The guards fetch the door from the cart and place it lengthwise across William's body. They heft heavy stones and drop them onto the door. William stops bucking with a horrible grunt. Father Colville presses Alison again, but she cannot bring herself to confess. A stream of dark liquid runs from under the door. Alison looks up and meets Edward's eyes through the crowd—her son, watching his father killed in an unspeakable manner, his mouth open in a wordless howl.

Alison thinks of her mother pleading with her to sign the black book—had she signed it, perhaps she would have had powers to escape. But she cannot confess, because to do so would damn her soul forever, and she would not see her family in heaven. Father Colville nods at the guards, who continue adding stones until William's groans cease. The crowd grows quiet and disperses, Edward disappearing with them. Mr. Addis drags Alison away, William's body lifeless beneath the weight of the stones.

Key Events

Alison dreams of her mother explaining the Carrier's ability to soul-slip through The Book of Witching, including into the body of a raven
The trial resumes; Alison is still recovering from leg burns and walks with a stick
Father Colville announces the apprehension of William Balfour; guards seize him from the spectators
William is dragged outside and pinned near a cart loaded with stones and a door
William shouts for Alison not to confess—For Orkney!—before being gagged
Alison refuses to confess, recalling William's warning about Earl Patrick's plundering
Guards place the door over William and drop stones onto him; Alison sees Edward watching
The guards continue adding stones until William is dead; Alison is dragged away

Character Development

Alison faces the most harrowing test of her resolve in this chapter. Her refusal to confess—even as her husband is crushed to death before her—demonstrates a hardening of her convictions. She is torn between her love for William and her understanding that a confession would be a lie that damns her soul and serves Earl Patrick's political ends. The dream sequence adds depth to her character by showing her inheritance as a Carrier and her rejection of that path, a choice she now second-guesses as she watches William die.

William Balfour emerges as a figure of sacrifice. His final act is to urge Alison not to confess, prioritizing the welfare of Orkney over his own life. His warning about Earl Patrick's plundering proves to be the decisive factor in Alison's refusal.

Edward witnesses his father's brutal death, his mouth open in a wordless howl. This moment will likely shape his character going forward.

Father Colville is shown in his most villainous light, orchestrating the execution with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes, using William's death as leverage to extract a confession.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Book as a door: Alison's dream establishes The Book of Witching as a door—a portal through which a Carrier can soul-slip. This motif connects the supernatural elements of the story to the theme of escape and transformation.

Soul-slipping and coexistence: The dream explains that a body is just a portal, a container for a soul, and that a raven and a Carrier can coexist in one body. This concept of shared consciousness resonates with the chapter's themes of identity and sacrifice.

Coerced confession: The entire chapter is structured around the attempt to force Alison to confess. Father Colville uses William's life as leverage, demonstrating how the trial is less about justice and more about extracting a specific outcome.

Torture as coercion: The execution of William is a form of psychological torture directed at Alison—a public demonstration of what she stands to lose.

Sacrifice for Orkney: William's final words—For Orkney!—frame his death as a sacrifice for the land, connecting his personal fate to the broader political struggle against Earl Patrick's plundering.

The raven as witness: A large black raven watches the execution from a wall opposite, a silent observer that connects the scene to the Carrier mythology established in the dream.

God's silence: Alison calls upon God to save William, but God's ear does not turn to her cry. This motif of divine silence underscores the horror of the scene and Alison's isolation.

Winter solstice darkness: The chapter opens with the year tilting toward the winter solstice, darkness and ice creeping closer. This seasonal imagery mirrors the moral darkness of the events that follow.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is a pivotal chapter in the novel. William's death raises the stakes dramatically—Alison has now lost her husband to the machinery of the trial, and the cost of her silence is made brutally concrete. The chapter also deepens the supernatural mythology of The Book of Witching through Alison's dream, establishing the concept of soul-slipping that may become significant later in the narrative. The execution scene, witnessed by Edward, plants seeds for future character development and potential revenge or resistance arcs. Finally, the chapter crystallizes the political dimension of the trial: Alison's confession is not about truth or justice but about giving Earl Patrick a tool to deepen his plundering of Orkney.

Study Questions

1. Why does Alison refuse to confess, even when her husband's life is at stake?

Alison refuses because she understands that a confession would be a lie—she is not guilty of the crimes she is accused of—and that lying under oath would damn her soul forever, preventing her from seeing her family in heaven. Additionally, William's warning that her confession could be used by Earl Patrick to deepen his plundering of Orkney gives her refusal a political dimension: confessing would betray not just herself but the entire region.

2. What does the dream sequence reveal about The Book of Witching and the Carrier's abilities?

The dream reveals that The Book of Witching is a storehouse, a map, and a door. It allows a Carrier to soul-slip—to pass through the book and reside in the body of another Carrier for a time. Ravens are Carriers, and a human Carrier can slip into a raven's body in times of danger. The two souls coexist within the single body, which is described as a portal or container for a soul.

3. How does the chapter use the raven as a symbol?

The raven appears twice in the chapter: first in Alison's dream, where her mother explains that ravens are Carriers and that a human Carrier can soul-slip into a raven's body, and later as a physical presence watching the execution from a wall opposite. The raven thus connects the supernatural mythology of the Carrier to the brutal reality of the execution, serving as a silent witness that links the two realms of the story.