Lasses Birgitta (died 1550) was an alleged Swedish
witch
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
. She was the first woman executed 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, ...
in Sweden.
[Bengt Ankarloo:Satans raseri : en sannfärdig berättelse om det stora häxoväsendet i Sverige och omgivande länder (2010) (in English: Rage of Satan) (in Swedish)]
In April 1550, Lasses Birgitta, which means "Birgitta, Wife of Lasse", from
Algutsrum
Algutsrum is a locality situated in Mörbylånga Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 532 inhabitants in 2010.
''Algutsrum Hundred'' ( sv, Algutsrums härad) was a hundred of Öland in Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,T ...
in
Öland
Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Øland'' in other Scandinavian languages, and often ''Oland'' internationally; la, Oelandia) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area ...
, confessed to the bailiff and the secretary on
Kalmar Castle
Kalmar Castle ( sv, Kalmar slott) is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden.
History
During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteen ...
that she had tried to awaken a dead man in
Kastlösa
Kastlösa is a locality situated in Mörbylånga Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of ...
cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
at midnight.
One night, Birgitta and two men had entered the church yard with the intent of awakening one of the dead by
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 ...
. Birgitta had passed the place in a circle three times and then blew through the keyhole of the church until it opened. She had tried to get a hold of the stole, but did not find it and had to leave, after which she locked the door the same way she entered it. After another attempt on a different occasion, she had succeeded in getting the
stole, passed the church three times against the sun, renounced God and swore herself to the Devil. The court judged Birgitta as guilty of sorcery and sentenced her to death by decapitation. The men who accompanied her were given a fine.
After the trial of Birgitta, the Swedish witch hunt remained more or less inactive until the 1590s, and the real witch hysteria was not to break loose until 1668. The last person to be executed for sorcery in Sweden was
Anna Eriksdotter
Anna Eriksdotter or Anna Ersdotter (1624 – 15 June 1704) called ''Sotpackan'' (English: 'soot witch'), was a Swedish woman who was executed for witchcraft. She was the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Sweden.Grimberg, Carl: Svenska ...
.
Trivia
In 2021 the Band
Volbeat
Volbeat are a Danish rock band formed in Copenhagen in 2001. They play a fusion of rock and roll, heavy metal, and rockabilly. Their current line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsen, guitarist Rob Caggiano, drummer Jon Lars ...
made a song about Lasses Birgitta, published on the Album
Servant of the Mind
''Servant of the Mind'' is the eighth studio album by Danish rock band Volbeat. The album was released on 3 December 2021 through Vertigo, Republic, and Universal Records. The album was preceded by four singles: "Wait a Minute My Girl", "Dagen FÃ ...
References
* Bengt Ankarloo:Satans raseri : en sannfärdig berättelse om det stora häxoväsendet i Sverige och omgivande länder (2010) (in English: Rage of Satan)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birgitta, Lasses
16th-century births
1550 deaths
Executed Swedish women
People executed by Sweden by decapitation
People executed for witchcraft
Executed Swedish people
16th-century executions by Sweden
16th-century Swedish people
Witch trials in Sweden
16th-century Swedish farmers
16th-century women farmers
16th-century Swedish women