Part 1/2: The 17th Century Witch Trials of Iceland

During the middle ages, Iceland had been a Catholic country, closely aligned with Norway - and in Iceland, the ancient Norse traditions lived on as an integral part of Icelandic culture. This included the belief in and high regard of magic and magic users. This all changed in the early modern period, when Iceland's society changed, as religious views evovled in Europe, and the balance of power shifted in Scandinavia. In this episode, we examine how this led to a period of witch trials in Iceland from 1625-1683.