Witch Hunt in Selárdalur

One of the most grim episodes of the witch hunt in Iceland is connected with Páll Björnsson (1621-1706), a priest and one of the foremost Icelandic scholars of the time. By origin, he was from Selárdalur, in the southwest of the Westfjords. Páll studied Greek and Hebrew abroad, his essay on Icelandic nature was published in London and then translated into French. He was also the first to measure the exact geographical location of the westernmost point of Iceland. Even greater achievement of this erudite man was Character Bestiæ, a study of magic that he wrote in 1674. The book is a learned composition, which imitates such continental models as Malleus Malificorum and has little to do with Icelandic magic practices of the period. Páll Björnsson’s name became part of the history of witch trials in Iceland after his wife Helga fell ill in 1669. Quite predictably, the reason was seen in witchcraft. They accused a hired laborer who worked on their farm of using magic against Helga, since the man wanted to marry one of Helga’s maids. The investigation was undertaken by Páll’s brother, Eggert Björnsson, who was a county sheriff. Eggert both proved the farm hand guilty and found the one who taught him sorcery. Both were burnt at the stake. However, Helga did not feel better: they even had to leave the farm, because evil spirits were everywhere. Soon Páll’s sons fell ill, too. The clergyman did not stop until five more people were burnt for doing harm to his family through witchcraft, including a woman, whose dim-witted son said she was able to cross rivers without getting her feet wet. In 1683 Sveinn Árnason became the last victim of Selárdalur witch hunt, and also the last man to be burnt at the stake in Iceland.

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