The Torsåker Witch Trials
Morbid
10/16/23
•74m
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When it comes to the horrors of witch hunts and trials around the world, Sweden is not often cited as one of the more aggressive or egregious nations. Nevertheless, the Torsåker Witch Trials remain a shocking example of religious hysteria due to the way in which they unfolded, which included local leaders defying the Swedish Crown and taking it upon themselves to identify, try, and execute supposed witches without proper authority. Moreover, while the Torsåker case may have unfolded like most others across Europe, it remains an outlier in that those responsible for starting the hysteria weren’t just held accountable for their false accusations but were in fact murdered.
Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance :)
References
Gershon, Livia. 2022. "The Easter Witches of Sweden." JSTOR Daily, April 15.
Hogman, Hans. n.d. Torsåker Witch Trials of 1674 - 1675. Accessed September 16, 2023. https://www.hhogman.se/witch-trials-sweden.htm.
Jordan, Charlene Hanson. 2012. Whispers in the Church: Swedish Witch Hunt, 1672. Des Moines, IA: Abbott Press.
Tiderman-Österberg, Jennie. 2021. "The Swedish Witch Trials: How to Confront Dark Heritage." Smithsonian Magazine, October 25.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
The Highgate Vampire
October 12, 2023
•69m
When Muswell Hill resident David Farrant wrote to the letters section of the Hampstead and Highgate Express in February 1970, he had hoped to find others who’d witnessed any unusual or potentially supernatural happenings in London’s Highgate Cemetery. Instead, Farrant kicked off a moral panic over vampires, ghosts, and all manner of occult activities that featured prominently in the pages of British newspapers for years.
Farrant’s letter received a few responses from others who claimed to have had their own supernatural experiences in Highgate Cemetery, but the story would likely have ended there had it not been for Sean Manchester. A self-proclaimed occultist and vampire hunter, Manchester claimed that what Farrant had seen at Highgate was in fact a vampire, and moreover, the cemetery itself was the site of ongoing black masses, vampire gatherings, and other dark practices. Soon, a rivalry developed between Farrant and Manchester over who had the power to eradicate the supernatural threat at Highgate and just weeks after Farrant sent his letter to the newspapers, Manchester led a large mob of Londoners into Highgate Cemetery intent on driving out the evil that supposedly swelled there.
Throughout the early 1970s, the war of words between Farrant and Manchester frequently captured the public’s attention, thanks to the various news outlets that couldn’t resist the outrageous actions of the two men that ranged from benign and silly (a naked fire dance in an abandoned building) to gruesome and disrespectful (desecration of human remains). However, while the antics of the two men at the center of the story may elicit a smirk or an eyeroll, the public’s response to the supposed supernatural threat provides valuable insight into a phenomenon of moral panic that go on to fuel, among other things, the satanic panic that dominated the news throughout the 1980s and 90s.
To learn more about ways to save our graves, go to https://www.saveourcemeteries.org.
Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Ax podcast, for research assistance
References:
Cambridge Evening News. 1970. "Mr. Blood in hunt for vampire." Cambridge Evening News, March 14: 21.
Ellis, Bill. 1993. "The Highgate Cemetery Vampire Hunt: The Anglo-American Connection in Satanic Cult Lore." Folklore (Taylor and Francis, Ltd.) 104 (1/2): 13-39.
Evening Standard. 1970. "'Black magic' man tells of threats." Evening Standard, November 4: 17.
—. 1968. "Coffins broken open at a witches' sabbath." Evening Standard, November 1: 23.
—. 1974. "Naked witchcraft men in fire dance." Evening Standard, January 21: 5.
—. 1974. "Wife tells of 'horror photos'." Evening Standard, June 20: 5.
Farrant, David. 1970. "Letters: Ghostly walks in Highgate." Hampstead and Highgate Express, February 6: 26.
Guardian Journal. 1970. "Vampire hunter is cleared by court." Guardian Journal, September 30: 7.
—. 1968. "'Black magic' theory after coffins raid." Guiardian Journal, November 2: 1.
Hampstead and Highgate Express. 1970. "Does a wampyr walk in Highgate?" Hampstead and Highgate Express, February 27: 1.
Liverpool Daily Post. 1972. "Couple fined for churchyard ritual." Liverpool Daily Post, November 23: 18.
Manchester Evening News. 1973. "100 join hunt for cemetery 'vampire'." Manchester Evening News, March 14: 5.
Sunday Mirror. 1973. "'Sacrifice' witches in horror." Sunday Mirror, April 8: 11.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next Episode
The Sauchie Poltergeist aka Wee Hughie
October 19, 2023
•66m
When Annie Campbell uprooted her daughter from their home in Donegal, Ireland and relocated to Sauchie, Scotland in 1960, the move resulted in consequences far beyond what anyone could have expected. Removed from the only home she’d ever known, eleven-year-old Virginia Campbell did her best to acclimate to the foreign environment as she and her mother settled into the home of Virginia’s aunt, but within just a few weeks of their arrival the family was under siege from an invisible entity Virginia would later name “Wee Hughie.”
One of the most notorious cases of poltergeist activity in Scottish history, the case of the Sauchie poltergeist involved the usual trappings of poltergeist phenomenon—slamming doors, moving objects, and disruptive noises. Yet what set the phenomenon apart from myriad other cases of poltergeist phenomenon was that the supposedly supernatural phenomenon was witnessed by many bystanders, including Virginia’s teachers and classmates.
Was the Sauchie poltergeist a genuine example of paranormal activity, or was “Wee Hughie” nothing more than an elaborate hoax perpetrated by a creative girl seeking attention in the wake of major disruption in her life and environment?
Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance :)
References
Associated Press. 1960. "Haunted Irish girl gtets aid." Windsor Star, December 3: C-8.
Owen, A.R.G. 1964. Can We Explain the Poltergeist? New York, NY: Garrett Publications.
Robinson, Malcom. 2020. The Sauchie Poltergeist. Scotland: Independent.
Sims, Victor. 1965. "Poltergeist Terror." Sunday Mirror, June 13: 8.
—. 1965. "Virginia was possessed by a wild and unknown force." Sunday Mirror, June 27: 13.
United Press International. 1960. "Girl's ghost upsets school." Pittsburgh Press, December 2: 17.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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