The Witches of Vardo: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 'Powerful, deeply moving' - Sunday Times

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At Christmas 1662, children were accused when sisters Ingeborg Iversdatter and Karen Iversdatter (8 years old), children of one of the newly executed women, were brought in for questioning with Maren Olsdatter, 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. Then they went to Kirsti, who said that Mari was to come with her to a Christmas party at Lydhorn mountain outside the city of Bergen in Western Norway, over 1,600 kilometers away. She then threw the skin of a fox over Mari and transformed her into the shape of a fox. [4] I thought I would like this novel far more than I actually did. The topic is close to my heart, as is the genre. But the languid flow, the OTT writing, and the capricious characters ended up making this an average read for me. That said, it’s a debut work, and most of the problems above can be bettered with time and experience. So I wont dismiss this author just yet.

Can you tell me about your depiction of Anna Rhodius? It feels like a counterpoint and rebuke to the usual historical narrative. I immediately wanted to google her story. Told from two POV we follow the lives of Anna and Ingeborg as they both try to survive during a time where every woman can be suspected of witchcraft. Out of the two women’s stories I felt more drawn to Ingeborg’s. After losing her father and brother she becomes the glue that’s holding her family together. Her mother is withdrawn and her younger sister Kirsten depends on her for survival. Even before the main action of the story started Ingeborg showed her tenacity and strength in the face of adversary, I feel we all have a little of Ingeborg in us, waiting to be unleashed. It’s slow going especially in the beginning but so worth it to push forth and dive into this dark, cold, violent, vibrant and fiery story where women suffer, die, but also persist and find happiness, searching inside for their inner lynx, their fierceness and royal-ness. One was sentenced to a workhouse, two tortured to death, and 18 were burned alive. It was the largest single witch trial in Scandinavia, but the third significant one in Vardø. The memorial was designed by artistLouise Bourgeoisand architectPeter Zumthorand was opened in 2011.Photo: Hege Lysholm / Statens vegvesen On 2 September 1662, Dorthe Lauritzdotter [12] [8] [13] was brought in for questioning at the Vardøhus fortress. 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 6 November 1662 with two other women, soon followed by another two.

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Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When recently widowed Zigri embarks on a doomed affair with the local merchant, she is inevitably sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried and condemned as a witch.

I'm not sure what to think of this book. It's well written style-wise, the characters are well constructed... the author's intentions are noble. But I feel conflicted about the ending. In the remote village of Vardo, this epidemic would rename the city as “the Witch Capital of Norway.” In just 99 years, between 1593 and 1692, there were more than 140 witch trials in the village. Some were isolated, focused on a single individual, while others were panics–consisting of successive trials over a short period of time. These panics were where children were most likely to be accused, with the doctrine of demonology stating that anyonecould be a witch. The three greatest panics were during 1620 to 21, 1652 to 53, and 1662 to 63. Notice how each panic spans two years? That’s because they were most common during the winter months. Perhaps it was this remoteness that caused Finnmark to suffer a much higher rate of witch accusations than anywhere else in Norway. Kirsti was sentenced to be burned alive at the stake on 28 April 1621, a couple of months before ten other women had been burnt for sorcery. She became the last victim of the great witch trial of 1621.One of them, Ingeborg Iversdatter, confessed under interrogation that she and an adult friend had transformed themselves into cats so they could escape incarceration and take part in a Christmas celebration with Satan. The end of the trials These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power.

Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark's mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardø. What will she do - and who will she betray - to return to her privileged life at court? Witches at 'Gates of Hell': Norway's darkest hour". www.thelocal.no. 2013-07-06 . Retrieved 2019-10-25. Guttormsen, Torgrim Sneve; Swensen, Grete (2016-12-05). Heritage, Democracy and the Public: Nordic Approaches. Routledge. ISBN 9781317122319. The superstition so far north in the kingdom of Denmark and Norway was kindling for the fires that burned so many innocent women, children and the ones, like the semi-nomadic Sámi, that didn’t fit, that worshiped other gods. Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!’– Liz Hyder, author of The GiftsSo. For me the tragedy of the witch-hunts is in this - people are so afraid of life, of our inability to control the events that we are always in search of simple answers or even someone to blame. And it's so easy to blame those who are different or who are weak or can't protect themselves. It's human nature and the thing we face in modern times too. So yes, hundreds of Saami people and Norwegian (mostly) women were burnt for the greater good by zealous people. It's always hurt to see how easy to persuade the crowd in any allegations if they make them feel better, and understand why bad things happened to them. Even those who were your friends and neighbors yesterday. This is a tragic, horrifying, and raw theme.