The Witches of Vardo: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 'Powerful, deeply moving' - Sunday Times

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Recently widowed Zigri Sigvaldsdatter is sent to the fortress at Vard�� to be tried as a witch when her affair with a local merchant is discovered. Her daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to seek a way to bring her mother home. She is accompanied by Maren, herself the daughter of a condemned witch. Maren has a wild, unconquerable spirit and gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown and to risk all she has to save her family. This intricate historical fiction story is inspired by actual real events of witch hunts which took place on the island of Vardo in 1661-1662 and is meticulously researched. It’s a beautifully intriguing and yet horrific story. I loved the female characters, the magic and folklore.

And this is the way I see it and I read beautiful and horrifying discussions of it in The Winternight Trilogy, The Glass Woman, and The Mercies. I hoped The Witches of Vardo would enrich my knowledge and experience with this topic, but it made me bored and angry instead. The memorial was designed by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. It was the last major work of Bourgeois, who died at the age of 98 in New York just a few months before the memorial opened to the public. Inside the Steilneset witch memorial at Vardø. Photo: Jarle Wæhler / Statens vegvesen Anna Rhodius, ex-mistress of the King of Denmark, has been banished to Vardø for some unknown reason. She is convinced that the only way out of the godforsaken island is to provide information to the local Governor about suspected witches, whom he is determined to remove. The Witches of Vardø is a novel based on the real life witch hunts which took place on the island of Vardø, Norway, between 1662 and 1663. It is beautifully written, atmospheric, with some gorgeous descriptive passages. The setting highlights how cold and desolate the landscape is and adds to the eerie atmosphere and feel of the book.

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Through the Sami characters, the story reveals not just the Sami culture and beliefs, but also the issues faced by indigenous tribes due to the external rulers. This was the best part of the book. This is a haunting slow paced fictional tale inspired by the real persecution, and murder of those considered witches in Vardø in the 17th century. The story is told in mostly two POVs, that of one of the teens, sister and daughter of other accused, and the other the noblewoman’s. With some Nordic stories in between parts. I think there’s many different factors. What’s interesting is that it’s covering all genres. There was always an interest in witches, but it was mainly in the fantasy space. But now we’ve got big-selling non-fiction books, historical books, historical novels, well-being books, all sorts!

For many people today, tales of witches and sorcery are a popular form of entertainment. It’s easy to forget that only a few hundred years ago, such activities were a dark part of reality. The Steilneset memorial in Vardø, Norway Vardo in 1621 was a foreboding place. Though the Medieval period, when supernatural powers were accepted as fact and the practice of magic was believed to influence everything, was long gone, belief in witchcraft survived. The church banned it. Science attempted to disprove it. Yet still the belief persisted, and it led to what might be called an epidemic of witchcraft trials–and executions–from 1570 to 1680. Scholars estimate that during this 110-year period, as many as 60,000 people were put to death on suspicion of witchcraft, with Sweden and Spain known for their high numbers of child witches. When Mari flew with Kirsti through the air south towards the sabbath of Satan she saw many people she knew doing the same, mostly women but also two men; they came from Kiberg, Vardø, Ekkerøy, Vadsø and other communities along the Varangerfjorden, transformed into cats, dogs, sea monsters and birds so they would not be recognized. During the witchcraft trials in Finnmark in northern Norway, during the seventeenth century, 135 persons were tried, 91 of whom were executed, most of them at the stake.’– Author note (On Fact and Fiction). I found Bergman’s writing atmospheric and beautiful. Her chapters alternate between the perspectives of Anna and Ingeborg. I especially enjoyed the incorporation of various folktales into the narrative including those of the Sámi people. The visionary transformation of the witches into birds was very evocative and reminded me of the portrayal in Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ of the northern witches, who were also gifted with weather magic.My thanks to Bonnier UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Witches of Vardø”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook. It became an obsession,” says Anya of her debut novel. “I was living in Norway for six years. I’ve always been interested in the history of witch trials and a Norwegian friend told me about the trials up in Vardø, this tiny island up above the Arctic Circle. Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When Zigri, desperate and grieving after the loss of her husband and son, embarks on an affair with the local merchant, it’s not long before she is sent to the fortress at Vardo, to be tried and condemned as a witch. Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit