There are many supporting characters in the world of Outlander, and some of them have got or are getting their own stories. There is one in particular that I need the more that I read The Space Between. It’s all about Geillis Duncan.
Caution: If you haven’t read The Space Between, there are spoilers for this storyline.
Outlander has only really scratched the surface with Geillis Duncan. I’m sure there are plenty out there who will say they don’t need time with her, but she’s one of those characters who is far more interesting when you’re willing to look past the “villainous” character introduced.
This is a woman who can time travel, and she went back in time on purpose with a plan. When that plan didn’t work out, she had to rethink her plans and focus on thriving in a time that was against women.
Geillis Duncan has lived many lives in the past in Outlander
We know that Geillis was initially called Gillian. She went back in time in 1968 with the plan to help Bonnie Prince Charlie win the Battle of Culloden and sit on the British throne. What led to her realizing that she could do that? We’ve been told parts of her story, but I want to know when and why she started reading about time travel. How did she get all her information, and when did she start putting together her plan?
Why did she choose the name Geillis? After all, at claireandjamie.com, we’ve looked at the name Geillis Duncan and how it connects to someone in real Scottish history. Geillis couldn’t have planned on marrying a man with the name Duncan, but why risk it by taking the name Geillis?
After the witch trials, Geillis had to leave her home. She didn’t even stay in Scotland, moving to Jamaica, where she ended up becoming Mrs. Abernathy of Rose Hall. Well, in The Space Between, we learn that she must have been in Paris for a bit as Le Comte St. Germain knows her as Melisande and she showed him the mine he currently stays in.
This is a woman who has lived many lives and taken on many different personas. Now I need to know more about them.
Geillis never gave up on her mission for a Jacobite king
Despite the witch trials and the move to Jamaica, it’s clear that Geillis never fully gave up on the idea of the Stuarts sitting on the throne. In the TV series and the books, there’s a prophecy. This prophecy differs slightly, but in both, it means that Geillis feels the need to go back to the future and kill Claire’s daughter, Brianna.
What led to the prophecy in the first place? What other work did she do to help build up this possibility of a Stuart king? What did she do in Jamaica to ensure Rose Hall was hers—after all, there’s a bit about zombies in A Plague of Zombies.
This is a woman full of mystery, and mystery makes for great storytelling. This world is full of opportunity, and I want to know more about Geillis Duncan. An Outlander story would be amazing!
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