Viking Hocus Pocus

There have been a number of hypotheses put forward as reasons for the collapse of Norse Greenland. I've reviewed two of the main ones - ecological disaster and climate, but surely the Norse had some theories as to the cause of their changing circumstances. In the last few decades of their existence in Greenland there are records of witch burning.  Is it possible that the Norse blamed the colder climate and decreased agricultural productivity on witchcraft?

Behringer (1999) shows the link between the Little Ice Age and the persecution of witchcraft. There were many witch-hunts during the Little Ice Age. During the 14th century witchcraft was increasingly used to explain “unnatural” events, particularly climatic ones as weather-making is a traditional power of witches. Therefore, it is quite plausible that the Norse were burning witches because they believed they were responsible for worsening climate and loss of pasture. 

Condemned witches

The introduction of witch burning to bring justice for climate change shows that the Norse were aware of the deterioration of their way of life, but it also highlights the struggle of the society to cope with such changes. The creation of this scapegoat didn't originate from the church as popularly thought, or from the state, but from the general population. This is because the general population needed accountability and an explanation for the changes society was experiencing. The population’s opinion that the church and state had failed in taking decisive action to stop the society’s downfall is evident. This division, shows the beginning of the breakdown of the societal structures that for so long had been a critical to Norse society’s survival.