Legend of Blåkulla (Full Episode) | SUNDAY SCARIES | Witches: Truth Behind the Trials | Nat Geo

Key Concepts

• The Great Noise (Det stora oväsendet): A period of intense witch trials in Sweden from 1668 to 1676.
• Blåkulla: A mythological place where witches were believed to meet with the devil and abduct children.
• Witches' Sabbath: A gathering of witches with the devil, often depicted as a festive yet sinister event involving worship, feasting, and sexual acts.
• Devil's Mark: A physical mark on the body believed to be a sign of a pact with the devil.
• Crimen Exceptum: The concept of witchcraft as an "exceptional crime" that allowed for the suspension of normal legal procedures.
• Wise Boys (Visgossar): Young boys who claimed to identify witches by seeing marks on their foreheads, often for payment.
• Moral Panic: A widespread fear that some evil threatens the values, safety, and interests of a community or society.

The Great Noise: A Swedish Witch Hunt

Genesis of the Panic: A Childish Dispute

The Great Noise, a significant series of witch trials in Sweden between 1668 and 1676, was ignited by a seemingly trivial argument between two children, Gertrud (11 years old) and Mats (a boy), who were goat herds. The dispute arose when some goats escaped onto a small island in a river. Gertrud retrieved the goats, embarrassing Mats, who then sought revenge by spreading smear stories. Mats told his family that Gertrud had walked on water to reach the island, and subsequently, that she had done so with the help of the devil. This accusation, which might have otherwise gone unnoticed, gained traction due to the presence of an "inquisitive religious minister who is obsessed by Satan" in their village of Orsen, within the parish of Alvenden in Darlana. This incident, described as a "childish dispute," escalated into the "greatest witch panic in Northern Europe," leading to the execution of 300 people within eight years.

The Role of Blåkulla and Demonological Ideas

A crucial element in the unfolding panic was the concept of Blåkulla, a mythological place where witches allegedly met with the devil. The idea of Blåkulla, meaning "blue mountain," had ancient roots, evidenced by late medieval Scandinavian church wall paintings depicting witches flying on broomsticks. By the 1660s, Blåkulla was understood as a regular meeting place for witches from all over Sweden. Descriptions of Blåkulla varied, often portraying it as a bright, festive place with food, dancing, and gifts from the devil, but also involving the worship of Satan, pledging loyalty, and engaging in sexual acts. The devil was also depicted as tormenting witches who defied him. The belief in Blåkulla, coupled with the spread of demonological ideas about witchcraft as a group activity and heresy, fueled the panic. This period marked an anomaly in Swedish witch trial history, as up until 1668, there had been very few such trials. The context was Lutheran, a Protestant environment where belief in magic was common, but the 17th century saw a greater emphasis on demonological interpretations.

Gertrud's Confession and the Accusation of Maret Jonsdotter

The minister relentlessly interrogated the 11-year-old Gertrud for an entire winter, attempting to force a confession. Gertrud eventually confessed, claiming she walked on water because her feet had been rubbed with oil. This confession, likely a result of psychological pressure and repeated questioning, also included a fabricated reason for confessing: an angel at Blåkulla had warned her that a famine would strike Sweden if she didn't. This framed Gertrud as a patriotic heroine, potentially seeking sympathy.

Crucially, Gertrud's confession aimed to identify other witches. She implicated Maret Jonsdotter, a former maidservant in her father's household, as the person who took her to Blåkulla. This accusation was particularly potent due to underlying family dynamics. Gertrud's father had previously attempted to marry Maret, but another suitor had beaten him, causing him humiliation. Gertrud's accusation against Maret is seen as having roots in this old conflict, with Maret, in her late 30s, becoming a prime target for a formal accusation.

Gertrud's father testified his belief that Maret was a witch, claiming she had made him sick and ridden him to Blåkulla. This testimony is interpreted within the context of gender hierarchy and male vengeance, particularly when men have "lost face." Maret's younger siblings also accused her, suggesting a convergence of evidence against her, possibly due to manipulation or a shared belief in the accusations. This highlights how children, in a hierarchical society, could use accusations of witchcraft as a powerful counter-strike against older women.

The Trial and Execution of Maret Jonsdotter

The accusations against Maret were amplified by details of the Witches' Sabbath, including signing a black book with their own blood, signifying a pact with the devil. Maret had a scar on her finger, which the court interpreted as the place where the devil had drawn blood. Despite immense pressure, including bullying and sleep deprivation, Maret bravely refused to confess. However, Swedish law at the time did not permit execution without a confession. In April 1669, Maret was found guilty despite her denial and remained imprisoned for four more years.

The witch hunt did not subside; the lurid stories spread, and witchcraft became a Crimen Exceptum, an exceptional crime allowing for the bending of laws. In 1672, the court decided Maret should be executed despite her lack of confession, as authorities felt they couldn't allow witches to continue working with the devil.

