Every year in Sweden and Finland, a time-honored tradition persists, harkening back to an era when witches convened with the devil before the resurrection of Jesus.
Growing up in Värmland, Sweden, Fredrik Skott and his sister engaged in a peculiar ritual: donning witch attire and traversing from house to house, delivering candy-filled letters to neighbors and friends. However, this wasn’t Halloween; it was the eve of Easter.
In contrast to the imagery of bunnies and egg hunts commonly associated with Easter, each year in Sweden and Finland, young ones partake in a centuries-old custom marking the night of witches’ Sabbaths prior to Jesus’s resurrection.
Clad as Easter witches (påskkärringar) or Easter trolls (påsktroll), they traverse doorsteps, offering well wishes of “Glad Påsk” (Happy Easter). This tradition exhibits regional nuances; some communities observe it on Easter Eve, while others on Maundy Thursday. Children may sing for treats or distribute candy-laden letters to neighbors.
Skott, now an expert in Nordic folklore at the Institute for Language and Folklore in Gothenburg, has dedicated years to studying the Swedish mumming tradition. His research illuminates the historical connection between witchcraft and Easter, shedding light on how beliefs about witches evolved in Sweden over time.
The Origins of Easter Witches
Scholars debate the exact inception of this tradition, yet concur it stems from Sweden’s era of witch trials between 1668 and 1678, intertwined with a rich folklore surrounding witches dating back to the 1400s.
Central to this folklore was the notion of witches congregating at a mythical site called Mount Blåkulla to revel in the Black Sabbaths or Witches’ Sabbaths. During Maundy Thursday to Holy Saturday, folklore held that the boundary between our world and the chaos of Blåkulla blurred.
“It was believed that witches and other creatures were more active than at other times when Jesus was dead,” Skott elucidates.
Per-Anders Östling, a folklorist, notes that Sweden’s infamous witch trials in 1668 stemmed from children’s rumors of being taken by witches to Mount Blåkulla. Hundreds of women faced accusations and death sentences, perpetuating a pervasive fear of witches into subsequent centuries. Southwest Swedish communities lit bonfires and barred doors before Easter, seeking protection from witches.
Although scholars posit that the tradition of Easter witches emerged in the early 20th century, coinciding with the decline of witch beliefs in urban centers, Skott’s research suggests its origins trace back to the 18th century.
Court records from Husby parish in Uppland, Sweden, reveal a farmhand accusing Anna Olofsdotter of witchcraft in 1747. One year prior, children in her parish found “troll butter,” a slimy fungus associated with witches. Olofsdotter, in jest, feigned agony as the fungus was burned, sparking rumors of her being a witch. Despite the accusations, the court deemed her innocent.
“This case indicates the possibility of people joking about or imitating witches at a time when belief in witchcraft was still prevalent,” Skott notes.
Easter Witches in the 19th Century
By the 1800s, teenagers and young adults joined the Easter witch tradition, donning costumes reminiscent of elderly peasant women. Armed with brooms, poles, and mythical ointment horns for flight, they roamed, tossing letters inviting participation in the witch Sabbath.
These witches engaged in mischief, mimicking “real” witch activities such as pouring ash down chimneys or causing harm to livestock. To conceal their identities, many smeared their faces with soot or donned fabric masks with moss eyebrows. Cross-dressing further underscored the inversion of norms during this period.
Skott posits that this custom served as a permissible rebellion against adult authority, allowing young people to engage in activities typically forbidden. Over time, the tradition spread to Finland, where it took on a variant called “virvonta.”
A Modern Easter Witch Tradition
In the 20th century, the tradition evolved; cross-dressing and eerie masks gave way to cuter costumes for younger children. Halloween’s ascent in popularity since the 1990s has also contributed to the decline of Easter witch festivities.
Skott suggests that Halloween witches are the heirs to the Easter witch legacy. Although his participation ceased at seven years old, today’s participants, primarily infants, partake in more sanitized versions of the tradition. Easter parades and familial gatherings have become alternate means of preserving Swedish heritage.
Nevertheless, for those who engage, the days preceding Easter remain infused with a hint of witchy chaos, a testament to the enduring allure of this ancient tradition.
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