Geske
Encyclopedia
Geske, or Horegeske, was an alleged Scandinavian witch, Swedish
woman of Danish descent, put on trial for witchcraft
. Her trial was one of the first witch trial
s in Sweden, the first Swedish witch trial involving references to the Devil and was potentially the first Swedish witch trial where the sabbath of Satan was mentioned.
of Hans Profoss, were put on trial accused of witchcraft in the city of Stockholm
. Her nickname Horegeske means "Whore-Geske", and she was possibly a prostitute. According to the documents of the trial, she was originally from Denmark
.
Geske was accused of depriving people of "power and courage". A widow and her son claimed she had put them through much hardship, despite the fact that they had submitted to her blackmail
and given her a "Gold
-ring, money and a piece of gold", while Brita was accused of having left magical butter
and the feet of a rooster
in a house and thereby making the family of that house sick. Both of them denied the accusations.
The known witch Karin, who was known for her ability to point out magicians, testified that both Horegeske and Brita belonged to "The breed that are riding" . Karin claimed that she had often seen them at the Sabbath of Satan
in Blåkulla
and they both had the mark of him on their bodies - and she added, that Brita recently had had intercourse with the Devil. She encouraged the court to undress Brita so they would be able to see her mark, and claimed that Geske's mark was up her nose. The claims of Karin represented a change in attitude about sorcery and magic in Sweden; until the late 16th century, magic was not seen as a very serious crime in Sweden, nor did it involve references to the devil; this is perhaps the first time the Devil was mentioned in a Swedish witch trial.
The records of 1597 states; " she was not of the good kind; she was also of the breed that rides to Blockula and it is not long since she fucked with the Devil. But she was encouraged to tell the truth and not to show lies and fraud."
Karin adds, that she herself and many other women in the city often had sex with the Devil, and the trial against Geske and Brita grew until about over ten women women were suspected, and was in danger of becoming a mass trial. Many reports came in to the court about magic, where they were said to have hidden bites of bones from humans and animals "and many other such evil things, that were hidden under the floor of her cottage". The absence of any real witch law and the lack of experience in dealing with witch trials, however, made the authorities unwilling to let the whole affair develop into a mass trial, which might have been the reason that Geske and Brita were, in the end, treated with mildness.
The court remained doubtful about her guilt. The authorities kept Geske in prison for some time, though it is not known what happened to Brita, or to Geske after this. The poor documentation is typical of Swedish witch trials before 1668. During the witch trials of the 1590s most of the condemned witches were not executed; the normal punishment was whipping.
in Sweden, which took place in 1596-1597. When Sweden became a Protestant country after the reign of John III of Sweden
, and the law of religion was established in 1594, after the defeat of the Catholic
king Sigismund III Vasa
of Poland
and Sweden, Archbishop
Abraham Angermannus
, made a long journey of investigation throughout the country. The purpose of the trip was to ensure there were no remnants of the Catholic faith, Pagan customs, or anything that went against the customs of Christianity
and the Lutheran faith. The priests interviewed congregations and asked them to report anything suspicious. This was far from being only a witchhunt; the priests punished everything from adultery
to theft
and old habits of both Catholic and Pagan origin.
Also at this time, were references to sorcery, something that had never been taken as seriously in Sweden before, and therefore, Sweden now saw its first witch trials. Up until then, sorcery had only been forbidden if it led to someone's death; the new ideas from the continent about sorcery being something inspired by the Devil was previously been unknown in Sweden, and was now discussed by the Swedish church
for the first time. People were put on trial for witchcraft throughout the route of the Archbishop's journey.
The Archbishop met many women claiming to be able to heal the sick through old spells they had learned from former Catholic monk
s, such as Hans Pauli
; one of them was Elin i Järsnäs, who claimed to have learned magic from her grandfather, who had been a "Monk-priest". In Uppsala
, a whole group of women were put on trial for having healing powers.
