The Witches of Vardo: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 'Powerful, deeply moving' - Sunday Times

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Anne Larsdatter from Vadsø, who was exposed to the ordeal of water, claimed in her confession that the Devil tied the tongues of witches so they could neither cry or confess until they were exposed to the ordeal of water. She said that she had flown to a witches' sabbath on Baldvolden outside of Vardø, where she had seen forty others. She had partied so that she barely had time to get home to her bed before it was time to get up for church on Christmas morning. Many of the women interrogated between January and February 1621 pointed out Kirsti Sørensdatter as their leader and admiral. Anna Rhodius, ex-mistress of the King of Denmark, has been banished to Vardø for some unknown reason. She is convinced that the only way out of the godforsaken island is to provide information to the local Governor about suspected witches, whom he is determined to remove.

As the author says this book is one to give voice to the thousands of innocents murdered by the fearful, hateful and petty that manipulated the minds of the superstitious and aggrieved, and to make them echo into the present and future, forever living in the hearts of the people like them.This is a thought-provoking and beautifully told story, one that historical fiction fans won’t want to put down. There is hardly anything happening for a great part of the story. A whole lot of energy goes in setting the scenes but there is hardly any action. It was too slow even on audio. Marianne Gunn O’Connor, Marianne Gunn O’Connor Agency said: ‘Bergman’s brilliant novel The Witches of Vardø totally captivated me as it tells the story of deep-rooted fear: of women’s power, of things that couldn’t be understood by science and logic, themes that will resonate with women world-wide today. I am beyond thrilled that the wonderful Margaret Stead and Kate Parkin and all the fabulous team at Bonnier are shepherding Anya Bergman and these witches out into the world.’ In Norway also, the witch trials are entwined with the story of the indigenous Sámi people, who have their own religion and culture. The Christian settlers were fearful of their shamans and believed they communicated with the Devil. Moreover, the Sámi thrived in the arctic region where the settlers struggled to survive of which they were envious. Part of the witch trials in this region were bound up in the colonisation of these people. One of them, Ingeborg Iversdatter, confessed under interrogation that she and an adult friend had transformed themselves into cats so they could escape incarceration and take part in a Christmas celebration with Satan. The end of the trials

I really think that when men have forced physical relations with maidens claiming ' The girl/women lured them into it because they were witches pissed by Devils charms'.... Those men should have been burned on stakes too! It enrages me to read such things and the more I read, I feel the lesser aware I was about the history of this world 🌎🌍 There are no witches in our village, Ingeborg, but the Devil does exist. Look into the eyes of our accusers and you will see him there.’ Anya Bergman became interested in the Witch Trials of Vardø and the vivid folk tales of the North while living in Norway. She became fascinated by the trials and the women murdered there on a visit to the Steilneset memorial, in which Louise Bourgeois and Peter Zumthor commemorated the persecution of women accused of witchcraft. Now resident in Edinburgh, Anya graduated with distinction from the Creative Writing programme at Edinburgh Napier University. Many of the women told the court that they had been celebrating, dancing and drinking with the Devil. This was said to have taken place at Domen, a small mountain between the fishing villagesKibergandVardø. Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma ComplexMy journey with Anna was really interesting. When I wrote the first draft of the book, she was the baddie. I blamed her completely as the historians have done. But then I started thinking ‘hang on a sec…’ All that trial testimony is recorded by a male scribe in the employ of the government of Finnmark. They needed a scapegoat to blame. Barbra from Vadsø was pointed out by Maren as one of those who had been flying with Dorthe on Domen. Barbra said that Maren had accused her, encouraged by doctor's wife Anne Rhodius, who had been exiled from Oslo to northern Norway with her husband because of conflicts in Oslo, and that the doctor and his wife had pointed out the wife and daughter of one of the members of the court as witches. This was ignored and Barbra was burned with four other women 8 April 1663. During the witchcraft trials in Finnmark in northern Norway, during the seventeenth century, 135 persons were tried, 91 of whom were executed, most of them at the stake.’– Author note (On Fact and Fiction).

The story is inspired from the real events of 16th Century in Vardo (the easternmost town in Norway). With glimpses of actual history run Ning in parallel with the storyline is this book that will take you in world filled with real atrocities of male dominance. The novel to transport you to the island of Vardoya, Norway to the most infamous witch trials of ScandinaviaWhy is that? I think some of it is about reclamation. There’s a part of the feminist movement around reclaiming the past and looking at it through a feminist lens. It’s a response to finding stories from the past and responding to the shrinking of rights, right wing patriarchal aspects, and what is going on in society today. The brilliant writing weaves a brutal, heart aching yet moving story with resilience, love and kindness triumphing over cruelty at the heart of it. This isn’t one to take lightly and I found it really difficult to read at times, not because of the quality of the writing but because of the brutality faced by the women accused. There is beautiful imagery and connection between the characters but the strength of the writing is also woven into the sense of dread and fear inspired by the terrorising governor and his henchman. These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power. Ingeborg’s mother Zigri has been arrested for being a witch. Along with her younger sister and the strange Maren (herself the daughter of a “witch”), Ingeborg sets out to rescue her mother from a deadly end. One of the crucial moments was when I discovered this big book with all the witch trial records translated into English. These records still exist in Finnmark: the testimony of those accused. I’ve referred to that, and also interviewed and talked with the expert on witch hunts in Norway, Professor Liv Helene Willumsen. She has been incredibly helpful.

In the remote village of Vardo, this epidemic would rename the city as “the Witch Capital of Norway.” In just 99 years, between 1593 and 1692, there were more than 140 witch trials in the village. Some were isolated, focused on a single individual, while others were panics–consisting of successive trials over a short period of time. These panics were where children were most likely to be accused, with the doctrine of demonology stating that anyonecould be a witch. The three greatest panics were during 1620 to 21, 1652 to 53, and 1662 to 63. Notice how each panic spans two years? That’s because they were most common during the winter months.Anna Rhodius was once the King of Denmark's mistress and has been sent into exile on the island of Vardø. She is gifted in healing and the creation of potions. More than anything Anna wants to return to her privileged life at court; yet who will she be willing to betray to achieve this end? While of a higher social class to the other women she remains vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. This story provided the basis for a work of fiction that I stumbled upon quite by chance last year. There are no witches in our village, Ingeborg, but the Devil does exist. Look into the eyes of our accusers and you will see him there.”