In the 1500s, Flemish weaving was very popular in upper class homes in large parts of Europe. It took some time for the trend to hit Norway, but at the end of the 1500s Anne Pedersdotter from Bergen ordered a frame from carpenter Giert that she wanted to use for this purpose. Anne was the widow of the priest and humanist Absalon Pederssøn Beyer. She was known as a strong and independent woman, but was also very argumentative and was therefore unpopular. There were rumours that she practiced witchcraft. When the carpenter and his wife did not want to give her the frame, she became mad. Soon after the carpenter’s wife fell ill, Anne was accused of witchcraft.
In April 1590, Anne Pedersdotter was burned at the stake as a witch. One of the witnesses in the case against her was her own maid for 20 years. She said that Anne used her as her horse when she flew to witch gatherings at night.
Between 1579 and 1695, 860 women and men were accused of witchcraft in Norway. Anne Pedersdotter was one of the first to be executed. Most of the 307 that had to pay with their lives were women.
We think it was the northern German craftsmen who brought the art from Flanders to Norway. The technique, which has much in common with Kilim, spread from city to countryside, and in the 1700s Gudbransdalen became the centre of Flemish weaving in Norway. At this time weaving had become women’s work.
Women primarily weaved tapestry but they also made cushions and pillows. There are hundreds of woven cushion covers from 1500s–1700s in Norwegian collections. Hynde were long pillows that were placed in the pews as seatbacks. Among the favorite subjects were the good and bad virgins, the Three Kings, and the feast of Herod. Stylized flowers, fruit, vases and animals were also popular. Some of the pillows were also made in half pile.