- Catherine Repond
Catherine Repond, (1662-1731), was an alleged Swiss
witch . She was one of the last people to be executed for sorcery inSwitzerland prior toAnna Göldi .In 1730, bailiff Montenach, out hunting, injured a
fox ; the fox got away but, according to Montenach, shouted to him, whit a human vioce, that he had hurt it. At the same time, Catherine Repond saught refuge at a farm close toVillargiroud away from the bad weather. She was a beggar, reputed for sorcery, wellknown in the area, where she often performed chores at the farms. She had the same injuries which the fox had had, according to Montenach. Montenach then suspected, that the fox had in fact been Repond.Montenach had her arrested in April 1731 and taken to his castle, where she was interrogated by torture to confess that she had flyed on a broomstick to the witche's sabbath. shewas then taken to
Fribourg , where she was sentenced to death for witch craft and executed by strangulation and burning.In 1782,
Anna Göldi , often called the last witch, was executed, but Göldi's trial was a dubious witch trial, while Repond was openly excuted for this accusation.References
* http://www.praetor.ch/en/cv/poncet/histoires/12.htm
* http://www.swisscastles.ch/Fribourg/corbieres.htmlLitterature
* « Le procès de la sorcière Catherine Repond dite Catillon: superstition ou crime judiciaire ?», N. Morard, in: « Annales fribourgeoises », publication de la société d'histoire du canton de Fribourg 1969-1970, t. L, Fribourg, 1970
* « Les grands procès de l'histoire fribourgeoise: Catillon », P. Aeby, in: « Annales fribourgeoises », 1928, t. XVI, Fribourg, 1928 « Catillon et Capu », J.-B. Repond, Presses de l'printie, Les fils d'Alphonse Glasson S. A ., Bulle, 1985 « Catillon la sorcière », V. Tissot, in: « le Touriste », 1866, Nos 1-5
* « Essai sur la procédure pénale en matière de sorcellerie en Pays de Fribourg aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles », G. Bise, in: « Annales fribourgeoises », 1979-1980, Fribourg, 1980 Archives de l'Etat de Fribourg (AEF), Bailliage de Corbières, titres No 259, procédure de la sorcière Catherine Repond de Villarvolard, dite Catillon, 1731-1732 (6 liasses)
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