Vardø Witch Trials
Encyclopedia
The witch trials of Vardø were held in Vardø
in Finnmark
in Northern Norway in the winter of 1662-1663 and were one of the biggest in Scandinavia
. Thirty people were put on trial, accused of sorcery
and making pacts with the Devil
. One was sentenced to a work house, two tortured to death, and eighteen were burned alive at the stake. It was the peak of the witch hunt which had intensified in Northern Norway since the first great Vardø witch trial in 1621. Vardø was the center of Norwegian Nordkalotten; many witch trial
s were held here during the 17th century, the biggest in 1621, in 1652-1653 and in 1662-1663.
. She had been accused once before, but acquitted, in 1657. Lauritz Braas said that two of his servants, who had recently died, had claimed to be bewitched by her. Four witches led by Dorthe in the shape of a dove, an eagle, a crow and a swan were to have opened their "wind-knots" over the sea to make a boat sink, but the plot supposedly failed because the crew had prayed to God. Dorthe was burned at the stake on November 6, 1662 with two other women, soon followed by another two.
At Christmas 1663 children were accused when sisters Ingeborg Iversdatter and Karen Iversdotter (8 years old), children of the newly executed women, were brought in for questioning with Maren Olsdotter, the niece of one of the executed women. The children told many stories, and the priest had a hard time making them say the catechism when they were in the "trollkvinnefengeselhullet" ("The witches-hole") in the fortress, where witches were kept awaiting verdict.
with Maren Olsdotter and Sigri Klockarewhile while incarcerated in the witch-hole. They had transformed themselves into cats and crawled under the gate and met Maren and Sigri, who came flying over the sea from Vardangerfjorden, in Kiberg. They had broken into a basement and helped themselves to wine until they became drunk, while Satan held the candle for them. The two adult women had argued, and Sölvi had become so drunk that Satan had a hard time getting her on her feet and back to jail later that night. The priest of the fortress pointed out that this must have been the reason to why alcohol had disappeared from the basement.
Sölve Nilsdotter confessed during the interrogations in January that, in the Christmas of 1661, a gigantic witches' sabbath had been held at Dovrefjell
mountain in southern Norway, where the witches had arrived in the shapes of dogs and cats to drink and dance with Satan, who appeared in the shape of a black dog. When Margrette Jonsdotter danced with him, she had lost her shoe, but Satan had given her a new one.
Ingeborg Krog was brought in for questioning. She denied the accusations and was subjected to the ordeal of water. When she failed the test, and continued to plead her innocence, she was subjected to torture
. She confessed nothing under torture, except for one story which did not satisfy the court: she claimed said that she had once eaten a fish she had been offered by a woman who had been executed for sorcery in 1653, and may have consumed some magic at that occasion. Sölve Nilsdotter then said that Ingeborg was just as much a witch as the rest of them, that she had made a boat get lost at sea, and that it was in fact she who had taught them to avoid revealing anything. But Ingeborg continued to assert her innocence; she was cut with burning iron and sulphur was put on her chest, but the only thing she said was, " I cannot lie on myself or on others. Oh no, such can they torment the body, but they cannot torment my soul. " Ingeborg was tortured to death and her corpse was laid on an island opposite the gallows.
Eight-year-old Karen Iversdatter claimed that three witches in the shape of crows had attempted to assassinate the official with a needle. Maid Ellen was arrested for being one of them, and confessed that she had used sorcery to affect cattle. Ellen was burned with Sigri Klockare on 27 February 1663.
Barbra from Vadsö was pointed out by Maren as one of those who had been flying with Dorthe on Domen. Barbra said that Maren had accused her, encouraged by doctor's wife Anne Rhodius, who had been exiled from Oslo
to northern Norway with her husband because of conflicts in Oslo, and that the doctor and his wife had pointed out the wife and daughter of one of the members of the court as witches. This was ignored and Barbra was burned with four other women 8 April 1663.
Sölvi Nilsdotter, Margrette Jonsdotter and two more women were burned to death in Vardö 20 March 1663.
. The doctor's wife, Anne Rhodius, lived in exile in Northern Norway until her death in 1672.
This was the last of the many great witch trials of Northern Norway. More people were accused in the following decades, but only two of those cases (in 1678 and 1695) led to a death sentence.
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
in Northern Norway in the winter of 1662-1663 and were one of the biggest in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Thirty people were put on trial, accused of sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and making pacts with the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. One was sentenced to a work house, two tortured to death, and eighteen were burned alive at the stake. It was the peak of the witch hunt which had intensified in Northern Norway since the first great Vardø witch trial in 1621. Vardø was the center of Norwegian Nordkalotten; many witch trial
Witch trial
A witch trial is a legal proceeding that is part of a witch-hunt. * Witch trials in Early Modern Europe, 15th–18th centuries** Salzburg witch trials - 1675-1690, Salzburg, Austria** Spa witch trial - 1616, Belgium...
s were held here during the 17th century, the biggest in 1621, in 1652-1653 and in 1662-1663.
The witch trial
On September 2, 1662 Dorthe Lauritzdotter was brought in for questioning at the Vardøhus fortressVardøhus Fortress
Vardøhus Fortress is located in Vardø municipality in the county of Finnmark on the Barents Sea on the mouth of the Varangerfjord in north-eastern Norway near the Russian border.-History:...
