Witchcraft trials in Norway ended in the 18th century, according to research

In the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a widespread witch hunt against people accused of witchcraft. In Norway, approximately 750 people were accused of witchcraft and around 300 of them sentenced to death, many of them burned at the stake, and many of them Sámi.

During the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, it was illegal to use torture to force confessions, and convicted criminals weren’t allowed to be witnesses either. This meant that in theory, a convicted “witch” could not reveal the names of other “witches.”

However, it was not uncommon to turn a blind eye to the law in witchcraft cases; torture was used, and convicted ‘witches’ were forced to name their accomplices. The letter of the law was interpreted and practiced very differently, and this led to many witch trials during the period.