Travels with Trygg: A Supernatural Guide

Welcome to the blog of Borgny Trygg, a learned man, world traveler, and seeker of the supernatural. Join him on his adventures to learn more about the mystic and paranormal world, without having to step foot outside your village!

 

September 4^th, 1655

Welcome back, dear readers, to your favourite Travels with Trygg! For those reading for the first time or simply coming back after recovering from the plague, allow me to give a quick summary of our most recent journey to the northern Norwegian town of Vardø. Rumored to be located directly next to a gateway to Hell, this lovely town just went through its second mass witch cleansing in 30 years! These pioneers were some of the first people in Scandinavia to cleanse their community of Satan’s influence in the year of our Lord 1621, burning 11 women for summoning a deadly storm that sank 10 boats and drowned 40 men. It seems the next generation did not want to be outdone, as they recently burned 17 women at the stake, for once again causing deadly shipwrecks. If any readers are considering moving to Scandinavia and don’t mind the cold, I would highly recommend the northern fishing village of Vardø in Norway. The residents are good God-fearing folk who are tough on crime, and with two whole witch hunts under their belt it’s bound to be one of the safest towns in the north from the perils of Satan and his influence. Plus, what are the odds they would need to undergo a third witch cleanse in a few years and send an even larger number of women to the gallows?

We are now travelling south towards the Norwegian city of Bergen, where an exciting opportunity awaits. Having made acquaintances with a few Icelandic merchants that happen to be long time fans of yours truly, I’ve been offered the chance to travel back to Iceland with them, where they intend to stay the winter. Since this is the last month to make the voyage before having to wait until May I must make good time, as the journey can take anywhere from 3 days to several weeks depending on the conditions.

 

September 14^th, 1655

Having finally arrived in Bergen, our ship set off on the Úthafsleið route, leaving from the coast north of Bergen directly towards Iceland. While this route is more dangerous than the more insular Eyjaleið route, which takes one west to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, north to the Faroe Islands, and finally up to Iceland, it will be much quicker, an understandable concern when we are already halfway through the last month that the voyage to Iceland is feasible.  The biggest concern is getting mixed up while sailing through open ocean and ending up somewhere else entirely, something that occurred more frequently than one would hope in the old Icelandic Sagas, but these are the risks one must take.

For those who are unaware, the Icelandic Sagas are stories of Iceland’s greatest families and heroes from roughly 900 to 1100 AD. It is not wise to suggest that they might not be entirely factual to a native Icelander, as I’ve personally seen they don’t take kindly to that idea. Suggesting that someone is descended from land-hungry farmers and not Scandinavian nobility looking to retain their independence from greedy monarchs is bound to go over poorly, believe me. Since the Sagas are written about a time before the Christianization of Iceland, they are unfalteringly pagan. Despite this, they are still incredibly impressive and contain descriptions of witches and monsters that may well have otherwise been wiped from the country’s memory.

Some sagas detail how skilled the Sámi people are at witchcraft, and that multiple witches have learned magic from them, which certainly warrants further investigation. Due to their relative isolation and unique culture compared to the rest of Scandinavia, paganism is deep rooted among the Sámi, and has proved extensively difficult to remove. This has led to a distrust that became evident during the trials in Finnmark I just left, where roughly 1 in 5 accused were Sami, with the other 4 people usually being Norwegian. Sami men in particular are targeted more than women due to the common belief throughout Europe that they are talented in wind magic.  Other sagas describe how the pagan gods Oðinn and Freyja themselves taught witches magic rituals (known as Seiður) that gave them immense power, instead of the Devil himself. Most of these witches would use their new powers as “white witches”, healing the sick or granting protection, but this was not always the case. Some witches were more apt to bring harm upon others, causing sickness to people and livestock alike, and even raising the dead when needed. While I am of the obvious opinion that black magic must be eradicated at all costs and is a plague upon the Earth, the use of white magic to help prevent ill effects to oneself or others is a much more understandable goal, but must still be avoided as it is just as much a temptation from the Devil. Prayer and absolute devotion to the Lord should always come first, as taking one’s fate into their own hands in not he intended. In a country such as Iceland, the spread and use of white magic is much harder to prevent, because of its use going on for centuries unimpeded before the country converted to Christianity, and because of the lack of doctors and healers in the country resulting in people using whatever means they can to heal their own sick or wounded, which includes blasphemous runes and magics.

 

September 27^th, 1655

After what seemed an eternity, our ship has finally reached Iceland. While sailing the vast waters I took the opportunity to answer some of the questions being asked from you curious readers in the comments.

User LetsGetLitWitches writes: I have heard some say that Icelandic women are actually quite pious and faithful to God’s word, hardly turning to witchcraft and evil magics like all those nasty English women who are currently being burned. Is it in fact the men there that mostly commit these heinous acts against the Almighty?

A very important question! One of the main goals of this blog is to teach wary travelers about how to protect themselves from the evils of witches and their foul magics, especially in the turbulent world chock full of heathens and devil worship we currently live in. While its nearly impossible to know exactly what types of tricks and spells these connivers might have up their sleeve until I get there, between my vast knowledge and interviews with the Icelandic crew over the journey I can give a rough idea of what beliefs here consist of.

