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 ...

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 F� ...

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