Gävle-Boy
Encyclopedia
The so called Gävle Boy, which was the nickname for Johan Johansson Griis, (1663-November 1676), was a young Swedish
boy remembered for being a witness in witch trials and for bearing the large responsibility for the witch trial of Stockholm
in 1676.
in Gästrikland
. He came to live with relatives in Stockholm in 1675 at the age of twelve, after having orphaned himself by having his widowed mother Karin Nilsdotter Griis executed, claiming she had abducted him to the sabbath of Satan
in Blockula
(Blåkulla) where she had molested him sexually.
. He told them many stories about the sabbath of Satan, each more fantastic and exciting than the next, and gathered more and more people around him, including adults, and was soon a real celebrity and regarded as an expert on witches and sorcery. When people asked him if he had seen anything suspicious in Stockholm, he hinted that he had. He became regarded as an expert on witches and abductions to Blockula
; adults consulted him, and he could faint and pretend to be attacked by witches publicly.
Soon, other children and teenagers, inspired by his stories, began to claim that they had been abducted and taken to Satan too, and the parents in the congregation of Catharina (Katarina) became worried. A witch-hysteria broke out, and the parents began to gather their children in houses where they could watch over them and protect them from being abducted. After one of these nights, when they thought themselves to have been attacked by the witches, the priest of the congregation gave the mayor a petition signed by the parents, imploring the authorities to investigate to protect their children.
who had abducted him and the two teenage maids of Myra, Annika and Agnes but himself. During his mother's execution, "her spirit" fell over him, and he had thereafter been a witch, and was able to transform himself into Brita Zippel and take children to Blockula
himself. He was then sentenced to be decapitated and burned as a witch, though this sentence seems to have been meant as a way to keep him away; the secular authorities did not wish for a witch trial in Stockholm.
During all these events, the Gävle-Boy was described as triumphant; he was not afraid, not even when he was sentenced to death, but seemed happy to be the center of attention. He was not insane or stupid; rather he was intelligent, but he was most likely a mythomaniac.
, however, the judges begun to change their means of interrogation: until this point, they had written down the children's testimony during the first interrogation, and during the trial simply asked them to confirm it. Now, they instead asked the children to repeat their testimony, and they were horrified when they discovered that all of the testimonies changed each time, including the Gävle-Boy's. During these trials, the children, forced to repeat their testimonies, broke down under the new pressure. When one of the accused witches, Margareta Remmer, who had challenged the social order by, as a poor orphan, marrying the wealthy Captain Remmer, asked the testifying girl: "Think, girl, was that really what you saw? This is a question of my life", the girl broke down.
Lisbeth Carlsdotter and the Maids of Myra had behaved in a manner which made them less well seen by the authorities lately; during an execution, Lisbeth Carlsdotter was overheard by many witnesses saying to the Maids of Myra: "If it were up to me, there would soon be only three women left in this city!" During a trial, she said: "Even the counts know who Lisbeth Carlsdotter is - who the hell are you?", and during one testimony, she made the mistake by trying to accuse Countess De la Gardie, wife of Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
, the king's own aunt Princess Maria Eufrosyne of Pfalz, and her sister-in-law countess Maria Sofia De la Gardie
, of witchcraft. Accusations of that sort against such people could never be accepted, and the result was the destruction of her credibility as a witness.
Many of the witnesses began to say that they had been told what to say by the Gävle-Boy, by Lisbeth Carlsdotter and by the Maids of Myra.
The Gävle boy was executed by hanging at the age of thirteen in November 1676, followed by Lisbeth Carlsdotter and the maids of Myra on December 20, 1676.
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....
boy remembered for being a witness in witch trials and for bearing the large responsibility for the witch trial 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...
in 1676.
Background
His real name was Johan Johansson Griis (but in Swedish history he is known by his nickname), and he was the son of a shoemaker in the city of GävleGävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
in Gästrikland
Gästrikland
' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
. He came to live with relatives in Stockholm in 1675 at the age of twelve, after having orphaned himself by having his widowed mother Karin Nilsdotter Griis executed, claiming she had abducted him to 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 Blockula
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...
(Blåkulla) where she had molested him sexually.
Inspiring a witch hunt
In Stockholm, he became known as the crown witness from Gävle and everyone wanted to hear about his visits to BlockulaBlockula
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...
. He told them many stories about the sabbath of Satan, each more fantastic and exciting than the next, and gathered more and more people around him, including adults, and was soon a real celebrity and regarded as an expert on witches and sorcery. When people asked him if he had seen anything suspicious in Stockholm, he hinted that he had. He became regarded as an expert on witches and abductions to Blockula
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...
; adults consulted him, and he could faint and pretend to be attacked by witches publicly.