Due to Iceland’s relative isolation from the rest of mainland Europe, and even from their neighboring Scandinavian countries, they have some unique differences in belief from the rest of the world. For one, there is a large focus on runes, or staves, mystic symbols that can be drawn or etched to give magical effects. These runes have a wide variety of uses, from healing rituals and winning over women, to glory in battle and catching more fish, all fairly important aspects in Icelandic life. Considering that they are written about in the Icelandic Sagas they have been a part of Icelandic culture since the beginning, seen as gifts from the old heathen gods themselves, making the Church’s efforts to ban them an uphill battle. But that doesn’t mean the Lutheran church is taking it easy; one of the first men burned for witchcraft in Iceland was convicted simply due to having a few runic scrolls in his possession.

Some runes require fairly simple procedures, such as carving a rune in the sole of your shoe, while others are much more complex, such as the rune that helps your ewe have twins requiring one to: “carve the following stave on sheep’s manure with the rib of a mouse and in ravens’ blood on a slab of basalt and burn it in the door of the fold and let the smoke drift onto your sheep on the old day of St. John.”

One of the main reasons men are the main group being convicted of witchcraft instead of women here is because of these heathen runes. Men have traditionally been the ones that learn to read in Icelandic society, which is an almost necessary step to properly create them. While memorization might be possible, the detailed steps necessary for a single rune listed above show how that would quickly get out of hand when there are so many different runes once can learn. Another important characteristic is the fairly communal way of life here. With building materials at a serious premium, houses are small and rarely have separate bedrooms even for the wealthiest households, so keeping secrets like reading and practicing runes or other magics is difficult. The standardized idea of a witch in mainland Europe, a poor old woman living on the edge of the village and begging, is also absent here. Old widows in Iceland either go to live on farms and pay for their own maintenance, or if they are unable to do so are assigned to a household by the local church in an unavoidable act of charity. With all this, the popular image of a witch in Iceland shifts from a poor old woman to a better-off male, who would need to be educated enough to read and write, and who may have even gained their position through magic to increase their luck or see into the future. The idea of a more isolated individual being accused seems to hold strong however, as the requirement to have 12 people act as oath-witnesses would mean those better connected would have an easier time fighting accusations.

 

October 29^th, 1655

After only a short time on this enigmatic island, a few knowledgeable fans have informed me of a potential witchcraft case not far to the northwest, in the small parish of Eyri. Here, a pastor has begun preaching against the evils of witchcraft, and how he is being personally targeted by it. Even the townsfolk are beginning to suffer, complaining about chills, tingling sensations, and even demonic sightings! Since my troll finding efforts in the nearby Vatnsnes Peninsula have so far proven fruitless, a short trip north to find some witches could be just the thing to cheer everyone up.

November 3^rd, 1655

I arrived at the small parish after a few hard days travel, making my way to the church at Eyri to see if the local pastor would discuss his recent witch problem. To my delight he was more than willing to meet with me when I showed up unannounced on his church step, and introduced himself as síra Jón Magnússon, the orthodox Lutheran pastor of the parish. Born and raised in Iceland, Magnússon was educated at the grammar school in Skálholt while he was fostered by the bishop there, Oddur Einarsson. Einarsson’s vast intellect from studying abroad seems to have rubbed of on Magnússon, for when I explained that I am a travelling seeker of the supernatural who had arrived due to rumors of him and most of his parish becoming affected by witchcraft, and that I wanted to write about witchcraft here to help others learn how to keep themselves safe, he was more than willing to take me in for the time being. He has strong suspicions that it is two local men responsible for the chaos erupting through the parish, a father and son both named Jón Jónsson, of Kirkjuból farm.

The trouble all started when the Jónssons invited Magnússon to come preach at their farms small personal church in late October, a fairly common Icelandic tradition that involves bringing the pastor in on Saturday in order to hear confessions from everyone before the Sunday service. Magnusson initially wanted to postpone the trip for a week due to inclement weather, but amazingly he heard the voice of God speak to him directly, stating that it was imperative he visit the Kirkjuból farm as soon as possible in order to ‘face what was coming to him’. After he arrived and retired to his bed for the evening, Magnusson felt the familiar feeling of a tickle in his legs, as if mice were running over them, which he immediately identified as a demonic attack. He had experienced this once before around 8 years ago, which lasted for about half a year until he exorcised the demon in the name of God, and is convinced that Jón Jónsson senior sent that demon, as well as the more current ones still afflicting him. The next day during service, Magnusson preached about the importance of unity and adhering to the faith, and is convinced the Jónssons were resentful of this due to being reprimanded, Jón junior being accused of harming a servant girl, and Jón senior using “strange and unchristian language”.

