Sv'ea Law was to become a model for the paragraphs on witchcraft in the National Swedish Legal Code (c. 1350), which, however, does not mention superstition. Thus the Code, which after being revised in the 1400s was in force right up to the first half of the 18th century, legislated specifically against inrooted, harmful wichcraft. In practice. Church Law continued to be adopted from the older county laws, commonly Uppland Law. This also contained regulations against superstition, though in future unharmful magic came to be dealt with chiefly under purely ecclesiastical law, usually in close connection with canonical law (I lib. V tit. x—xxi). Breaking the law led to being debarred from the Church and denied the sacraments; atonement was achieved through penance and fines. Towards the end of the 14th century these fines are prescribed in more detail. The forbidden practices are clearly defined as the Devil’s arts (ars diabolica). In devotional literature, too, (exempla; tales for preachers) compacts, exorcism, defilement of the host and other heretical acts are described after similar phenomena on the continent. The sparse material from court records from the end of the Middle Ages contains examples of people being condemned to death in a secular court who had obviously offended against God, for example by making a compact with the Devil. The Church also brands magical activities (incantationes, sortilegia) as crimes against the Faith comparable to heresy and usury. It has not, however, been possible to find any traces of the systematic concept of the witch from the continent. As a rule Church Law sets its sights on exorcising and healing magic, the simple popular customs associated with everyday problems and conflicts. 2.2. Moving forward to the 16th century we find there are still very few court rolls preserved, mostly towards the end of the period. The regional distribution is also uneven. By taking account of these local and chronological irregularities one is able to get at rough idea of the relative intensity of the trials. In the three towns of Stockholm, Jönköping and Vadstena during the period 1490—1614 the trials are found to be seven times as frequent after 1580 as before. By the same method it can be seen that at the end of the period the majority of the cases in the southern parts of the country occurred during the years 1585—1600. The maleficium cases arising from the stipulations of the National Legal Code are indisputably the most frequent. The magical methods are similar to those of the mediaeval era: hair, bones, nails and other simple paraphernalia have a frighteningeffect when placed on the neighbour’s property, in the stables or under the threshold. Public opinion is clearly aroused and is hostile to such activity. Besides this we find simple superstition and semiprofessional magic, necromancy, usually practised by restless souls, students and homeless monks. Yet most interesting of all perhaps are the isolated but specific references to the Witches’ Sabbath and the journey to Blåkulla which begin to turn up towards the end of the century. 326
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