Their Master and Admiral | EP 3

In 1621, eleven women were brought before the court in Vardø, one after another, in the first great chain of witch trials in Finnmark.

In this episode, we go straight into the courtroom. The records describe women turning into ravens and wolves to meet for witches’ gatherings on mountains and at a mysterious place called Ballvollen. And the women keep saying the same thing, that they have a leader who is their master and admiral.

Most of the accused in this wave were Norwegian women. Professor Jennifer McNabb explains the Malleus Maleficarum, the most famous witch-hunting manual, and how it helped turn the hunts against women.

I’ve tried to stay as faithful as possible to the court records. Although their words were written down by the men who tried them, I think we can still hear something of their lives, who they were, their imaginations and their fears. And I wanted you to hear them too.

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vardowitchtrials/

Sound design by Craig Edmondson.

Featuring Professor Liv Helene Willumsen of UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Professor Jennifer McNabb of the University of Northern Iowa.

The memorial texts at Steilneset quoted in this episode were written by Professor Liv Helene Willumsen.

Research draws on the original trial records and the work of Professor Liv Helene Willumsen and historian Rune Blix Hagen.

With thanks to Isa Maline Isene, conservator at Vardø Museum, and historian Rune Blix Hagen.

Voices by Anne Mali Sæther, Klara Blooma Mohn, Sven Conradi, Marianne Gathe and Gro Strøm Engebretsen.

Written, hosted and produced by Lisa Williams.