In Jönköping
, the sisters Gunnil and Anna were put on trial. Gunnil had used nine tails with five knots to get Fish
from Vättern
, milk
from cows and read magical songs an old woman had taught her; she claimed to have met the Devil one night who promised her wealth if she gave him her soul, and that nothing ill should befall upon her, and she agreed; but after she took communion, he had told her he had no power over her any more. It is not known how the trial against Gunnil and Anna ended, but judging from the ending of other such trials, they were probably whipped and then set free.
However, this witchhunt was not to be a very serious one. As there were few earlier examples of witch trials in Sweden, there was much uncertainty about how to conduct them. The old mediaeval law about sorcery also stated it was a minor crime, punishable only if it was a part of murder
. Torture
does not seem to have been used.
These first Swedish witch trials are poorly documented, the verdicts of most of them are not known; when the verdict is recorded, however, the person in question was whipped and then let go with a warning not to repeat the crime. It does not seem any executions were recorded, and it is doubtful whether any of these trials led to executions at all.
One of the trials, where the verdict is recorded, can testify to the normal punishment of the witch trials of 1596-1597. One woman claimed she was able to get coin
s from the earth
. She was whipped fifteen times, had three buckets of ice
water thrown over her and was threatened that if she ever used sorcery again, she would be thrown in the lake with a stone around her neck.
In 1608, ten years after the first trials, a new law concerning sorcery and witchcraft was introduced in Sweden. This law was founded on an interpretation of the bible
and was much stricter than the old law, it now stated that sorcery was punishable by death. Witch trials, however, were to be very uncommon in Sweden until the great witch mania of 1668-1676, when this new law was to be used.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
woman of Danish descent, put on trial for witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
. Her trial was one of the first witch trial
Witch trial
A witch trial is a legal proceeding that is part of a witch-hunt. * Witch trials in Early Modern Europe, 15th–18th centuries** Salzburg witch trials - 1675-1690, Salzburg, Austria** Spa witch trial - 1616, Belgium...
s in Sweden, the first Swedish witch trial involving references to the Devil and was potentially the first Swedish witch trial where the sabbath of Satan was mentioned.
Geske's trial
In September 1597, Geske and another woman, Brita Åkesdotter, widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of Hans Profoss, were put on trial accused of witchcraft in the city of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Her nickname Horegeske means "Whore-Geske", and she was possibly a prostitute. According to the documents of the trial, she was originally from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Geske was accused of depriving people of "power and courage". A widow and her son claimed she had put them through much hardship, despite the fact that they had submitted to her blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
and given her a "Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
-ring, money and a piece of gold", while Brita was accused of having left magical butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
and the feet of a rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
in a house and thereby making the family of that house sick. Both of them denied the accusations.
The known witch Karin, who was known for her ability to point out magicians, testified that both Horegeske and Brita belonged to "The breed that are riding" . Karin claimed that she had often seen them at the Sabbath of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
in Blåkulla
Blockula
Blockula was a legendary meadow where the Devil held his Earthly court during a witches' Sabbat. This meadow could only be reached by a magical flight. It was described as "a delicate large Meadow, whereof you can see no end".There was said to be a large gate located in the meadow that led to a...
and they both had the mark of him on their bodies - and she added, that Brita recently had had intercourse with the Devil. She encouraged the court to undress Brita so they would be able to see her mark, and claimed that Geske's mark was up her nose. The claims of Karin represented a change in attitude about sorcery and magic in Sweden; until the late 16th century, magic was not seen as a very serious crime in Sweden, nor did it involve references to the devil; this is perhaps the first time the Devil was mentioned in a Swedish witch trial.
The records of 1597 states; " she was not of the good kind; she was also of the breed that rides to Blockula and it is not long since she fucked with the Devil. But she was encouraged to tell the truth and not to show lies and fraud."
Karin adds, that she herself and many other women in the city often had sex with the Devil, and the trial against Geske and Brita grew until about over ten women women were suspected, and was in danger of becoming a mass trial. Many reports came in to the court about magic, where they were said to have hidden bites of bones from humans and animals "and many other such evil things, that were hidden under the floor of her cottage". The absence of any real witch law and the lack of experience in dealing with witch trials, however, made the authorities unwilling to let the whole affair develop into a mass trial, which might have been the reason that Geske and Brita were, in the end, treated with mildness.
