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That is such a cool story!Originally Posted by Skjaldemjøden
Can't remember whether I've shared it already, but my great x7 grandfather was imprisoned for helping a "witch" named Anne (leaving out her surname). She was sentenced in the mid 18th century for setting fire to a farmhouse and beheaded. In the local lore for the next century or so Anne was a beautiful maiden who tempered with magic and tragically paid with her life for her mistake. In reality, her story was mixed up with that of another young "witch" named Anne who denied Christ and the holy spirit in court (Gasp!). "My" Anne was neither a witch nor young. Her true story was uncovered in the 1930's by a researcher at the county archive and published in a two part article along the story of the other woman. She was an old beggar who lived in a woodshed on a large farm in rural Jutland. One day the farmer decided to kick the old woman out for whichever reason. If I recall correctly it was close to winter time, which could easily mean death for her. She allegedly sought revenge that night, setting fire to the thatched roof of the farmhouse wherein the man and his family were sleeping soundly. Her scheme failed when the fire was noticed and extinguished, and Anne was captured. She was judged and sentenced to death by beheading for the attempted murder of the entire family, denied royal pardon and thrown in prison to await her execution. Here my ancestor Jens comes into the picture. He was a young, soon-to-be-married man who worked as a guard at the prison. Together with another lad, he was in charge of guarding Anne's cell. Officially, my ancestor claimed he had removed Anne's cuffs and allowed her step outside the prison, turning his back at her so she could pee in privacy. Personally, I doubt anyone could be so stupid (or slow compared to an old woman). I'm convinced he took pity on her and let her escape. His mother would have been around her age, if she was still alive. Either way, Anne was gone. As punishment, Jens and the other guard were locked in Anne's cell for two weeks. She was caught a year down the road in a far off parish, held captive until the royal guard arrived and beheaded on a hill outside a small village.
And isn't it fascinating to see how people glamour stories? The original Anne was a marginal old lady who eventually turned into a "beautiful maiden who would play with magics"
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