The Kastelholm Witch Trials (1665–1668)
The Kastelholm witch trials were the largest witch trials in Finnish history, held at Kastelholm Castle in Åland between 1665 and 1668. Governor Nils Psilander, educated at the University of Dorpat (Tartu) where witchcraft demonology was a major subject, conducted the trials. Unlike typical Finnish witch trials which involved single male defendants accused of sorcery, the Kastelholm trials were a mass trial modeled on continental European patterns. Several women were accused of attending a Witches' Sabbath and making a pact with the Devil. Six women were ultimately executed. The trials were un