als ▁in ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁I cel and ▁Exec ution ▁for ▁w itch craft ▁was ▁extremely ▁rare ▁in ▁I cel and . ▁The ▁first ▁burning ▁at ▁the ▁st ake ▁took ▁place ▁only ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 5 ▁and ▁remained ▁an ▁isolated ▁example ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 0 s . ▁There after , ▁between ▁ 1 6 5 4 ▁and ▁ 1 6 8 3 , ▁ 2 0 ▁people ▁were ▁burn ed ▁for ▁w itch craft , ▁ 1 9 ▁men ▁and ▁one ▁woman . ▁These ▁execution s ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁north - west ▁of ▁I cel and ; ▁elsewhere , ▁there ▁were ▁accus ations ▁of ▁w itch craft ▁but ▁ultimately ▁nobody ▁was ▁condem ned ▁for ▁it . ▁The ▁main ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁ups ur ge ▁in ▁w itch - burn ings ▁in ▁this ▁particular ▁area ▁has ▁been ▁as cribed ▁to ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁pre fect ▁ Þ or le if ur ▁K ort sson , ▁who ▁had ▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁abroad ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁during ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁inten se ▁fear ▁of ▁w itch es ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁ Þ or le if ur ▁K ort sson ▁had ▁been ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁burning ▁of ▁three ▁alleg ed ▁sor cer ers ▁at ▁Tr é ky ll is ví k ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 4 . ▁It ▁is ▁against ▁this ▁background ▁that ▁J ón ▁Magn ú sson ' s ▁accus ations ▁against ▁J ón ▁J ón sson ▁and