The supernatural attacks began in renewed earnest the next day, starting with Magnússon having an unnatural sleepiness in the middle of the day, which is a long-held belief in Iceland that unexpected feelings of tiredness in the middle of the day precede some sort of attack, usually of the supernatural variety. This was then followed by the feeling of an invisible cat rubbing against his legs. When he tried to rest, he was consumed by “strange, unclean, and evil thoughts”, and tried to battle these with prayer, which was met with the fiercest and most dramatic attack yet. He claims that something like a dog leapt over the bed and onto his legs, battling him for over an hour and working its way upwards until it was able to reach his neck, at which point it dug its red-hot claws into him so fiercely that he thought he was dying. This final beast would end up haunting Magnússon every night throughout the week, with varying intensity. A brief examination revealed no physical signs of attack that one might expect, but I was prepared for this outcome. It seems witch-marks, insensitive parts of skin left by the Devil after first making a satanic pact, are not present in Iceland, much to the chagrin of any down on their luck witch-prickers who might come here for work. Most witchcraft accusations in the land so far are based on maleficia cases and not satanic worship, unless you define the heathen gods of old as devils. Whatever the case, witches here seem to have an easier time blending in because of the lack of identifying features, and the fact that their spells may have similar attributes is a terrifying thought.

It should be noted that the three different animals Magnússon has been attacked by appear to have been seen by various other parishioners in demonic forms. A few short interviews with the townsfolk Magnússon were able to round up on short notice confirm that they have seen demons in the shape of rats, cats, and dogs, but peculiarly in the shapes of moths as well, and even in the shape of a fly with claws and a long tail. A man named Ólafur was one of the few who saw these demonic flies, and after confirming he had had nothing to drink that night nor a history of head trauma, agreed to try his best to draw if for me. It should be noted that Ólafur is an Icelandic farmer with no real history of artistry like your truly, but we can all agree that this should be considered the work of devils and not one of God’s creations.

 

November 20^th, 1655

It appears some readers have remained unaware of the religious situations that have occurred in Iceland over the past few centuries, likely due to its isolation from the rest of Europe, as the following comment displays:

RepentanceRagnaRocks: I thought Iceland was still a land of backwards Norsemen who drink and tell stories, but you’re telling me these people are advanced enough to have a Lutheran pastor for their small farming communities? Seems far-fetched to me.

Iceland has had Christian influences from the very start, with Christian settlers from Ireland, England, and Scotland especially making up a portion of the first people in Iceland. The heathen beliefs were much stronger during this time, however, especially after the establishment of the Althing in 930 AD. It would take over 50 years for Christian missionaries to arrive here, with very little success. It wasn’t until Ólafur Tryggvason became king of Norway a few years later that the efforts to Christianize Iceland would come into full swing. Multiple waves of missionaries were sent, with most being banished from the island shortly after they arrived either for acts of violence or for attacking heathen temples unprovoked. This angered the new Norwegian king greatly, and he threatened to mutilate and massacre every heathen Icelander that could currently be found in Norway at the time. Before he could go though with this, two Christian Icelandic chieftains were able to meet with Tryggvason and convince him that they would convert Iceland to Christianity shortly, no massacre required.

The two men travelled back to Iceland and explained the situation at the Althing in the year 1000. The news almost led to a religious war breaking out between the most dedicated heathens and Christians, but everyone agreed that the best course of action would be compromise, preserving peace, and holding everyone to the same laws. With this in mind, they appointed a man named Thorgeir of Ljósavatn, who had maintained a moderate viewpoint thus far, to act as lawspeaker and decide the religious fate of the entire country, which they all promised to obey. After considering the choice for one day and one night, Thorgeir decided that the country would covert to Christianity immediately and that everyone present should be baptized. However, worship of the old gods would be allowed in private, and the acts of eating horseflesh and leaving out unwanted babies in the cold would still be allowed, but these acts would be banned as soon as 1016.

While the Christianization of Iceland was a fairly quick process, and one of the few nations that converted to Christianity with no real bloodshed involved, the Reformation and spread of Lutheranism over 500 years later was anything but. Governor Klaus von Mervits was sent to Iceland by the Danish king in 1539 to take over church possessions and start making way for the new Protestant religion that would soon be established, but was killed by angry Christians in the north, dividing the country. When the Christian resistance sent a letter to the Danish king asking for either religious freedom or passage to a different country to practice there instead, his response was to send a naval expedition that brutally subdued Christian resistance. Northern Christians and southern Protestants would live in uneasy peace for the next decade, but by 1549 the Christian bishop Jón Arason from the north would end up capturing the southern Protestant bishop and taking control of the whole country, doing his best to revert Iceland back to Christianity. This would last for a year until Arason and his two sons were captured in battle, and were executed by Danes and Icelanders who were too scared of potential Christian attacks from the north to keep the bishop prisoner for long. While this would lead to Christian rebels killing any Dane that was involved in the execution, a large Danish military force arrived soon after to force the Reformation on the country, and once again Icelanders would be forcibly banned from practicing their religions for fear of Scandinavian retaliation. Because of events like these the Icelanders have had to become good at hiding potentially dangerous worship, making heathenism and witchcraft here that much harder to root out.

