Edinburgh's Enduring Enigma: The Tiny Coffins of Arthur's Seat

In 1836, 17 miniature coffins containing tiny dolls were found in a cave on Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh. Their purpose remains a mystery, with theories ranging from witchcraft to a memorial for Burke and Hare's victims. In 2014, a mysterious 18th coffin was sent to the museum.

High on the slopes of Arthur's Seat, the ancient volcano that looms over Edinburgh, a group of schoolboys hunting for rabbits in June 1836 stumbled upon something far stranger than their intended prey. Hidden behind a slab of slate in a small, secluded cave, they found an unsettling collection: 17 miniature coffins, each just 9.5cm long, arranged in three neat tiers.

An Unsettling Discovery

The discovery was as meticulous as it was bizarre. The first two tiers contained eight coffins each, with the seventeenth sitting alone on the top. Inside each tiny, expertly crafted coffin lay a small wooden figure, a doll dressed in carefully stitched cotton clothes. The figures were unique; some had painted eyes, while others were less detailed, but each was clearly intended to represent a person. The scene was a miniature, silent funeral, its purpose a complete mystery. The find was reported in The Scotsman newspaper on July 16, 1836, which described the objects as a 'toy for a child's burial', but the true meaning was likely something far more sinister or sorrowful.

A Web of Theories

Over the decades, speculation has run wild, producing several compelling theories. The most common explanations fall into a few key camps.

One early theory suggested the coffins were instruments of witchcraft. In folk magic, effigies, or 'poppets', were often used to cast spells upon people, and a mock burial could be part of a curse intended to cause harm or death. However, the care taken with the figures' clothing and their hidden, respectful arrangement seems to argue against this malevolent interpretation.

Another theory posited that the coffins were a symbolic burial for sailors lost at sea. With no body to bury, families would sometimes create memorials to provide a final resting place for their loved ones' souls. This would explain the care and ceremony, but not why 17 unrelated individuals would be interred together in such a clandestine spot.

By far the most widely accepted theory links the coffins to Edinburgh's most infamous serial killers, William Burke and William Hare. Between 1827 and 1828, they murdered 17 people and sold their corpses to the anatomist Dr. Robert Knox for dissection. The number of victims perfectly matches the number of coffins. This theory suggests that someone, perhaps horrified by the crimes and the victims' unceremonious fate, created a secret memorial to honor each person murdered. As the National Museum of Scotland notes:

The number of coffins is the same as the number of victims of Burke and Hare, and the coffins could have been made and buried in the 1830s, not long after the murders took place.

This explanation accounts for the number, the time period, and the secrecy of the burial, making it a chillingly plausible solution to the mystery.

A Modern Twist to an Old Mystery

For nearly 200 years, the mystery of the 17 coffins remained unchanged. Of the original 17, only eight survive today, housed in the National Museum of Scotland. But in 2014, the story took a new turn. A package arrived at the museum containing a meticulously crafted replica of one of the coffins, complete with a tiny doll inside. It was accompanied by a note, which read, 'For the 17'. The sender remains anonymous. Was this a prank, a work of art inspired by the legend, or something more? This modern addition only deepens the enigma, proving that the strange tale of the tiny coffins of Arthur's Seat still holds a powerful grip on the public imagination.

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