In the 17th century, magic is everywhere – and feared though it is, people make use of it themselves when they need to.
In 1601, three so-called wise women were accused of witchcraft at the Næstved town court. The accusations were many: One had practised love spells and been paid to make a woman fall in love with a man, but the three women were also accused of displacing other people’s fortunes, stealing butter and healing the sick.
During the search of one woman’s home, a clay pot full of suspicious stuff was found, and when it was placed on a table, a black woodlouse crawled out – a sure sign of sorcery! The contents of the pot included hair tied around a rag, graveyard dirt, squid fossils, lumps of amber, a brass heart and forbidden seeds from plants causing abortion – all magic aids.
The tree women were pronounced guilty, but they were allowed to await the result of their appeals in freedom. The sources suggest that they were all able to escape.