Witchcraft

10-10-2025

Halloween is in full swing and this year we are digging into our archives to find witches!





Czopernicza - Croatia

We start in Croatia, with two truly spooky documents from our content provider Hrvatski državni arhiv, the Croatian State archives.

In 1715 two women, Barbara Kosec and Doroteja Stančić, testified about how they become czopernicze, witches. The document is dated 9 September 1715. Below is a translation of the document; you can find a transcription in the original old Croatian here, and the full digitised document here: HR-HDA-706_Obitelj Čikulini-Sermage_kut_50_fasc_8_1.pdf

Statements by Barbara Kosec and Doroteja Stančić about how they joined the witches and which other persons practiced magic

In the year of Our Lord 1715, on the 9th day of September, in the castle of the most illustrious Count Ivan Franjo Čikulin, Barbara “Chichko”, the wife of Ivan Kosec, before any torture, declared that a black dog with very large teeth and claws had come to her and had lain down beside her; she says that if she had at that moment received the seal [i.e., the diabolic mark], then she would not have had to sleep with her husband. After that, the cattle were scratched/marked. Likewise she declared that in her sleep a dog kept coming to her with teeth and claws like the devils painted in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Bistrica, and that he stood above her with his mouth open. Among other things she stated that she had been with those witches whom she had seen in her dream—that “Barberićka” had been with three young Christian girls (she does not know if they were her daughters or others); likewise Jana Konelić—and that they knew how to go wherever they wished and that there they saw many kinds of goods, ribbons in every color, and all other fineries.

She further declared that she drew wine from an oak, although she did not see an oak but an empty cottage and an empty barrel from which she drew the wine, and that the witches there drank it; and she states that she herself is a true witch. And she declared that [illegible: “in the st…”] she prepared food, that many people came, and that she prepared food for them and gave them to eat.

Furthermore she says that in that drinking and merrymaking there were present: old “Čukanečka Kata,” old “Černiakovicha,” Marko Bartolović, Matija Novošela’s son; in Oroslavje, Paulina, Matija on Bugetić’s [farm]; also Mara Horvatić, a serf of Lord Ilijašić—who were always with her whenever they were engaged in witchcraft dealings.

In the presence of me, Gjuro (Georgius) Merzljak, judge of the nobles of the County of Zagreb. (m.p.)

Doroteja Stančić declared that she is a true witch and that for one year she has been among them, and that Jalsa Šterkovićka took her out from home in madness and brought her to the house, and that on that fateful night Šterkovićka gave her to drink.

Likewise, that a black cat came to her and sealed her under the armpit. The old woman “Šlukachka,” Šterković’s frontier-woman; the old “vukica” [she-wolf] from Šterković’s, with her husband Filip—this year they made a “tucha” [harmful spell/beating-magic] on Medved [Medvednica mountain], and that around the Stubica area they did the greatest harm, and in their own village; and that she herself flew to Medved, and that three times this year they poured/laid that “tucha.” Bara Galović was one year among them and was on Medved, quod pulos (!) comederint [Latin: “that they ate chickens (?)” – unclear], and that these three are true witches. Of Fuflavoga, son of Štefančić Koščević, she declares that the sister’s son was swayed [bewitched]; and “Revdivusta” she did not see afterwards. As for how “Berina” leaned/bent toward the north wind, she likewise declared that [missing text] the herdsman was against a witch and that he can disperse the sea in a cloud when he puts him on the fire; likewise that the three from Stubica said in prison that they would like to confess so that they would not fear torture and that they [missing text] taught her.

In the presence of me, Gjuro Merzljak, judge of the nobles of the County of Zagreb. The same, (m.p.).

The above-written Doroteja Stanišić and Elizabeta Stepjković, to Lady Stanko, the widow of the noble Ivan Stepanić, confessed to being witches, because they, together with other witches, had been upon the Medved mountain.

In the presence of the same judge of the nobles. (m.p.)


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