Christine Teipel

Darstellung des Hexensabbats aus der Chronik des Johann Jakob Wick

Christine Teipel (1621 – 4 May 1630) was a 9 year old child who was executed as a witch. This execution happened in Schmallenberg-Oberkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Life

She was questioned on March 7, 1630. She told about 15 other people who had taken part in a Witches' Sabbath, at night. There were 8 men, 6 women, and a little girl. During that year, there were 7 processes, form April to June of that year. During these, 58 people were convicted top burn at the stake, for witchcraft. 22 people of these were men, 2 were children.

Christine Teipel was sentenced and executed in the third of seven rounds of trials.

Near Oberkirchen there is a place where commemorative inscriptions have been erected.

Parts of what she had said during the trial

Pact with the devil

"bekend guetlich, daß Johan Bell...vor etzlicher zeit, weiß nit, wieviel jar, in Stephans backhaus sie die zauberei gelert, ...(Sie) Hette auch austrucklich dem teuffel zugesagt, waruf der teuffel in eins wackern jungen gestalt, ...zu ir kommen, ... zu ir gesagt, ob sie im auch stehen [zu ihm stehen] wolte. Sie im druff geandwortet: ja, wen er ir etzwas guts tun wölte, wilches er ir auch zu tun versprochen."

Approximate translation:

"confesses, that Johan Bell (...) had taught her to do magic, some time ago; she does not know, how long ago. This happened in Stephan's bakery. She had also committed to serving the devil. The devil had then appeared in the form of vigorous young boy. The boy had asked her, if she wanted to commit herself to him; she had agreed, under the condition that he should do something good for her, which he had promised (...)

Attending a Sabbat

"Sein boel (Teufelsbuhle) hett mit ir gedanzt... Der tanz hette woll zwei stunde geweret"

Translation: "Her mate (sex partner) had danced with her... 26 ff

  • Tobias A. Kemper: "...der allnoch anwachsenden bluenden jugend zum abscheulichen exempel...". Kinderhexenprozesse in Oberkirchen (Duchy of Westphalia). In: SüdWestfalen Archiv Jg.4/2004. S.115-136.

See also

[[Category:People executed for witchcraft