Witchcraft in Iceland was largely a male occupation, the kunnáttumadur were generally highly regarded by the population who had no real problem with witchcraft.
The persecution of witches began very late in comparison to the rest of Europe and it was imported from Denmark which was then the colonial power in Iceland. It’s thought this was done because the Icelanders were thought to be insufficient pious.
The trials only came to an end in the 1680s when local courts lost the power to convict people of witchcraft and all cases had to be confirmed in Copenhagen - which by then had stopped convicting people of witchcraft.
