The Mercies

A really interesting and intriguing read. This is a historical fiction novel based around the first Vardø witch trials (yes, there were more than one there!). At this point in time I have been living in Norway for about 10 years, so reading more stories set in an around my adopted country is appealing to me. This one grabbed me with its interesting concept and cool looking cover (yes, I occasionally judge a book by its cover). The setting of 17th century Norway is not one I am so familiar with - it is away from the modern day reality that Nordic noir tends to focus on and the earlier Viking period or norse mythology, which form the backbone of a lot of peoples image of Norway. I know there is a lot literary fiction set in 19th century Norway (eg the works of the ‘four greats': Kielland, Ibsen, Bjørnsen and Lie), but I always found that a bit heavy to dive into.

Norway is such a large country that even into the 17th century the reach of the church was still limited, especially up in the far north. Here the Norwegian people and the Sami people coexisted to a certain extent - the Norwegians practicing chritianity, but the Sami holding to older traditional beliefs. Certain religious elements found this very objectionable, and led to many Sami being tried as witches. The Vardø witch trials were something a bit different in that they were the first in which Norwegian women were tried as witches. This provides the background history for the story.

Essentially the story here is how petty grievances can lead to drastic and brutal outcomes in the settings of paranoia that such religious persecution generates in small and isolated communities. The plight of the various people involved is harrowing and the sense of paranoia generated feels visceral at times. You get a real sense that the instigators do not understand the consequences until it is too late. A harrowing read.