Soon, other children and teenagers, inspired by his stories, began to claim that they had been abducted and taken to Satan too, and the parents in the congregation of Catharina (Katarina) became worried. A witch-hysteria broke out, and the parents began to gather their children in houses where they could watch over them and protect them from being abducted. After one of these nights, when they thought themselves to have been attacked by the witches, the priest of the congregation gave the mayor a petition signed by the parents, imploring the authorities to investigate to protect their children.
Before the court
During the proceedings, the Gävle-Boy and other children were interrogated. When the Gävle-Boy was questioned, he suddenly changed his testimony; it was not the witch Brita ZippelBrita Zippel
Brita Zippel, also called Britta Sippel was an alleged Swedish witch, known as "Näslösan", one of the most famous figures of the great witch mania called "Det Stora oväsendet" in Sweden between 1668-1676, and the most famous of the city of Stockholm...
who had abducted him and the two teenage maids of Myra, Annika and Agnes but himself. During his mother's execution, "her spirit" fell over him, and he had thereafter been a witch, and was able to transform himself into Brita Zippel and take children to Blockula
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...
himself. He was then sentenced to be decapitated and burned as a witch, though this sentence seems to have been meant as a way to keep him away; the secular authorities did not wish for a witch trial in Stockholm.
Followers
But now a special witch commission was created to examine and try witches, and many women were tried and executed on the strength of the testimonies of children who claimed to have been abducted and taken to Satan by them. The Gävle-Boy had started all this, and the children were now led by the teenage girls Lisbeth Carlsdotter and the maids of Myra, Annika and Agnes. During all this, the Gävle-Boy was asked by the court if the Devil was upset and he testified that he was.During all these events, the Gävle-Boy was described as triumphant; he was not afraid, not even when he was sentenced to death, but seemed happy to be the center of attention. He was not insane or stupid; rather he was intelligent, but he was most likely a mythomaniac.
Exposure
After the execution of Malin MatsdotterMalin Matsdotter
Malin Matsdotter , also known as Rumpare-Malin, was an alleged Swedish witch. She is one of the most well known alleged witches in Swedish history: known as one of few people in Sweden to be executed by burning at the stake, and often referred to as the only Swedish "witch" to have been executed by...
, however, the judges begun to change their means of interrogation: until this point, they had written down the children's testimony during the first interrogation, and during the trial simply asked them to confirm it. Now, they instead asked the children to repeat their testimony, and they were horrified when they discovered that all of the testimonies changed each time, including the Gävle-Boy's. During these trials, the children, forced to repeat their testimonies, broke down under the new pressure. When one of the accused witches, Margareta Remmer, who had challenged the social order by, as a poor orphan, marrying the wealthy Captain Remmer, asked the testifying girl: "Think, girl, was that really what you saw? This is a question of my life", the girl broke down.
Lisbeth Carlsdotter and the Maids of Myra had behaved in a manner which made them less well seen by the authorities lately; during an execution, Lisbeth Carlsdotter was overheard by many witnesses saying to the Maids of Myra: "If it were up to me, there would soon be only three women left in this city!" During a trial, she said: "Even the counts know who Lisbeth Carlsdotter is - who the hell are you?", and during one testimony, she made the mistake by trying to accuse Countess De la Gardie, wife of Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie was a Swedish statesman and military man. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1647 and came to be the holder of three of the five offices counted as the Great Officers of the Realm, namely Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Chancellor and Lord High...
, the king's own aunt Princess Maria Eufrosyne of Pfalz, and her sister-in-law countess Maria Sofia De la Gardie
Maria Sofia De la Gardie
Maria Sofia De la Gardie, as married Oxenstierna of Croneborg , was a Swedish noble and entrepreneur. She has been called the first female grand entrepreneur of her country.-Biography:...
, of witchcraft. Accusations of that sort against such people could never be accepted, and the result was the destruction of her credibility as a witness.
Many of the witnesses began to say that they had been told what to say by the Gävle-Boy, by Lisbeth Carlsdotter and by the Maids of Myra.
Aftermath
This was the end of the witch trials throughout all Sweden; in 1677, the government ordered the priests in the country to end all accusations of sorcery by declaring that the country was henceforth and forever purged from witches. The rest of the accused witches in Stockholm were set free, and the judges decided that the child-witnesses should be whipped and the leading witnesses, the teenaged maids of Myra, should be executed for false testimony. The Gävle-Boy, all the time in prison awaiting execution, should still be executed, no longer for sorcery, but for false testimony.The Gävle boy was executed by hanging at the age of thirteen in November 1676, followed by Lisbeth Carlsdotter and the maids of Myra on December 20, 1676.