Eric Clauesson

Eric Clauesson, or Erik Klasson, (d.1492), was a Swedish man executed for sorcery, theft and heresy, though in reality, this was an execution for Paganism. His case illustrates the fact that the old Pre-Christian Pagan Norse religion still lived in Sweden as late as in the 15th century. 
Eric Clauesson worked as a servant to Hans Persson on Värmdö. He was put before the court in Stockholm. He confessed that he had sworn himself to the old Nordic god Odin to escape poverty, and that he had stolen from his master several times. This was a peculiar case; Eric was to be judged for Paganism, which could be seen as a form of heresy, but officially for sorcery, an unusual crime in Sweden at this point, and it is hard to determine if this was a witch trial or a trial of heresy. Eric himself clearly meant the old Pagan god Odin (In Swedish:Oden); but Oden, like other Pagan gods, was by the church considered to be devils, and therefore, "Oden" was translated to "Satan" by the court, and Eric was thereby to be judged as a Devil-worshipper. This was, by all accounts, a trial of heresy against paganism. 
The verdict was that he should be executed by the breaking wheel and hanged for the theft, and for his other, religious crime, "the highest matter" against "God and his immortal soul" for having renounced God and made a pact with Satan, he was sentenced to be burned at the stake; as the religious crime was more important than the crime of theft, it was the punishment he received for the former crime that was to be carried out. The Swedish law did not actually mention such crimes at the time, and the verdict can be seen as a sign that the Catholic church was at the point given a stronger position in Sweden, similar to that of the continent, were cases such as this were more common. 
He was not the only one to be put on trial for worshipping the old gods. On 27 October 1484, Ragvald Odenskarl (Ragvald The Follower of Oden), as the court called him, was put on trial in Stockholm accused of theft of several churches in Uppland; he claimed to have served Oden for seven years and committed the thefts with Johan Land. Ragvald is believed to have been burned, and Johan saved himself by asking to be an executioner. 
== See also ==
* Lars Nilsson (Shaman)
== References ==
* Christer Öhman (In Swedish): Helgon, bönder och krigare. Berättelser ur den svenska historien (Saints, peasants and warriors. Stories from the Swedish history) (1994)
* Bengt Ankarloo (In Swedish: Satans raseri (The Rage of Satan) ISBN 978-91-7324-926-3 (2007)
Category:15th-century births
Category:1492 deaths
Category:People executed by burning
Category:Executed Swedish people
Category:People executed by the Kalmar Union
Category:15th-century Swedish people
Category:People executed for heresy
Category:Alleged witches
sv:Eric Clauesson