Scary hunting of the most famous witches of the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages were very difficult for womentime. Any passer-by could accuse the girl of witchcraft, and more often than not empty words reached the ears of those who imagined they had the right to judge and execute. In the period from the 14th to the 18th century, approximately 40-50 thousand so-called witches were burned in Europe. More often than not, mass hysteria (the Salem Court, for example) began with concrete persons - these girls.
Malin Matsdotter
In Stockholm, they believed that witches kidnapped children. Malin Matsdotter, an unfortunate washerwoman, was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to be burned alive - a terrible punishment, usual for Europe, but never before applied in Sweden. At the trial, Malin refused to repent, declared herself innocent and went to the post with her head held high. She became the first and last woman burned alive in Sweden. They say, it was decided because the municipality was frightened: even burning at the stake, Malin did not say a single word - and everyone knows, witches are not afraid of pain.
Bridget Bishop
The famous Salem trial of witches beganwith this woman. In 1692, Bridget owned two taverns at once, wore provocative outfits and, as it turned out later, at the time she actually practiced witchcraft. During the search in the house, Bridget found dolls for spoiling, spiked with needles. One portrayed a recently deceased man - a proof that stunned the inhabitants of Salem. At the trial, Bridget behaved very boldly, which quickly led her to execution. The bloody spectacle caused a mass hysteria in the society - in a short time, 70 more "witches" went to the fire.
Anna Koldings
Weaver Koldings was accused ofspecially caused a storm to ruin the ship of Queen Anne, who traveled from Copenhagen to Scotland. Caravel and in fact almost sank under the strongest storm and was forced to stop in Norway. Koldings, dubbed the Mother of the Devil, was arrested on charges of the mayor of Kronborg, who decided to curry favor with the king. On torture, Anna not only confessed everything, but also named five more of her accomplices - the wife of the mayor as well. On an early spring morning, all the girls were burned right at the walls of Kronborg.
Enten Gillis
In 1613, witches in the Netherlands burned more,than in most of Europe. The first to go to the fire went to Enten Gillis, a midwife, accused of curseing newborn children. Enten was already behind bars, when in the town of Streelen began a real sea, which killed hundreds of babies. After another torture the girl pointed out "assistants", the famous court of Roermond took place, on which 63 "witches" were burned.
Merga Bean
German witch hunter (in combinationabbot and Mayor of Fulda) Balthazar von Dernbach arrested Merga Bean on charges of killing his own husband by witchcraft. The pregnant widow was not released from torture - the Inquisition considered the father of the future child the devil himself. Mergu was quickly sentenced and burned, after which Dernbach entered into the taste and for the next three years chased witches all over Hessen, as a result of which another 250 people were executed. The historical trials of Fulda's witches ended only with the abbot's death.
