Isn’t it sad that lost burnt souls are now ashes of history? Someone once said that history must not be forgotten, otherwise it will be repeated, but to which extent is it important to remember things that happened five centuries ago?
The relationship between past, present and future remains a central topic among historians. Some historians defend historical consciousness as creating awareness out of the temporal nature of human existence; some portray it with philosophical perspectives; and some as a pragmatic approach between public memory, citizenship and history education. The truth is, there are too many definitions for the big topic of history.
This connection between the past and the present allows us to understand the importance of things, it allows us to understand our deep selves.
So, let me ask you a big question. What is time? How do you measure it? Do you think your time is slightly different than anyone else’s? Does it skip beats? Does it go too fast and sometimes too slow?
If so, then let me tell you something, you might be one step closer to being a witch.
Witches don’t heed the time clock, they write to the rhythms of the moon, the seasons, the cosmos, and the mysteries of nature. (…) Witch time recalls a pre-Christian, pre-capitalist era, when humans and nature were one.
But time is relative, isn’t it?
When talking about witchcraft trials five centuries ago, some might find them relevant and some redundant. For this article, I tried to understand how important witchcraft trials are for the people of Kristiansand, how much people know and how does their knowledge influence daily practices.
Not a lot is known among Kristiansand’s community. It is part of the general knowledge about witchcraft trials around Norway and the world, but not particularly in this town.
For some context, in our Kvadraturen streets, two big trials took place between 1570 and 1695, the historical time Agder was under interrogation. In total, Agder lost 20 souls for witchcraft. These streets are not far from our time. How many of us have passed the white, picturesque houses, whishing we could be the ones living in such historical scenario? Surrounded by big pebbles and colourful doors? How many of us haven’t heard the names Karen Snekkers and Maren Leifsen? These are only 2 of the 4 women found guilty on the last trial. Women who spent their last breaths screaming for life in what is now a beautiful landscape that covers the entire town. This landscape is located on a hill after a small walk in Kuholmen. This hill is called Trollkjerringheia.
Kuholmen is now a good place to live and Trollkjerringheia a good place to escape the time we live, to escape reality.
Time eases the pain and teach us coping mechanisms for collective sorrow. Time’s a gentle theft of recollection.
What I got to analyse from the wonder on people’s insights, is that time is particularly significant. As a society, we remember previous historical events through visual inputs, like books, movies or memorials. Apart from a secluded group of interested people in the topic, Kristiansand does not have anything that recalls these women, who were silenced by their own pain.
I wondered the importance of a memorial in town and if the general population would want one.
In general, people acknowledged the importance of visual remembrance without fearing landscape changes or environmental disturbances, but the concept of importance raised some doubts.
Some people told their stories and even shared some childhood memories. It was a beautiful journey on who the witches were: midwives and the Sami; it was about herbology and natural superpowers. It was a beautiful journey of social exclusion, where people who did good belonged to an outcast society.
When mentioning an actual memorial, people were divided. The majority agreed that something should exist, but not all agreed with what. A general concern was what this memorial would be: if a statue, a museum or a simple plaque. Another general concern was where this memorial would be: if in the centre, in Trollkjerringheia or in the neighbourhood area of Kuholmen.
There was a big parallel between knowledge and time. People who did not agree with a memorial mentioned time. Even people who appreciated the wonder mentioned time. Acknowledging something does not make it worth existing. It was said that other memorials would be more worthy visiting. It was also said that a memorial at
Trollkjerringheia would destroy the peaceful hill. But everyone mentioned time. In positive or negative ways. The event was either too long ago or descendants deserved to mourn the lost ones.
There was some tension between the rational and the emotional during this wonder and it was very foolish of me to think otherwise.
I am biased in my own judgement. As a free woman in the 21st century, I closely follow the constant arguments of why feminism is still necessary in the western society. History has told me the answer. History, if not learnt, tends to repeat itself. During the witchtrials, women went from being seen as holding the power of healing, supporting, and saving lives of children, to evil midwives, possessed by demons, killing for selfishness and being the source of sin. I fear that future time will lead us there again.
We are all witches. When one proclaims being a witch nowadays, one becomes the expression of empowerment and triumph over the tyranny of oppression. If a witch is a shapeshifter, who continually transforms and evolves then perhaps we are all indeed witches. And if we are all connected by blood, isn’t this an important discussion to have? To either let time pass by until the pain is no longer felt or to get something meaningful to remember the people who once was part of our family? Both options are valid, and I am not telling you what the wrong or right answers are, but I am welcoming you to think about it. I am welcoming you to an open discussion.
So, we cast the circle and step inside. Let the wonder begin!