Kolgrim, also spelled ''Kollgrim'' or ''Kolgrimr'' (d. 1407 in Hvalsey,Seaver, Kirsten A., The Frozen Echo: Greenland and the Exploration of North America, Ca. A.D. 1000-1500, Stanford University Press, 1996 Greenland), was an alleged Norse sorcerer who was burned in Greenland for

sorcery Sorcery may refer to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities * Magic in fiction, ...

and adultery. In 1406, a Norwegian merchant ship arrived at the old Eastern Settlement on Greenland and stayed for four years. Among the passengers were the merchant Torgrim Sölvesson and his wife Steinunn Ravnsdotter. In 1407, Steinunn fell in love with Kolgrim, and left Torgrim for him. Torgrim accused Kolgrim of sorcery. The matter was raised at the Thing (''tinget''), which was conducted before the lagmannen and then tried before a jury of twelve. At the witch trial at Hvalsey, witnesses were called, the Norwegian law against sorcery was invoked, and it was said that "Kolgrim brought teinunnto him by use of magic" by reciting

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...

s and galdr until she came to him and he "lay with her."Alnæs, Karsten, Historien om Europa. Uppvaknande 1300-1600, Bonnier, Stockholm, 2004 The fact that Steinunn had fallen in love with Kolgrim was considered as an even greater crime and made Kolgrim's situation worse, since it meant that Kolgrim had "stolen" not only her body, but also her

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, from her husband. Kolgrim was found guilty of sorcery and condemned to death by burning at Hvalsey. After his execution, Steinunn was "never fully sane" again and died soon after.

Kolgrim in fiction

Kolgrim and his witch trial are fictionalized in the novel '' The Greenlanders'' by

Jane Smiley Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel ''A Thousand Acres'' (1991). Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a su ...

References

* Alnæs, Karsten, Historien om Europa. Uppvaknande 1300–1600, Bonnier, Stockholm, 2004 (The History of Europe. Awakening, 1300–1600) {{in lang, sv
''Vikingarna vid världens ände'' (Populär Historia)
1407 deaths Executed Norwegian people People executed for witchcraft People executed by the Kalmar Union People executed by Norway by burning Year of birth unknown 15th-century executions by Norway 14th-century births 15th century in North America History of Greenland