Medieval History

Writing the Little Red Riding Hood, A History made me want to research the werewolf trials more.  Witch trials to me usually stir up images of early America in the 17^th century, and for some odd reason Winona Ryder. Oh well, I digress. What is less known, is the witch trials in America paled in comparison to what was already happening in Europe for a hundred years. Werewolf trials on the other hand, were something more concentrated in the Baltic countries, more notable Estonia.

Why Estonia? Well much like the witch trials of America, the trials in Europe were spawned by fear, superstition, and a deep seeded paranoia. This area of Europe already had a strong belief in werewolves before the trials ever took place, so it is only natural that they enter into the equation somehow. Much like most countries with a religion thrust upon them from an outside source, these Baltic peoples held onto their ‘Pagan’ origins tightly which led to a different dark paranoia than elsewhere in Europe or the Americas.

The Estonians didn’t understand demons, devils, and witches. However, they did understand werewolves. So the outcome? Werewolf trials!  In Estonia, around 100 trials were conducted between 1610-1650, and over 50 men and women were executed for sorcery.  About 40 of these trials men and women were accused for the damage of property and cattle  while in the form of a werewolf.  How did the authorities find out that these people were taking on the form of a wolf and causing this damage? Why, torture of course!

Torture was a popular form of confession throughout medieval Europe and well before. However, as we know today, people would and will confess to almost anything whilst being tortured. In this case these people admitted to hiding their wolves’ skin under a rock, and making a pact with the Devil. The Devil pact was something they may or may not have understood as the catalyst to any witch trial conviction. As werewolves they could ravage the countryside to their hearts content and not be convicted as a witch unless a pact was made with the Devil.

The latest werewolf trial on record in the area was 1696 when a flock of werewolves was believed to run wild in Vastemoisa under their leader Libbe Matz. These trials would fizz out as people began to become less paranoid, ignorant, and aware of the harm being caused to innocent people.

I will keep researching this topic, and see if there are any trial accounts that stand out from the rest. Thanks for reading!

Sources:

Jan Guillou, Häxornas försvarare (The defender of the witches), Piratförlaget 2002

Maia Madar “Estonia I: Werewolves and Poisioners”, 257-72 in Bengt Ankarloo, Gustav Henningsen, Early Modern European Witchcraft: Centres and Peripheries, Oxford