Over the past couple weeks, I have stayed in Eyri to try and help síra Jón, and record the strange supernatural attacks he has been continuously suffering. While other parishioners still come to me with reports of strange sensations or the occasional demonic sighting, which has now evolved to include seeing demons in the shape of both of the Jón Jónssons, Magnússon seems to remain the only one being specifically targeted by these fierce demonic attacks. Almost every night involves some sort of demonic onslaught, whether it be the feeling of mice continuously crawling over him or the more vicious hound making an unwelcome appearance. While I have witnessed his thrashings and agony during some of these attacks now, I remain unable to see what is attacking the poor man, and no remedies seem to help thus far. I suggested that he sleep in different areas to potentially confuse the demons, but they seem to find him with little effort, whether it be in a different bed, in the church, or even when he became desperate enough to try sleeping in a tent in the harsh November weather.

The first attacks directly from the Jónssons have also begun, with the first starting the day after I’d arrived in the parish. All of the Jónssons still attend church regularly despite the increased tension their presence is beginning to cause, with Magnússon believing this was an effort to reinforce the spells they were casting on him. When the service had ended, Magnússon shook the hand of Jón junior, but immediately felt an intense burning sensation in his right hand all the way up to his elbow, that wouldn’t fade until he rubbed it against a pew end and within a few days ended up becoming so weak in his right arm that he was forced to rely solely on his left for quite some time. Last Sunday Jón senior apparently made an attempt on Magnússon as well, as he was seen staring into the windows of the side chapel where Magnússon is known to frequent. It is thought that Jón senior must have planted a demon to guard that area specifically, as whenever Magnússon tried to pray in the chapel he was “trampled flat by the devil as if by a manic with knees and fists”.

The almost nightly demonic attacks that Magnússon was suffering also became more intense after this, driving the man desperate to bring them to an end. There was one night in particular where Magnússon was convinced he had located a devil that was haunting him hiding underneath one of his floorboards, and called me for assistance. While I couldn’t see or sense anything obviously demonic, the man’s fervor had me convinced that he must be seeing something under there, and I started suggesting different methods we may use to exorcise the demon back to Hell. But Magnússon thought these cleansing rituals would take too long and allow the demon to escape, and instead wanted to try a more physical approach now that the demon was trapped and an easy target. He instead brought in an iron pipe with one end sealed off, and some gunpowder he had bought from Danish traders last summer, for reasons he would not elaborate on, with the intent of “blasting the foul beast back to the depths from which the Jónssons had dredged it”. Neither of us knew how much powder would be sufficient to achieve this, so we decided to fill the pipe as much as reasonably possible, since demons are notoriously robust and we wanted to ensure we wouldn’t simply wound it. When we lit the fuse, however, we were met with such a powerful blast that we were both knocked completely flat, the air being driven from my lungs and a foul ringing in my ears which surely must have been the beast laughing at our attempt. When I came to Magnússon was also under the impression that it hadn’t worked, and that he would be sure to buy more powder and a larger pipe in case we were able to trap one in the future. Hopefully I can get some rest and recover over the next few days, as a demon simply shrugging off an attack like that means powerful magics are at play here, and that this case is going to be much more work than I initially thought.

 

December 3^rd, 1655

Since events here have prevented me from getting a useful amount of much needed rest, I have been answering more questions that inquisitive readers have written in for me.

SwissCheeseIsHoly writes: Since worshipping of the old Icelandic gods seems to supersede worship of the Devil himself, does this give witches there access to different types of demons? The use of holy rituals and physical means seemed to have no effect on the one attacking síra Jón, making me wonder if they are of a different variety than usual.

A great observation! I have also come to suspect the same, as the nature of these demonic attacks is like nothing I have seen in my travels thus far. Icelandic witches have been known to be able to summon foul beings in the past, such as the fearsome draugr. These fearsome beasts are usually the walking corpses of past dead pagan warriors, and have a much more physical appearance than whatever is afflicting Jón Magnússon. Disposing of one usually entails decapitation followed by cremation, with some logically insisting that the severed head must be placed upon the buttocks of the corpse first. The very first Icelander to be burned as a witch in 1625, Jón Rögnvaldsson, was accused of raising one of these draugr to attack his neighbors’ horses. The nature of the attacks leads me to believe that the spirit in question more closely resembled a Fylgja. These spirits are quite complicated, and can take on a variety of different forms. Often appearing as either an animal or woman, a fylgja is a type of guardian spirit, being born alongside a person and following them throughout their life. They are often only able to be perceived in times of great crisis or by those with clairvoyant abilities, which may explain how síra Jón and some of the local townsfolk have come to see demons in the shape of animals, and later in the shape of the Jónssons who’s souls they are attached to. The fylgja attacking Magnússon in particular is likely a sending, which is capable of attacking another person or causing ailments, such as drowsiness. Unlike the draugr, the fylgja is capable of changing its form, often into a mist, an animal, or often into a fly like those demonic ones seen by some townsfolk. If the Jónssons truly are able to conjure up a sending they are powerful magic users indeed, and capturing it should become a top priority of possible, as owning a piece of a man’s soul is sure to make him reconsider his actions.