. She had been accused once before, but acquitted, in 1657. Lauritz Braas said that two of his servants, who had recently died, had claimed to be bewitched by her. Four witches led by Dorthe in the shape of a dove, an eagle, a crow and a swan were to have opened their "wind-knots" over the sea to make a boat sink, but the plot supposedly failed because the crew had prayed to God. Dorthe was burned at the stake on November 6, 1662 with two other women, soon followed by another two.
At Christmas 1663 children were accused when sisters Ingeborg Iversdatter and Karen Iversdotter (8 years old), children of the newly executed women, were brought in for questioning with Maren Olsdotter, the niece of one of the executed women. The children told many stories, and the priest had a hard time making them say the catechism when they were in the "trollkvinnefengeselhullet" ("The witches-hole") in the fortress, where witches were kept awaiting verdict.
The Sabbath
Ingeborg Iversdatter confessed during interrogations on January 26, 1663 that she and Solveig Nilsdotter had celebrated Christmas 1662 in KibergKiberg
Kiberg is a village in the municipality of Vardø, Norway. Its population is 250.Kiberg is the second largest community in Vardø municipality. Kiberg is situated 10 kilometres southwest of the municipality centre, Vardø. Cape Kiberg is the easternmost spot on the Norwegian mainland...
with Maren Olsdotter and Sigri Klockarewhile while incarcerated in the witch-hole. They had transformed themselves into cats and crawled under the gate and met Maren and Sigri, who came flying over the sea from Vardangerfjorden, in Kiberg. They had broken into a basement and helped themselves to wine until they became drunk, while Satan held the candle for them. The two adult women had argued, and Sölvi had become so drunk that Satan had a hard time getting her on her feet and back to jail later that night. The priest of the fortress pointed out that this must have been the reason to why alcohol had disappeared from the basement.
Sölve Nilsdotter confessed during the interrogations in January that, in the Christmas of 1661, a gigantic witches' sabbath had been held at Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell is a mountain range in central Norway that forms a natural barrier between Eastern Norway and Trøndelag, the area around Trondheim. As a result, it has been heavily trafficked during and probably preceding historical times...
mountain in southern Norway, where the witches had arrived in the shapes of dogs and cats to drink and dance with Satan, who appeared in the shape of a black dog. When Margrette Jonsdotter danced with him, she had lost her shoe, but Satan had given her a new one.
Child witnesses
Twelve-year-old Maren Olsdatter's mother had been executed for sorcery years before; the girl had been taken care of by her aunt, and now, after her aunt had also been burned, she herself had been arrested. When Maren was interrogated on 26 January her confession was given much attention. She claimed to have visited hell, where she had been given a tour by Satan. Satan had showed her "a great water" down in a black valley, which begun to boil when he blew fire through a horn of iron; in the water there had been people, who cried like cats. He had put a ham in the water and it was cooked immediately, and told her that she too would boil in the water as a reward if she served him. Later she had visited the sabbath of Satan on Domen between Svartnes and Kiberg, where Satan played dancing music on a red violin, gave the witches beer and followed each of them home personally. When the court asked her which people she had seen there, she gave the names of five women, among them Ingeborg Krog from Makkaur, who had followed her to hell in the shape of a dove.Ingeborg Krog was brought in for questioning. She denied the accusations and was subjected to the ordeal of water. When she failed the test, and continued to plead her innocence, she was subjected to torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. She confessed nothing under torture, except for one story which did not satisfy the court: she claimed said that she had once eaten a fish she had been offered by a woman who had been executed for sorcery in 1653, and may have consumed some magic at that occasion. Sölve Nilsdotter then said that Ingeborg was just as much a witch as the rest of them, that she had made a boat get lost at sea, and that it was in fact she who had taught them to avoid revealing anything. But Ingeborg continued to assert her innocence; she was cut with burning iron and sulphur was put on her chest, but the only thing she said was, " I cannot lie on myself or on others. Oh no, such can they torment the body, but they cannot torment my soul. " Ingeborg was tortured to death and her corpse was laid on an island opposite the gallows.
Eight-year-old Karen Iversdatter claimed that three witches in the shape of crows had attempted to assassinate the official with a needle. Maid Ellen was arrested for being one of them, and confessed that she had used sorcery to affect cattle. Ellen was burned with Sigri Klockare on 27 February 1663.
Barbra from Vadsö was pointed out by Maren as one of those who had been flying with Dorthe on Domen. Barbra said that Maren had accused her, encouraged by doctor's wife Anne Rhodius, who had been exiled from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to northern Norway with her husband because of conflicts in Oslo, and that the doctor and his wife had pointed out the wife and daughter of one of the members of the court as witches. This was ignored and Barbra was burned with four other women 8 April 1663.
Sölvi Nilsdotter, Margrette Jonsdotter and two more women were burned to death in Vardö 20 March 1663.
Aftermath
On 25 June 1663 the last two accused witches, Malene from Andersby and Ragnhild Endresdotter, were brought from the witches-hole and claimed that Maren had come up with her confessions under the influence of the doctor's wife Anne Rhodius, who had also visited them in jail and threatened them with torture to make them confess. Malene and Ragnhild were freed. Ingeborg Iversdatter and three other witches' children were acquitted in June 1663 because of their age, while Maren was sent to the workhouse in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. The doctor's wife, Anne Rhodius, lived in exile in Northern Norway until her death in 1672.
This was the last of the many great witch trials of Northern Norway. More people were accused in the following decades, but only two of those cases (in 1678 and 1695) led to a death sentence.
Litterature
- Rune Blix Hagen, Heksenes julekveld, Julemotiv i norske trolldomsprosesser