Walpurga Hausmannin

Midwife who confessed to child murder, witchcraft and vampirism; burned to death, Bavaria 1587

The old widow Walpurga had worked as a licensed midwife in the city of Dillingen for 19 years when she was arrested and accused of sorcery. During torture, she made a long series of confessions

In 1556, when she, as a newly made widow, had worked in the field of the city, she had made arrangements to meet a male co-worker for sex in her cottage later in the evening. But he had not arrived; instead, a demon had come dressed in his clothes. They had sex, and the night after he returned and promised to save her from poverty

During her confession, she stated that she had sworn herself to Satan and written it on a contract; and the demon, called Federlin, had then taken her to the real Devil, and confirmed her contract, after which they had drunk wine, eaten roasted babies, and had sex (she with Federlin)

Afterwards, Federlin had given her an ointment which she had used to hurt people, children and harvests

Walpurga confessed to having murdered forty children during her work as a midwife by applying a special salve or of putting pressure on their foreheads, and to having sucked their blood like a vampire

She was alleged to have eaten the children with other witches and used their hair for sorcery

Both the local authorities - the church under the bishop in Augsburg and the imperial court - sentenced her to death

Walpurga was taken through the city and stopped five times before they reached the place of execution

At the first stop they tore her left breast and right arm with irons; the second stop, they tore her right breast; the third, they tore the left arm; the fourth stop, at the place of execution, the left hand

On the place of execution, her right hand, with which had made her oath as a midwife, was cut off, after which she was burned alive at the stake

After she had been burnt, her ashes were not allowed to remain on the ground, but were scooped up and dumped in a stream

One of a series working with AI to give face to women executed as witches; these form part of a broader collection of Horror Portraits at www.horrorportraits.xyz

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