Kolgrim

Who was Kolgrim?

Kolgrim, also spelled Kollgrim or Kolgrimr, was an alleged Norse sorcerer who was burned in Greenland for sorcery and for being the lover of a married woman.

In 1406, a Norwegian merchant ship arrived to the old Eastern Settlement on Greenland and stayed for four years. One of the passagers was the merchant Torgrim Sölvesson and his wife Steinunn Ravnsdotter. In 1407, Steinunn fell in love with Kolgrim and left Torgrim for him.

Torgrim accused Kolgrim of sorcery. The matter was raised at the Thing, which was conducted before the lagmannen' and then put in front of a jury of 12 members. At the witch trial at Gardar, witnesses was brought forward, the Norwegian law against sorcery was taken up, and it was said that: "Kolgrim brought her to him by use of magic", by singing magic chants and galdr until she came and he: "lay with her". It was considered worse that she had fallen in love with him, as he then had "stolen" her soul and not only her body from her husband. Kolgrim was judged guilty of sorcery and was sentenced to be burned at the stake at the place of execution at Gardar. After his execution, Steinunn was: "never fully sane" again, and died soon after.