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Margaret Stead, publisher said: ‘ The Witches of Vardø is a fierce, feminist look at male power and misogyny at the time of the witch trials of the seventeenth century. Anya’s novel gripped us all: The Witches of Vard ø is a story of danger, intrigue and female empowerment with a clever and surprising twist in its tail. We’re all very excited to be working with Anya on this compelling novel, and a second to come the following year.’
On 2 September 1662, Dorthe Lauritzdotter [12] [8] [13] was brought in for questioning at the Vardøhus fortress. She had been accused once before, but acquitted, in 1657. Lauritz Braas said that two of his servants, who had recently died, had claimed to be bewitched by her. Four witches led by Dorthe in the shape of a dove, an eagle, a crow and a swan were to have opened their "wind-knots" over the sea to make a boat sink, but the plot supposedly failed because the crew had prayed to God. Dorthe was burned at the stake on 6 November 1662 with two other women, soon followed by another two. 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.’ Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When recently widowed Zigri embarks on a doomed affair with the local merchant, she is inevitably sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried and condemned as a witch. When Mari flew with Kirsti through the air south towards the sabbath of Satan she saw many people she knew doing the same, mostly women but also two men; they came from Kiberg, Vardø, Ekkerøy, Vadsø and other communities along the Varangerfjorden, transformed into cats, dogs, sea monsters and birds so they would not be recognized. During the panics, the accused were held at Vardohus Castle and executed at Steilneset. Nearly all of the witches were accused of “casting spells on ships, chasing the fish from land, casting a spell on the District Governor’s hand and foot, and trying to set fire to the castle.” These are interesting crimes, as each would have had dire effects on Vardo’s people. By bewitching ships or fish, witches influenced the town’s economy and caused suffering; by targeting the District Governor or castle, they attempted to remove town authority and safety. These were major concerns for the people of Vardo–and, unfortunately, were believed to be more influenced by the supernatural than any other factor.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. Anya Bergman’s The Witches of Vardø (Manilla Press) has been out three weeks and is already making an impression. Set in the mid 17th century, a grieving fisherman’s wife, Zigri, embarks on an affair with the married son of a wealthy merchant. She’s swiftly sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried and condemned as a witch. Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!’– Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts Children were not immune from accusation and questioning. At Christmas, several children of previously executed women were brought in for questioning.
On June 23, 2011 Norway's Queen Sonja opened the Steilneset Memorial to the Victims of the Witch Trials in Vardø, a new monument by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor and the French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. It is also hoped that the Steilneset Memorial will draw visitors to a remote and economically depressed region of Norway. The Vardø project is also part of the Norwegian Public Roads administration’s National Tourist Routes program, through which distinctive buildings are being erected to encourage visits to outposts of exceptional natural beauty. Living in poverty Ingeborg’s mother Zigri, who is recently widowed has been sent to Vardo to await trial when her affair with a local merchant is discovered and she is accused of being a witch.
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Roggen, Vibeke (2014-09-29), "Ambrosius Rhodius", Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian) , retrieved 2019-10-25 Finally, in this time of climate crisis, witches speak to the relationship between humanity and nature and a reverence for nature. A lot of people identify with being witches because of this spirit and connecting to the rebel within ourselves. Let’s not take this lying down! You’ve also got people tapping into witchy ways for self-help, which is really interesting,” says Anya on the growing wellness genre. Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark's mistress, who has been sent to Vardø in disgrace. What will she do - and who will she betray - to return to her privileged life at court?
The superstition so far north in the kingdom of Denmark and Norway was kindling for the fires that burned so many innocent women, children and the ones, like the semi-nomadic Sámi, that didn’t fit, that worshiped other gods. Mari also confessed that witches were responsible for the great storm of 1617. She claimed that the witches had caused the storm because of neighbor conflicts at Christmas 1617 and made many men drown. They had also had sexual intercourse with devils and demons while their men were at sea. In May, expect Kate Griffin’s Fyneshade (Profile) to make a splash. If you like your fiction full of gothic drama and featuring large houses with crumbling corridors, then put this on your TBR list. I think the more books about witch trials, the better. I don’t think it’s going to saturate. Because this was hundreds of years of genocide of mainly one gender. Spoken Word and Social Practice: Orality in Europe (1400-1700). BRILL. 2015-07-17. ISBN 9789004291829.Three women's fight for survival in a time of madness' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies . I came across the story of the witch persecutions on the island of Vardø, while I was living in Norway. I lived there for six years, and a Norwegian friend told me about them. I’d always been interested in the history of witch trials and my imagination was just triggered. I was astounded I had never heard of it because it was one of the most ferocious centres of witch-hunting in Europe. As I started looking into it, I became hooked. The memorial was designed by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. It was the last major work of Bourgeois, who died at the age of 98 in New York just a few months before the memorial opened to the public. Inside the Steilneset witch memorial at Vardø. Photo: Jarle Wæhler / Statens vegvesen I'm not sure what to think of this book. It's well written style-wise, the characters are well constructed... the author's intentions are noble. But I feel conflicted about the ending.
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