Galgeberget is located far west of Ilevollen, at the base of Steinberget. It was the usual execution site in Trondheim, where death sentences were carried out. Until the end of the 1600s, people could be sentenced to death for witchcraft and sorcery. The last person to be executed for witchcraft in Trondheim died here on October 12, 1674. Her name was Kirsten Iversdatter, and she was called "Finn-Kirsten." "Finn" was the Norwegian term for Sámi at the time, so we know that Kirsten was Sámi. Kirsten Iversdatter was transported from the prison under guard, bound to a ladder with a rope that had been used to torture her, and thrown into a large fire. She was burned to death, and many people gathered to watch. 

Kirsten Iversdatter, Finn-Kirsten, was an extremely poor Sámi woman who wandered through the Norwegian villages in Gauldalen and other places. She was initially arrested and sentenced for crimes other than witchcraft, but eventually confessed to making a pact with the Devil. We do not know much about her background, but she wandered with others and begged for her living. Kirsten Iversdatter had frightened people with threats if she did not get what she asked for. Perhaps she performed magic for payment. There was a market for such services, and Norwegians especially believed that Sámi people were skilled in such practices. 

Belief in magic was very common during the time Kirsten Iversdatter lived. People believed magic could be used in everyday life to ward off illness and accidents, for example. At the same time, this was a time when demonology had been developed among learned people. Demonology was a science about the Devil and the Devil’s actions among people. According to demonology, people could swear allegiance to the Devil to commit even worse deeds. The laws of Kirsten Iversdatter’s time forbade both everyday magic and direct collaboration with the Devil. Trials against people accused of such practices are called witchcraft trials. Witchcraft trials took place throughout the country, and in Northern Norway, about 20 percent of the accused were Sámi. The last execution after a witchcraft trial occurred in 1695.

Sources and further reading

Alm, E. (2014), Trondheims siste heksebrenning: trolldomsprosessen mot Finn-Kirsten, Museumsforlaget. 

Alm, E. (2015). “Trondheims siste heksebål – Trolldomsprosessen mot Kirsten Iversdatter i 1674”, Gaavnoes - sørsamisk digitalt.

Alm, E. (2023), “Kirsten Iversdatter”, Stor norsk leksikon.

Hagen, R.B. (2023), “Trolldomsprosessene”, Stor norsk leksikon.

“Heksemonumentet i Vardø er til minne om 91 ofre for hekseprosessene”, Nord Norge Reiseliv.