But now let us return back to the case at hand. Late into the night a little over a week ago, Magnusson faced yet another demonic attack and was so fed up he decided to steal away to the village of Arnardalur on the edge of the parish, and then across the fjord to Súðavík, to meet with one of the local sheriffs and see if he would take action against the Jónssons. Luckily síra Jon was able to meet with Sheriff Magnús Magnússon, the 25-year-old sheriff of the region, who was inexperienced with witchcraft cases and very much reluctant to take action. It was perfect timing, then, that Síra Jon experienced yet another demonic attack at that moment, and combined with the threats to report the young sheriff to his superiors if needed Magnús agreed to contact his fellow sheriff to plan a course of action. When Síra Jón returned to Arnardalur however, he learned that he had been seen by a friend of the Jónssons, who left for Kirkjuból to inform them of the priest’s secret journey. Magnusson expected an increase in the supernatural attacks as a result, and was not disappointed. When he eventually returned to Eyri and entered the church, he felt a strong, hard gust of wind as if from the jaws of a hound in his right ear, and was unable to enter. He was also connived that the Jónssons were using more subtle spells that were intended to drive him into madness, and had difficulty preaching to his congregation as a result. Desperate to gain some reprieve from the hauntings, Magnusson returned to Arnardalur, and will be joined today by the rest of his household, as one of the church farmhands experienced a catatonic fit while out fishing, leading some to believe that the entire household may now be under attack.

While Magnusson fled, Sheriff Magnús and his deputy went to Kirkjuból in order to issue the Jónssons a summons to appear before a specially convened court on December 14^th. While strictly adhering to the law is admirable, some have criticized the lawmen for giving the Jónssons such a large window to hide or destroy any evidence, or increase their attacks on Magnússon in hopes of ensuring he wouldn’t be able to make it to the trial. But Magnússon was taken seriously enough that an executioner was brought in from the neighboring county, likely just to administer floggings, if necessary, as bringing a case such as this to an end in one session is extremely unlikely.

 

December 18^th, 1655

The first step of the trial against the Jónssons is now finished, and shows how the Icelanders are not the lawless wild men some have come to associate them as. While there were some notably uncouth moments like a brawl on the church porch, all in all the court itself was a fairly organized, trying their best to provide a fair trial that followed the spirit of the numerous laws relating to witchcraft here.

First, the farmhouse of the Jónssons was searched by Deputy Gísli, who reported strange pains in his leg and hallucinations as he searched the farmhouse, and especially around Jon junior’s bed. However, only some strange leaves and a calfskin with large characters and letters were found, both of which were in the sickbed of fellow farm owner Snæbjörn Pálsson as some sort of healing magic, and as such was not possible to link to the Jónssons directly. Due to his illness Snæbjörn was exempted from questioning, but the change of expression on Jón seniors face when these articles were presented appears to have been enough to convince Deputy Gísli to keep the Jónssons locked up until the next hearing, rather than bailed out. Upon hearing this the younger Jón leapt to his feet and swore his innocence, invoking God’s wrath and using colorful language in his verbal tirade. Síra Jón felt this display should have been more than enough to condemn the men, but the court displayed great caution and adherence to procedure.

After this it was time for Síra Jón to formally accuse the Jónssons of witchcraft, where he included the following four pieces of evidence:

1. ‘That the devil had shown himself in the image, shape, and form of both Jón Jónsson senior and his son.’ Three people in Magnússon’s household were willing to confirm this, but were ruled out due to being related to Magnússon by blood or marriage.
2. ‘Egill Pálsson declared his 10-year-old child, unprompted, said he had seen the apparitions of both men, once together and otherwise one at a time.’ The Jónssons asked if it was only their forms that demons were seen imitating, and others admitted to also seeing them in shapes of dogs, cats, mice, strange flies, etc.
3. ‘Every time the father and son came to the church it seemed to him and his household that the attacks increased in force and frequency, so that he began to dread their coming.’
4. Magnusson demanded an investigation of what Ólafur Sigmundsson, Ásta Narfadóttir, and Björn of Engidalur could testify concerning Jón juniors’ threats against them, but all three denied knowledge of them.

This last witness, Björn of Engidalur, would end up being approached by Síra Jón on the church porch during a recess, who believed that as a neighbour of the Jónssons he would have to have seen some suspicious behavior and have some sort of evidence against them. Seeing this as an attempt to tamper with a witness, Jón junior rushed outside and separated them quite vigorously, leading to síra Jón’s stepson Bjarni rushing to his defense, and starting a small fight. Jón senior was held back and prevented from joining the brawl, but is noted for yelling, “Let me look him in the eye!”, which was taken as a threat against Björn.

