Kirkjuból witch trial

The Kirkjuból witch trial was the perhaps best-known witch trial in Iceland. It took place in Kirkjuból in 1656.

The witch trial was caused by the priest Jón Magnússon, who had been suffering poor health since 1654. That year, a with trial was held, and he believed that his sickness was caused by magic. He accused a father and son, Jón Jónsson the Elder and Jón Jónsson the Younger, of witchcraft. The father confessed that he owned a book about magic and that he had used it against the priest. The son also confessed to having made the priest ill and of having used magical signs and farting-runes (Fretrúnir) against a girl.

Both father and son were found guilty of sorcery and were executed by burning at the stake. After they were executed, the priest received all their material holdings but was not satisfied and tried to accuse Jónsson’s daughter of witchcraft. The case was brought to Thingvellir, was dismissed and the woman let free. In Iceland, magic was often practised and not associated with the Devil, but the authorities, in shape of priests who were often from Denmark, had a completely different view on the subject.

The witch trial was made in to a film by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson in 2000 called (In English) "The Prince of Darkness".

Victims of the Icelandic witch hunt

In Iceland, in contrast to many other countries, the majority of people executed for wicthcraft were male. This is a sample of the executed on Iceland. Women where normally drowned, while men was burned:

* 1625 - Jòn Rögnvaldsson‎ á Melaeyrum í Svarfaðardal.
* 1654 - Þórður Guðbrandsson frá Trékyllisvík á Ströndum ("Undrin í Trékyllisvík").
* 1654 - Egill Bjarnason frá Trékyllisvík á Ströndum ("Undrin í Trékyllisvík").
* 1654 - Grímur Jónsson frá Trékyllisvík á Ströndum ("Undrin í Trékyllisvík").
* 1656 - Jón Jónsson eldri frá Kirkjubóli í Skutulsfirði ("Kirkjubólsmálið").
* 1656 - Jón Jónsson yngri frá Kirkjubóli í Skutulsfirði ("Kirkjubólsmálið").
* 1667 - Þórarinn Halldórsson frá Birnustöðum í Ögursveit við Ísafjarðardjúp.
* 1669 - Jón Leifsson frá Selárdal í Arnarfirði ("Selárdalsmálin").
* 1669 - Erlendur Eyjólfsson frá Ströndum ("Selárdalsmálin").
* 1671 - Sigurður Jónsson úr Ögurhreppi við Ísafjarðardjúp.
* 1674 - Páll Oddsson í Ánastaðakoti á Vatnsnesi.
* 1674 - Böðvar Þorsteinsson frá Snæfellsnesi.
* 1675 - Magnús Bjarnason úr Arnarfirði ("Selárdalsmálin").
* 1675 - Lassi Diðriksson ("Selárdalsmálin").
* 1677 - Bjarni Bjarnason úr Breiðdal í Önundarfirði.
* 1677 - Þorbjörn Sveinsson (Grenjadals-Tobbi) úr Mýrarsýslu.
* 1678 - Stefán Grímsson brenndur í Húnavatnssýslu.
* 1678 - Þuríður Ólafsdóttir ("Selárdalsmálin"), (The only woman executed by burning.)
* 1678 - Jón Helgason ("Selárdalsmálin").
* 1681 - Ari Pálsson hreppsstjóri.
* 1683 - Sveinn Árnason ("Selárdalsmálin").

References

*http://www.newliving.com/issues/may_2004/articles/mystical%20iceland.html
* http://www.vestfirdir.is/galdrasyning/executed.php
* Jan Guillou, "Häxornas försvarare".
* http://www.vestfirdir.is/galdrasyning/famous_cases.php