Anders Paulsen

Anders Poulsen (died 1692), was a Sami noaidi, who was the last victim of the many Vardø witch trials, which took place between 1621 and 1692.[1]

He was born in Torne Lappmark in Sweden, married and lived in Varanger. He was active as a noaidi, and as such used a Sámi drum.

The drum was taken from him by force during the Christianization of the Sámi people in December 1691, and he was put on trial for idolatry for being a follower of the Pagan Sami shamanism religion. The law used to persecute him was however formally the witchcraft law.

The case was considered significant and the local authorities sent a request to Copenhagen about how to deal with it. Before a sentence could be reached, however, he was killed by a fellow prisoner who suffered from insanity.