- Kolgrim
Kolgrim (Kollgrim, or Kolgrimr), (d. 1407 in
Gardar, Greenland ), was an alleged Nordic sorcerer who was burned in Greenland forsorcery and for being the lover of a married woman.In 1406, a Norwegian merchant ship arived to the old Nordic colony on Greenland and stayed for four years. One of the passagers was the merchant Torgrim Sölvesson and his wife Steinunn Ravnsdotter. In 1407, Steinunn fell in love with Kolgrim and left Torgrim for him.
Torgrim accused Kolgrim of sorcery. On the witch trial at Gardar, witnesses was brought forward, the Norwegian law against sorcery was taken up and it was said that "Kolgrim brought her to him by use of magic", by singing magic chants and
galdr until she came and he "lay with her". It was considered worse that she had follen in love with him, as he then had "stolen" her soul and not only her body from her husband. Kolgrim was judged guilty of soercery and was sentenced to be burned at the stake at the place of execution at Gardar. After his execution, Steinunn was "never fully sane" again and died soon after.A fictionalized account of this event is, in part, the basis for Jane Smiley's 1988 novel The Greenlanders.
References
* Karsten Alnaes, "Historien om Europa. Uppvaknande, 1300-1600". (In Swedish)
* http://www.popularhistoria.se/o.o.i.s?id=43&vid=235 (Swedish)
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