María Pujol (died 8 January 1767), also known as La Napa, was a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
alleged witch. She was the last person to be executed for
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...
in Catalonia and any other region of Spain.
Life
She was a poor woman residing in
Prats de Llusanés, who were accused by her neighbors to rob orchards and farms for food.
In 1766, the body of a murdered four year old girl was found, and her neighbors accused her of having murdered the girl to use her body parts to manufacture magical
potion
A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...
s.
She was charged with sorcery in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. This was a century after the witch trials of Spain had died out. She was sentenced as guilty by a secular court to hanging for witchcraft. Her execution took place on 8 January 1767.
Legacy
Known as the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Spain, she is the subject of local folklore and legend in Catalonia.
[AADD, El Lluçanès màgic. Recull de llegendes i rondalles del Lluçanès, Edicions Cossetània i Ajuntament de Sant Boi de Lluçanès, 1998.]
References
* AADD, El Lluçanès màgic. Recull de llegendes i rondalles del Lluçanès, Edicions Cossetània i Ajuntament de Sant Boi de Lluçanès, 1998.
* GORCHS, A., Prats de Lluçanès, 905-2005. Cronologia de 1.100 anys d'història, Ajuntament de Prats de Lluçanès, 2006.
Spanish people executed for witchcraft
1767 deaths
18th-century Spanish women
18th-century executions by Spain