The Spread of Panic and the Mora Trials

The panic spread from parish to parish, with hundreds of children coming forward with stories of abduction to Blåkulla. This led to a "complete moral panic," with parents resorting to measures like tying children to beds and priests performing blessings. In early 1669, the panic reached Mora, where a parish delegate brought a list of 35 children's names to Stockholm, requesting a commission to investigate.

In August 1669, a commission of eight priests and eight laymen was sent to Mora. The trials there became a public spectacle, with an estimated 3,000 spectators at the first sitting. The commission, working rapidly, investigated hundreds of people and sentenced 23 within two weeks. Child witnesses were crucial, with the testimony of two 14-year-olds considered equivalent to one adult witness. While children were seen as innocent and pure, the risk of them spreading ideas amongst themselves, especially when sleep-deprived, was significant.

From Mora alone, 15 people were executed on August 24, 1669. They were beheaded before being burned to ashes, a practice seen as a small mercy to quickly end their lives before their remains were destroyed. The destruction of their bodies was believed necessary to completely rid the area of witches. Children who testified were also punished, facing flogging or public shaming, though some may have gained esteem for their role. The public executions had an immense impact due to the rarity of such events in Sweden previously.

The Torsåker Witch Hunt: Laurentius Hornaeus and Mass Executions

The Mora trials acted as a catalyst, spreading stories and suspicion. The focus then shifted to Torsåker, a small society in Norrland experiencing crop failures. Laurentius Hornaeus, a young, ambitious Lutheran minister, was tasked by the central government to investigate and initiate witch trials. He took this order very seriously, becoming a "proper villain of the peace." His methods, described as sadistic, involved dunking children in ice water and shoveling them into ovens. He also tortured regular witnesses to extract confessions.

Hornaeus utilized "Wise Boys" (Visgossar), young boys who claimed to identify witches by seeing marks on their foreheads, often for payment. These boys would travel around, pointing out suspected witches, who could be enemies of their families or individuals the minister had primed. One Wise Boy even accused Hornaeus's own wife, but she slapped him, and he quickly backtracked, claiming to be blinded by the sun.

Hornaeus's investigations led to over 100 people, mostly children, being charged with witchcraft in Torsåker. The accusations included generic tales of going to Blåkulla and vivid details like milking barrels of milk from a family member's forefinger. The accused were held in houses, and it's speculated that many confessed to end the ordeal quickly and present an impossible legal conundrum.

A commission found 71 guilty of witchcraft. On June 1, 1675, during the Midsommar celebrations, the 71 accused were rounded up from church and forced to walk to a place known as Witch Mountain. They were beheaded, and their bodies were piled onto three enormous bonfires, one for each parish in the region, and roasted to pieces. This resulted in the execution of 71 people from a small area, representing one-fifth of the women. The president of the fourth commission, Sparre, was furious upon learning of the executions, as he had instructed that no executions should occur without his consultation. He got the commission dissolved. The Wise Boys were reportedly murdered and their bodies hacked to pieces shortly after, suggesting a form of rough justice. Many witnesses, crippled by Hornaeus's torture, had to live alongside their tormentors. Hornaeus's career did not advance, and he faded into obscurity.

The Stockholm Witch Hunt and the End of the Panic

By the summer of 1675, news of the witch trials had reached Stockholm. A witch hunt in the capital was precipitated by a 13-year-old boy from the countryside, known as the Gävle boy, who claimed to have met people in Blåkulla. This led to a witch hunt in the Katarina suburb, where eight women were accused. One of them, Malin Matsdotter, was not only found guilty but was burned alive, a rare and brutal punishment for a convicted witch, possibly due to her strong protests against the trials.

The turning point came when child witnesses began to confess to making up their stories. Sensing a shift in public opinion, other child witnesses also confessed to giving false witness. The Gävle boy, the initial accuser, was himself tried and sentenced to death for perjury and hanged.

Following this, the government decided to end the witch trials. There were no more commissions, and no encouragement from the center for clergy to pursue accusations. The government simply declared that there were no more witches in Sweden, a seemingly abrupt end to the panic. However, the underlying belief that the devil was still active made this declaration logically inconsistent.

Conclusion and Legacy

The Great Noise, an exceptional event in Swedish history, saw around 200 people slaughtered for witchcraft over nine years. The impact on the thinly populated rural communities was devastating. Thousands of children were involved as accusers, contributing to convictions and executions. By the late 17th century, Europe began to question the existence of witches, marking the decline of the great European witch hunt era. The Swedish witch hunts, particularly the Great Noise, stand as a stark example of how fear, religious fervor, and the manipulation of vulnerable individuals, especially children, could lead to widespread injustice and brutality.