Fans of the Outlander series are bound to have more than just a few questions about the illusive Geillis Duncan, the self-proclaimed witch of the series. She is not just unpredictable and controversial, but rather terribly human in the way she opens up to other characters and displays both vulnerability and strength many times within a single episode.

Here are 10 questions about the controversial character who has won as many hearts, as she has broken, in the fictional world of Outlander, together with their answers.

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More Than Just A Wicked Heart

Does Geillis Duncan have a mental disorder? There are behaviors which Geillis displays which suggest instability in her cognitive functioning. Just in case you thought you were imagining it, her bizarre, 'insane' behaviour is also noted by other characters' expressed views and opinions of her.

What is the cause of this strange and crazy behavior? Some of the characters on the series have suggested her behaviour is linked with dementia and it has even been suggested that syphilis is at the root of her perceived insanity.

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Back to the Future?

Let’s face it, Geillis Duncan just isn’t like the others… but where does she come from? Fans of the series will agree that there is always an air of mystery around the self-proclaimed witch. She is offbeat and doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the society she is a part of.

Still, it comes as a surprise when she confesses to being from the future in the witch trial. She is from 1968, to be exact. Tragically, she is put to death—burned at the stake—before she can return 'home'.

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A Sterling Patriot

How can we tell Geillis is patriotic about her nation, Scotland? She loves the land she lives in and isn’t afraid to say so. Also, in her own way she tried to support the different national causes and movements she perceives happening around her.

In the show, she admits to having taken money from her husbands (she has had a few). She excused this act of theft by saying that it was for the good of Scotland. Despite her deceit, charms, and beguiling seductions which she uses to trap men into her web of control, she is a fervent Jacobite.

A Rose By Any Other Name

Where does the name Geillis Duncan come from? Fans of the series probably didn't realize that the character of Geillis took her name from that of a real witch who was put to trial for her witchcraft ways in 1591. Outlander's Geillis more than likely fancied the idea of walking in the steps of the elusive, mysterious historic figure and chose this to be her own name. Sadly, she seemed to follow in the footsteps of her namesake—all the way to the stake to be burned for witchcraft.

A Black Widow

Why are women hesitant of her and men warned to stay away? The answer to this would have to be that she has had a string of affairs and has entrapped many men with her seductive powers. She also has gone to great lengths to get rid of these same men when she no longer has any use for them. At one stage in the story, she confessed to using poison to try and rid herself of a particularly troublesome husband whom she said hadn't passed on nearly as quickly as she had hoped.

Geillis and Claire

What is Geillis' relation to Claire? The two appear at times to be great friends. This is surprising, considering Claire's apparent immaculate behavior. This well-grounded, nurturing quality of Claire might, in fact, be the reason Geillis likes her and even opens up to her, at one stage confessing to her that she believes she is demon-possessed.

The relationship between the friends grows throughout the series, and, during the witch trials, Geillis shows that she really considers Claire to be her true friend.

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A Teacher in Dark Matters

What influence does Geillis have in Claire's life? It's hard for friends to spend any length of time together without having some or other impact on each other's conduct. However, in Claire and Geillis' friendship, this impact is taken just one step further, with Geillis stepping up as Claire's teacher, specifically teaching her about different plants in the area in which they live. She teaches Claire about the healing, restorative qualities of plants, hoping to give her friend some of her special healing powers.’

Blood on her Hands

Why is she considered a Black Widow? A Black Widow is someone who appears unassuming and harmless but is capable of terrible, destructive feats, and this (judging by the show's narrative), is Geillis Duncan to a tee.

The story of Outlander reveals that she doesn't just have a string of affairs to her name, but has, in fact, killed others. Just how much blood is on her hands? The narrative suggests that five men have fallen prey to her feminine wiles and lost their lives at her hands. These five were all married to her.

An Unexpected Loyalty

How do viewers know she isn't all craziness and wickedness? This complex nature of Geillis is best illustrated in the witch trial. During this, she shows that she can be strikingly loyal and that, despite her instability in terms of mental health, she is able to be faithful to her friends, even at personal cost.

During the trial, she not only confesses to being a witch but completely exonerates Claire from any responsibility she might have in witchcraft. She draws attention away from Claire and to herself, at an ultimate personal cost.

The Trial That Shocked All Fans

Why is the witch trial particularly disturbing for fans of Geillis Duncan? For one, fans learn that she is actually from the future—a future which viewers will never share in because she is burned at the stake before returning home to 1968. Also, she is passed through the crowd naked, and clearly pregnant, at the trial.

This is heartbreaking when considering the plight of her unborn infant. Furthermore, at the trial, fans learn she isn’t quite as villainous as previously perceived to be when she acts out of true love for her friend and makes sure Claire doesn’t suffer any allegations of witchcraft.

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