After this scuffle was dealt with, it was time for the sheriff, deputy, and 12 jurors to come to a decision of how to handle the case, and decided to follow the precedent set by the 1631 Benedikt Ƿorleifsson v. Magnús Sigarðsson witchcraft case in allowing the Jónssons the opportunity to clear themselves by way of tylftareiður, appointing seven oath-witnesses and leaving the Jónssons to find four more. The oath they would have to swear by goes as follows:

They shall lay their hand on the Holy Book and declare to Almighty God that you two have neither by witchcraft nor sorcery, by runes nor carved characters, by incantations nor any other method, caused loss, nor damage, nor harm to any person in soul or conscience, body or limbs, possessions or wealth, and least of all to our pastor síra Jón Magnússon, nor have procured from or in any collusion with any others to have harm done to any, and that you have never learned nor practiced magic, runes or carvings; and in swearing the oath so prescribed may God help them.  

The Jónssons were given until Easter to find enough people willing to act as oath-witnesses and proclaim their innocence, and would not be placed under arrest until the next hearing as it was deemed inappropriate. With the matter solved, the members of the court stayed in town for an evening, and then returned home. While most found this to be an agreeable outcome to the trial, síra Jón found it completely unacceptable. The night after the court departed, he faced such terrible demonic attacks that he felt the entire county was in danger by letting the Jónssons remain free, and therefore had himself ferried in the middle of the night to Arnardalur to catch up with Sheriff Magnús and demand that Kirkjuból be searched for more evidence. The sheriff eventually agreed, but once again the search brought nothing to fruition. The sheriff did experience a cramp in his foot when approaching the farmhouse, which Jón junior soothed with a massage, proof enough for síra Jón that he had been the one to cause it in the first place. Upon returning home síra Jón fell prey to demonic attacks so bad that he has so far remained completely bedridden since, once again claiming that the Jónssons hope to destroy him before the rest of the trial can be carried out.

 

February 17^th, 1656

I apologize for the long gap in posts, dear readers. Fierce storms have prevented me from investigating many supernatural phenomena in different areas of the island, and there has been little to update on the Jónssons case until recently. Síra Jón Magnússon still remains bedridden from the continuous demonic attacks, and is doing all he can to have the Jónssons trial brought forward, so far with no success. Both Sheriffs Magnús and Ƿorleifur have refused to alter the court’s decision, and contacting the bishop would require a 17-day ride to Skálholt that Magnússon is presently in absolutely no shape to undertake, and the poor weather conditions means he is having immense difficulty finding anyone else willing to make the journey.

It seems the Jónssons are not currently faring much better. They are having immense difficulty finding anyone to become an oath witness for them, as the oath requires swearing that the accused has never participated in creating runes, even those made for white healing magic, which everyone in town supposedly knows they have participated in. One attempt at finding someone to act as an oath-witness resulted in Jón junior having to walk past the church late at night, and Magnússon was convinced that the man had climbed onto the parsonage roof in order to cast a devastating attack, requiring Magnússon’s family to place an open bible under his head to temporarily alleviate it. Whether this new attack will rouse the sheriffs to take action is unknown, but considering how badly Magnusson has been affected by the attacks with no reaction from them, I consider it doubtful.

March 12^th, 1656

It seems that síra Jón was finally able to rouse the Sheriffs to action, as the Jónssons have now been arrested and taken into custody. The pastor had an open letter sent to Sheriff Magnús, detailing how he was suffering and how it was rumored that Jón junior was planning on fleeing the district, requiring an immediate arrest. The shorter journey and improved weather meant he was able to have a messenger deliver it, who was instructed to read it out loud in front of witnesses, in order to increase the pressure and the likelihood of action being taken. Rumors also circulated that the Jónssons were armed and willing to fight rather than be arrested, but by the time the sheriff and deputy arrived at Kirkjuból they surrendered peacefully. Since the parish has no prison, Jón senior is being kept at Sheriff Magnús’s home, and Jón junior at Deputy Gísli’s until the trial can continue. From what I understand they are being treated well enough, at least until Sheriff Ƿorleifur arrived on the scene. He initially threatened the use of hot tongs against Jón junior, but much to Magnússon’s disgust did not end up going through with the threat. However, there were other methods used against Jón junior that Magnússon knew of and refused to share with me or anyone else, claiming he wanted to avoid warning future offenders. Considering one of the main reasons Magnússon was upset about the lack of torture was due to him wanting to uncover a nation-wide witchcraft conspiracy, this withheld information makes sense, no matter how frustrating it may be. I am of the opinion that the methods of torture to extract a witchcraft confession can be one of the most important parts of the case, especially concerning whether the accused is able to feel pain, what sorts of tests are used, how their confession is given, etc. Whether due to their isolation or their increased reliance on the oath-witness system, it seems Iceland does not administer witchcraft tests nearly as much as their Scandinavian neighbors. The flotation test in particular is completely absent, which claims that due to water being an integral element in baptisms it will reject witches due to their pact with Satan, causing them to float to the surface instead of sink. Despite popular belief the accused that sank tended to be pulled out before drowning could occur, but in some cases the test’s administrators waited too long in order to be absolutely certain, resulting in potentially innocent deaths (Burns). Since witchcraft is not associated with the Christian Devil as much in Iceland its possible that the practice simply hasn’t made its way over, or it could be that the association with heathen gods instead means that water doesn’t reject them to the same degree, and that other types of tests simply need to be discovered for this region in particular.

