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Agnes Magnúsdóttir (27 October 1795 – 12 January 1830) was the last person to be executed in Iceland, along with Friðrik Sigurðsson. The pair were sentenced to death for the murder of Natan Ketilsson, a farmer in Illugastaðir in
Vatnsnes Vatnsnes () is a peninsula jutting into Húnaflói in northern Iceland. It is surrounded by waters of Miðfjörður on the west and Húnafjörður on the east. It is home to one of the largest seal colonies in Iceland, among others at Hindisví ...
, and Pétur Jónsson from Geitaskarð on 14 March 1828. They were executed by beheading in Vatnsdalshólar in Austur-Húnavatnssýsla on 12 January 1830.


History

Agnes had been described as an intelligent, imaginative and talented woman. Her appearance is disputed, but one source says she is "not visible", while another describes her as more complete and fun in her approach. Agnes was in her thirties and worked as a maid at Geitaskarð when she met Natan Ketilsson. At the same time they were attracted to each other and Agnes was hired at Illugastaðir for the next few days. Agnes no doubt hoped to become Natan's housekeeper and wife, and went to his home in Illugastaðir but when she got there this did not happen. Natan had chosen Sigríður Guðmundsdóttir as housekeeper, but she was only 16 years old. Friðrik Sigurðsson liked Sigríður, and Agnes probably hoped that she would choose Friðrik and Natan would then choose her. That did not happen, however.


The murder

On the evening of March 13, 1828, Friðrik came to Illugastaður and had the two maids, Agnes and Sigríði, hide in a barn until Natan and Pétur Jónsson, a night visitor to the farm, were asleep. When the men were asleep, Agnes and Friðrik went into the (the main living space of the house) where the two men were sleeping and Friðrik killed them both with a knife. It is not known whether Sigríður took part in the murder itself, but before Friðrik and Agnes set the baðstofa on fire, she stole what was considered valuable. On the night of March 14, local people woke up in the town of Stapakoti in Vatnsnes when Agnes was there with news. She said that Illugastaðir was engulfed in light flames and that the owner of the farm, Natan, was burned inside together with Pétur Jónsson. But when the fire was put out and the bodies were found, it turned out that it was not an accident.


Execution

The axe blade used to behead Agnes is on display at the
National Museum of Iceland The National Museum of Iceland ( Icelandic: ''Þjóðminjasafn Íslands'' ) was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums. Collections The second curat ...
.


In the arts and media

Agnes was the subject of the 1995 Icelandic film '' '' by . She is also the subject of the 2013 novel '' Burial Rites'' by Australian writer Hannah Kent. In 2017, it was announced that
Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress and producer. She is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. The List of high ...
would play the role of Agnes in the film adaptation of ''Burial Rites'', directed by
Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alon ...
. the film is still in development.


Memorial

The site of the execution is now a memorial, the paths to it lined with plaques engraved with lines from Kent's novel ''Burial Rites''.


See also

* List of most recent executions by jurisdiction


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Agnes Magnusdottir 1795 births 1830 deaths Executed Icelandic people People executed for murder People convicted of murder by Denmark People executed by Denmark by decapitation 19th-century Icelandic people 19th-century Icelandic women