The court remained doubtful about her guilt. The authorities kept Geske in prison for some time, though it is not known what happened to Brita, or to Geske after this. The poor documentation is typical of Swedish witch trials before 1668. During the witch trials of the 1590s most of the condemned witches were not executed; the normal punishment was whipping.
Context
The trial against Geske was part of the first witch huntWitch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
in Sweden, which took place in 1596-1597. When Sweden became a Protestant country after the reign of John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
, and the law of religion was established in 1594, after the defeat of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
king Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Sweden, Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Abraham Angermannus
Abraham Angermannus
Abraham Andersson, usually known under the Latin form of his name, Abrahamus Andreæ Angermannus or just Abraham Angermannus was the fourth Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden from 1593 to 1599...
, made a long journey of investigation throughout the country. The purpose of the trip was to ensure there were no remnants of the Catholic faith, Pagan customs, or anything that went against the customs of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and the Lutheran faith. The priests interviewed congregations and asked them to report anything suspicious. This was far from being only a witchhunt; the priests punished everything from adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
to theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
and old habits of both Catholic and Pagan origin.
Also at this time, were references to sorcery, something that had never been taken as seriously in Sweden before, and therefore, Sweden now saw its first witch trials. Up until then, sorcery had only been forbidden if it led to someone's death; the new ideas from the continent about sorcery being something inspired by the Devil was previously been unknown in Sweden, and was now discussed by the Swedish church
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
for the first time. People were put on trial for witchcraft throughout the route of the Archbishop's journey.
The Archbishop met many women claiming to be able to heal the sick through old spells they had learned from former Catholic monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, such as Hans Pauli
Hans Pauli
Hans Pauli was a Swedish Bridgettine monk and an alleged sorcerer, active as a professional exorcist and counter-magician.Pauli had originally been a monk of the Bridgettine order in the convent of Vadstena Abbey...
; one of them was Elin i Järsnäs, who claimed to have learned magic from her grandfather, who had been a "Monk-priest". In Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, a whole group of women were put on trial for having healing powers.
In Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
, the sisters Gunnil and Anna were put on trial. Gunnil had used nine tails with five knots to get Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
from Vättern
Vättern
Vättern is the second largest lake in Sweden, after Lake Vänern and the sixth largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden to the southeast of Vänern pointing at the tip of Scandinavia....
, milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
from cows and read magical songs an old woman had taught her; she claimed to have met the Devil one night who promised her wealth if she gave him her soul, and that nothing ill should befall upon her, and she agreed; but after she took communion, he had told her he had no power over her any more. It is not known how the trial against Gunnil and Anna ended, but judging from the ending of other such trials, they were probably whipped and then set free.
However, this witchhunt was not to be a very serious one. As there were few earlier examples of witch trials in Sweden, there was much uncertainty about how to conduct them. The old mediaeval law about sorcery also stated it was a minor crime, punishable only if it was a part of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
does not seem to have been used.
These first Swedish witch trials are poorly documented, the verdicts of most of them are not known; when the verdict is recorded, however, the person in question was whipped and then let go with a warning not to repeat the crime. It does not seem any executions were recorded, and it is doubtful whether any of these trials led to executions at all.
One of the trials, where the verdict is recorded, can testify to the normal punishment of the witch trials of 1596-1597. One woman claimed she was able to get coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s from the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. She was whipped fifteen times, had three buckets of ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
water thrown over her and was threatened that if she ever used sorcery again, she would be thrown in the lake with a stone around her neck.
In 1608, ten years after the first trials, a new law concerning sorcery and witchcraft was introduced in Sweden. This law was founded on an interpretation of the bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and was much stricter than the old law, it now stated that sorcery was punishable by death. Witch trials, however, were to be very uncommon in Sweden until the great witch mania of 1668-1676, when this new law was to be used.