As far as good television villains go, it's safe to say that Geillis Duncan makes the ranks. Back in the first season of Outlander, Geillis could even be considered a friend to Claire. But as the episodes evolved, fans got a glimpse into who the real Geillis was, and it wasn't pretty. Ruthless, beautiful, and intelligent, she was behind the downfall of several people who crossed her way.
Even though she is no longer in the picture (but who knows, with time-traveling everything is possible) audiences are still intrigued by the red-haired woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. So to satisfy this curiosity, we put together a list of ten things you never knew about the mysterious Geillis Duncan.
Black Widow
In the third season of Outlander, fans were nearly as surprised as Claire when they found Geillis in her original time. Audiences also learned that she committed murder in order to be able to travel to the 18th century.
This blood sacrifice was none other than her husband at the time. But as it turns out, Geillis is notorious for murdering her husband, in true black widow fashion. As is turns out, Geillis has killed not one, not two, but five husbands - at least!
History Buff
Being a History lover seems to be a recurring theme in Outlander. Claire herself was quite knowledgeable in the matter, and her first husband, Frank, was a historian himself. Brianna and Roger were also on their way to becoming professionals in the field.
Well, they were not the only ones! Geillis Duncan knew quite a bit about History, and she was a student of the field too. This was most likely what sparked her fire and love for the Jacobite rebellion and King.
Herbs Connoisseur
Geillis is a woman of many talents. She's a history buff, she studied hard and long to learn how she could travel back in time and succeeded - even though her methods were, at the very least, questionable.
But she also had quite the flair for herbs, much like hair. But she took things to a whole other level and her love for herbs was more tied with practicing dark magic than healing people.
A Case For Blond Hair
Some changes are inevitably made when adapting a book to television. And many of these changes end up coming in the form of characters' appearance.
In Geillis' case, it's about hair color. While the actress who plays her has beautiful, long red hair, the character described in Diana Gabaldon's books is blonde. Fans let it slide because the performance was just so good!
Growing Older
Still on the topic of books, it's worth mentioning that Geillis' character goes through quite the change when she starts growing older. Even though the show did its bests, aging young actors isn't exactly easy.
One of the last descriptions we get of Geillis tells us that she grows very fat with the small and dainty bones in her face hidden by plumpness. However, the beautiful green eyes remain the same.
Roaming Through Time
We've already established that Geillis is a seasoned time-traveler. She managed to go back and forth as she pleased in order to achieve her ultimate goal - bring a Jacobite king to the throne of Scottland.
However, in order to achieve this, she had to resort to blood sacrifice. Claire, on the other hand, managed to do it without having to kill anyone. This might be intentional to showcase the absolute differences between the women's characters.
A Royal (Fake) Name
No one really knows what Geillis' true name is. She went through several identities: Geillis Duncan, Gillian Edgars, Mme. Melisande Robicheaux, Mrs. Abernathy, and Geillis Isbister. In the eyes of the audience, she will always be Geillis Duncan, the name she used the first time she was introduced.
Curiously enough, the name Geillis derives from the Old Irish Gelgeis, a name that many Irish princesses had in the past. A royal name for an evil antagonist!
Real-Life Inspiration
Witch trials, and consequently, burnings, were a very common practice in the past. So much so that the show even included a storyline in which Claire and Geillis were being tried for practicing witchcraft - and we know Geillis was actually guilty.
This may be why Diana Gabaldon chose to give the character this name. Geillis Duncan was the name of a real woman who was tried as a witch in the 16th century during the North Berwick witch trials in Scotland.
The Plot Hole
Recently, a glaring plot hole regarding Geillis and her time-traveling activities got some attention. As one fan pointed out, how was it possible for Brianna to meet Geillis in the 20th century?
This question arises due to the fact that her bones were already in the cave. So how can Brianna meet a person who shouldn't exist at all at that point in time?
The Bakra
In Jamaica, Geillis goes by the designation of bakra. While it may seem that this is a nickname people came up with for Geillis and Geillis only, it's actually a Caribbean term.
It means "white people" and it's used to describe caucasian people. That's probably why Geillis was given this designation. It ended up being the actual name of a season three episode featuring Geillis herself.