Why Iceland’s witchcraft accusations often fell on men
In much of early modern Europe, witchcraft trials disproportionately targeted women. Iceland’s pattern was different: men made up most of those accused. The difference reflects what people in Iceland associated with dangerous magic. Suspicion often focused on learned sorcery—spells, written charms, and runic symbols—rather than the image of a woman practicing household magic.
Literacy could look like a source of power
Runes are characters used in older Germanic writing systems; carving them was not, by itself, evidence of magic. But in a society where few people could read or write, a person who knew how to make written charms could seem to possess secret knowledge. That made men with reputations for literacy or spellwork vulnerable to suspicion. Accusations also drew on fears that someone had used magic to injure a neighbor, damage property, or bring misfortune.
A quarrel could become a criminal charge
The path from suspicion to trial often began with an ordinary dispute. If illness, loss, or another unexplained setback followed a feud, a neighbor might interpret the timing as proof of a curse. Local conflicts could therefore supply both a motive for accusation and the story that made it sound plausible. Church and state authorities treated sorcery as a serious religious and legal offense, giving those suspicions consequences far beyond the original disagreement.
The result was a distinct Icelandic pattern: the figure feared as a witch was often a man believed to wield hidden knowledge, and a neighborhood grievance could help turn that reputation into a prosecution.