 

April 9^th, 1656

After a long wait, the court is finally reconvening, to hopefully finish the Jónssons witchcraft case.  It should be noted that Jón junior entered the court with a bruised face, hinting that while he may not have been explicitly tortured, the idea of a completely unforced confession may not be accurate. Again, it is unknown what methods may have been used or how long Jón junior might have been tortured, and how this might have colored his confession.

The trial started with a recap of how pastor síra Jón Magnússon has experienced diabolic attacks for roughly a year and a half, leaving him bedridden since the conclusion of the last trial, and that he blames both Jón Jónssons for his sickness. Due to concerns from Magnússon and other locals, as well as the pastor’s worsening condition over the past few months and the mounting evidence gathering against the father and son, the sheriffs had the two Jón Jónssons arrested before the current trial was formally scheduled. The main reasons for this include:

• Debate over whether Jón senior said, “Laugh then, but he who laughs last laughs best”, or just, “You have no call to laugh at this” in response to accusations against his son. With four witnesses claiming it was the first phrase that was uttered in defiance to the pastor.
• The brawl between the men when Magnússon tried talking to Björn of Engidalur, followed shortly by Jón senior shouting, “Let me look him in the eye”.
• That many witnesses present would be able to confirm long standing rumors of Jon seniors’ connections to witchcraft.

Since it was the younger Jón in particular that Magnússon was especially suspicious as having caused his current state, Magnússon then preceded to list his various evidence he had against the man.

1. That he has a general reputation for wanting to learn and practice forbidden magical arts, which was supported by the collective evidence of the members of the assembly.
2. That the animosity between the two Jónssons and Magnússon had been established after Jón junior was denied by Magnússon to suit his step-daughter.
3. That an incident occurred where after shaking the hand of Jón junior, Magnússon’s entire hand and arm up to his elbow felt as if they had been burned, and was only reprieved upon rubbing his hand upon a pew end.
4. That multiple people in the area had witnessed devils and demons in the shape of one or both of the Jón Jónssons.

With this, the 12 oath-witnesses were called forward and made to answer whether they could declare in clear conscience if they found it impossible to swear for rather than against both Jón Jónssons, and if they were guilty of the witchcraft and destructive action which has afflicted síra Jón this past year and a half. All men asked swore against the Jónssons, effectively dooming them even before the surprising next act of the trial. With his fate all but sealed, Jón senior now freely confessed to more detailed crimes concerning his attempts at magic throughout the years, including:

• That he often had the use of a magical calfskin book for extended periods of time, which he borrowed from one Thumás Jörundsson, and a small paper book of the same variety, which he would borrow from one Jón Pétursson. That there are at least two more local men involved enough in heathenish practices to keep books of runes shows how deeply the old ways are imbedded in the region, lending a small bit of merit to Magnússon’s fear of a national witchcraft conspiracy.
• Jón senior admitted to asking Jón Pétursson to cast magic spells against Magnússon 18 months ago, but Pétursson refused.
• He admitted to cursing and destroying a cow belonging to his neighbor, Björn of Engidalur.
• Admitted to putting names to the runes that his son Jón junior drew.
• That he had burnt the books of runes before they could be found in a search by the authorities, keeping only a table on how to predict mid-winter weather, as was found in the search
• Finally, that he was in fact guilty for starting the pastor Jón Magnússon’s illness, which he had previously denied through oaths and swearing.

Because the case had originally arisen around Jón junior, they then turned to him to see if there was anything he would like to confess, which he did uncompelled:

• That he had recited a certain verse over Ólafur the Danish cook, then scratched it into a rune and placed it in a way that the man was sure to walk over it. He reckoned it worked, as Ólafur fell and hurt his chest shortly afterwards.
• Recited healing words that had previously been used on Danish cook Ólafur’s chest, “I bring you beer, bright little man, powerfully blended with strong magic which Odin, lord of the Æesir, and the evil Gyða have given power to.”
• That he read the beginning of a so called ‘transcript letter’ in various words in other languages, which he claimed was good for reading over and healing people, and that he had used it to help his sister who had fallen ill a few days before the pastor’s visit to Kirkjuból.
• That he had cured his own calf, which he thought had been plagued by the Devil, by shaving Solomons Seal on its hide as well as a piece of paper. That night, he claims the Devil came to him and asked why he had done this, and Jón answered, “Damn you, you’re not going to cheat me!”
• That he had carved love runes for a girl
• That he had wanted to scare Markús Brandsson by carving runes on a stick and chanting over him, but it had no effect since Markús avoided it.
• That he had later gifted Markús two runes, one to prevent him from drowning at sea, and one to slip into a girl’s bed to change her mind so that she was willing to have him.
• Described wrestling magic, and the harmful symbols that could be made for it.
• Finally, he confessed to having caused the sickness of síra Jón Magnússon, though not the beginning of it as his father had confessed to earlier.
• He admits to having scratched a symbol on his hand (that Jón senior called Fjölnir) before shaking the pastor’s hand in church that led to the burning sensation. He admits to having recited the following: “May the cursed fire rise sharply against you because of hatred, and all the evil you intend to me turn back and pursue you.”
• Admits to having carved runes on pieces of whale bone and fish gill, before tossing them into the wind, which lines up with Magnússon’s account of the change in the attacks against him.

