Lisbeth Nypan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisbeth (Elisabeth) Nypan, née Pedersdotter, (b. c. 1610-d. September 1670), was an alleged Norwegian witch. She and Anne Pedersdotter was the most known alleged witches in Norway.

Lisbet was married to the farmer Ole Nypan (ca. 1602 – 1670) and had three children. From the 1640s, Lisbet was often employed as a medician and a magician. The fact that she charged people for curing sickness, led to the rumor that she gave people sickness to earn money. Her husband often reminded peole who he was married to during conflicts, which encreased the rumors.

In 1670, the couple had sued other people for slander, but the case was turned aginst them during the trial, and they were investigated in Trondheim. She said that she did not cause sickness, onlu cured it, and that they were subjected to slander. But the court believed that her power to heal came from Satan. The priests tried to convince them to confess, but the claimed innocence even after torture, without showing any remource, which was seen as contempt for the court. The court claimed that the Devil helped them to endure torture, and judged guilty 5 September 1670. Lisbet was seen as more guilty than Ole, and she was sentenced to be burned alive at the stake, while Ole was to be decapitated.