Witch Hunts in and around Pärnu 1641–1642

This article explores the shadowy Pärnu witch trials of 1641‒42, including an edited and annotated transcript of the trials. The file is preserved in the Estonian Historical Archives, EAA. f. 915 (County Court of Pärnu), n.1, s.1, pages 54‒70 and 83‒90, with a comprehensive explanation. The trial in Pärnu was the most detailed known trial in the territory of Estonia. The author shows how tense societal relations led to real anger in the economic top-down hierarchy. As is common in a microhistory, the article reveals the life of the peasant Laÿske Martt, the first person actually accused and the instigator of the following tragic consequences.