With all these confessions laid out, the court examined them thoroughly before deciding that there could be no mercy or mitigation for the two men, as their actions went against the word of God and the laws of their and all other Christian nations. If they did not act swiftly and decisively, they knew that God would incite his terrible and fiery wrath on their society for allowing witchcraft to fester unpunished. A variety of different sources were examined in order to determine what kind of sentence to give the Jónssons, including:

• Many Bible verses that explicitly condemn witchcraft.
• The national law code of Iceland, Jónsbók, where Civil Rights section 2 states, “Those men who are sentenced to death for murder, witchcraft, magic practices, all means of foretelling the future and likewise for sitting out to raise trolls or practice heathen rights, they are men whose sentence may not be commuted.”
• His Royal Majesty’s open letter of 1617 declares all such men outlaws in all of the king’s lands and dominions, and that they are worthy of death by sword and fire
• The ancient laws of Iceland, Grágás, where section 10 of Christian Justice states, “If a man works magic which has the effect of causing sickness or death to people and domestic animals, the penalty is death.”
• The laws of other Christian nations and worthy rulers, that any Christian man or woman who conspire in witchcraft or use it to harm others shall be burned by fire if convicted of this crime

Finally, with all procedures of justice used in accordance with the laws of Iceland and Denmark, the jury found by unanimous vote that both men, Jón Jónsson senior and Jón Jónsson junior, have forfeited their lives and shall be condemned to death by being burned to ashes on a blazing fire, as their actions and confessions make them clearly irredeemable in the eyes of God and their fellow countrymen.

Since the Jónssons had confessed in court that everything written above was true, the clergymen present decided that they will be allowed to receive a final communion before the execution, as it was believed that they are truly repentant for what they did. Both men also asked permission to beg síra Jón’s forgiveness, who allowed himself to be carried in and placed on his knees before them, but immediately sensed that he was being deceived. While Jón senior showed signs of improvement and genuine remorse, Jón junior appeared hardened in damnation, and Magnússon is convinced he was muttering spells and incantations instead of prayers, attempting to place a curse on him when he knocked the priest’s side as he rose to his feet. Physically sickened that the sacrament was being administered to what he saw as unrepentant sinners, Magnússon was also deeply resentful to the court for allowing him to be exposed to more witchcraft, hopefully for the final time.

 

April 11^th, 1656

Yesterday, on the official First Day of Summer in Iceland, the sentence of the two Jón Jónssons was carried out and they were burned for their crimes. In an interesting touch, the two men were made to pay for their own execution by way of being burned on top of their own furniture, as fuel is quite expensive in this sparsely wooded country, and it felt unreasonable to have the parish take on the cost. This dilemma also means that stakes were never readily available for the rare occasion a burning had to take place, so the two men were instead simply bound and thrown directly onto the fire after it had been properly set, which took three tries as it kept going out before consuming them. Even after their death the Jónssons were not allowed any rest, as their ashes were not permitted to be buried, and since síra Jón failed to recover as expected with their death, men were sent another three times to dig through the remains and burn any identifiable parts more thoroughly.

Today some members of the court have reconvened in order to assess what to do with the Jónssons remaining property, what to allocate to their surviving family, and how much should be paid to síra Jón in damages. Since Jón junior had been discovered of lying on his taxes for quite some time, the entirety of his possessions was forfeited for either damages or overdue fines for non-payment. Jón seniors’ various funds, land, and possessions were then analyzed and roughly split into thirds, with one-third going to his widow and three surviving children and one-third going to síra Jón for damages, and it was decided that in 10 years’ time the Jónssons would be entitled to buy back the land from Magnússon at that day’s valuation. The remaining one-third remaining after all damages were paid was determined to be “loose wealth”, to be split between the throne and the remaining Jónssons, but since the court was unsure if higher authorities might want to pay the Magnússon’s more in damages it was decided that the sheriffs will hold onto the remaining wealth until the matter is decided at the next Alƿingi. The court did put in a plea for the wealth to be returned to the Jónssons, especially since the two youngest children were described as “not quite old enough to fend for themselves, and moreover quite sickly.”

 

With this dramatic case finally being brought to a close, it is time for yours truly to move on, to where I am still unsure. All I know is that while this land and its people can be quite charming and beautiful, if I have to spend another frigid winter in this country, I fear I will lose all will to live and simply let the ice take me. For those wondering about síra Jóns recovery I hear that he has improved somewhat, but is still under the belief that he is under the effects of witchcraft, and has turned his sights on the oldest remaining sibling of the Jónssons, although what possible evidence he has for this I am unaware.

I would like to thank everyone who wrote in for the great questions, and sincerely hope that everyone who has joined in has learned something about Icelandic witchcraft and other magical entities from this country, in order to stay well informed and safe while the world attempts to root out all these dangerous individuals from our midst.

 

Praise be to God!

Borgny Trygg

 

 

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