{{Expand Swedish, topic=bio, date=September 2022
Siri Jørgensdatter (1717-?) was a Norwegian peasant girl, one of the last people confirmed to have been prosecuted for
witchcraft
Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
in Norway.
She was interrogated by the authorities in
Oppland
Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The ...
on the charge of witchcraft, after having confessed to her parish vicar that her grandmother used to take her to Satan's
Witches' Sabbath
A Witches' Sabbath is a purported gathering of those believed to practice witchcraft and other rituals. The phrase became especially popular in the 20th century.
Origin of the phrase
The most infamous and influential work of witch-hunting lor ...
. The vicar reported her to the Bishop and the Governor, which resulted in her being put on trial for sorcery in
1730
Events
January–March
* January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage.
* February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia ( ...
.
She stated that her grandmother had smeared a pig with ointment and used it to fly with her to Satan, who had given her food and bit her ear, where she was then unable to feel pain. Her grandmother had milked knives which she had stabbed the wall with, and given Siri a cup with ointment she could use for flying. Siri had decided to report herself as a witch, despite protests from the small demons, and reported two women as her accomplices.
Witcraft was still formally illegal in Norway, and only fifteen years prior, Birgitte Haldorsdatter had been judged guilty of sorcery. However, at this point in time, judges were normally sceptical toward witchcraft charges. The court decided that Siri Jørgensdatter had made up the story, which was obviously influenced by the widely publicized Mora witch trials, and the case was therefore dismissed. Siri Jørgensdatter was released and the matter did not go further. Gunnar W. Knutsen: Trolldomsprosessene på Østlandet. En kulturhistorisk undersøkelse, TINGBOKPROSJEKTET. Oslo, 1998