Sidsel Andersdatter
Was one of the last women in Denmark accused of witchcraft. In an age ruled by fear, she became its reflection — a symbol of how power turns doubt into punishment. Her story reminds us how fragile justice can be.
Sidsel Andersdatter (ca. 1679-1729) was born in Aske, Halløe Parish in Skåne to a farming family. At the age of 20, she gave birth to an illegitimate child, who died shortly after being left in her parents’ care. Due to the social stigma surrounding unwed motherhood, Sidsel moved to Copenhagen, where she found work as a wet nurse. She later became engaged to a soldier, Niels Gram, with whom she had a daughter named Lene. However, Gram’s death in war shattered her hopes for a stable family life. Left alone once more, Sidsel returned to domestic work in Copenhagen. Over time, she began living independently-an unusual and socially disapproved choice for a woman in the early 18th century. Her life took a dramatic turn when she met Bodil Marie Christensdatter, a woman pregnant out of wedlock. Sidsel helped her through childbirth and then undertook an extraordinary deception: she assumed a male identity, “Andres Simonsen Aschenberg,” married Bodil Marie in 1715, and helped raise the child. As Andres, Sidsel served as a ship’s cook in the Danish navy during the Great Northern War (1715-1719), taking part in several major naval engagements. After the war, she secured a respected position as head cook at the naval battery Trekroner. For 14 years, she lived and worked as a man, maintaining the appearance of a conventional marriage and fulfilling her duties as a contributing member of society. Eventually, her relationship with Bodil Marie deteriorated. Sidsel left her post, spent time back in Skåne, and returned to Copenhagen. In 1728, her true identity was exposed by Jens Christensen Giese, likely due to a personal dispute. She was arrested, examined, and revealed to be biologically female. Though no specific laws prohibited cross-dressing, the court focused on religious and moral violations -especially the discovery of a urination device, which was viewed with suspicion. On March 7, 1729, she was sentenced to two years in the Spinning House (a women’s forced labor institution) and public penance in church. After her sentencing, no further records of her life exist.
Legacy
Sidsel Andersdatter’s life stands as a remarkable example of resilience and complexity in navigating early 18th-century gender roles and class structures. Her decision to assume a male identity was not only a survival strategy but also demonstrated her ability to form meaningful relationships and function within male-dominated institutions, such as the Danish navy.
Despite being punished for violating gender and religious norms, Sidsel succeeded in living and working as a man for over a decade, gaining professional respect and carving out a place for herself in a rigidly hierarchical society. Her story represents a rare, documented case of gender nonconformity in early modern Europe and invites deeper reflection on how society regulated identity, labor, and personal relationships.
Furthermore, her case illustrates how legal systems could selectively enforce or obscure the truth based on social status and respectability-evident in the lenient treatment of Bodil Marie after she remarried into a socially accepted position. Today, Sidsel Andersdatter is remembered as a symbol of ingenuity, bravery, and the complexities of lived identity in a restrictive era.
Impact on the Field
The rediscovery of Sidsel Andersdatter’s case has significantly influenced the academic understanding of gender, identity, and survival strategies in 18th century Denmark. Legal records uncovered in the Danish National Archives show that Sidsel was not unique-at least four other Danish women from the same period also disguised themselves as men to escape poverty and social constraints. Historian and archivist Tyge Krogh, who brought these cases to light, emphasizes that while such incidents were rarely recorded, they likely represent only a small portion of a wider, undocumented reality. His research, published in Historisk Tidsskrift as “Kvinder i mandsklæder” (“Women in Men’s Clothes”), positions Denmark within a broader Northern European phenomenon. Comparable cases have been documented in Holland (around 100), England (30-40), and Sweden (approximately 20). This scholarship has opened new avenues in Danish historiography by identifying gender disguise as a form of resistance and self-determination among marginalized women. It challenges long-held assumptions about gender conformity in early modern Europe and highlights the need for further investigation into lives that defied official norms yet remained largely invisible in historical narratives.
Fun facts
1. She wore pants-literally and symbolically. At a time when women were legally and socially restricted to dresses and domestic roles, Sidsel wore men’s clothing, cut her hair short, and even carried a silver sword-a bold and dangerous move in 18th-century Denmark.
2. She was officially listed as a father. While living under the name “Andres Simonsen Aschenberg,” she was legally recorded as both the father of a child and the husband of Bodil Marie Christensdatter. In the eyes of the law- until her exposure-she was a man.
3. She joined the navy-and survived. Sidsel, as “Andres,” served as a ship’s cook during the Great Northern War, participating in real naval battles between 1715 and 1719. She later held a respected position as head cook at the Trekroner naval battery.
4. She fooled everyone for 14 years. Sidsel successfully lived and worked as a man for over a decade and a half, not only blending in but earning trust and respect from those around her. Her deception was only uncovered after a personal fallout and tip-off from an acquaintance.
5. There was no law against what she did. Sidsel wasn’t convicted of a specific crime like fraud or theft-her punishment came from religious and moral condemnation, reflecting society’s discomfort with blurred gender roles.
6. She’s not alone. Similar cases were found across Northern Europe, but Sidsel is one of the first documented in Denmark. Her story now helps connect Danish history to broader patterns of gender disguise and survival across Europe.
Her Work
While there are no known physical artifacts or creative works directly produced by Sidsel Andersdatter herself, her life and actions represent significant contributions in several key areas:
1. Military service: Sidsel worked as a ship’s cook in the Danish navy during the Great Northern War (1715-1719), participating in naval battles and later serving as head cook at the Trekroner naval battery. This role showcased her ability to succeed in traditionally male and demanding environments.
2. Domestic and caregiving roles: She took on various domestic jobs, including working as a tailor’s apprentice and stable hand, and notably helped Bodil Marie Christensdatter conceal an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and raise a child while living under the male identity “Andres Simonsen Aschenberg.” This complex caregiving role challenged social norms and expectations of gender and family.
3. Legacy in literature and scholarship: Though Sidsel did not author any works herself, her remarkable story has been the subject of historical research and publications, most notably by archivist Tyge Krogh, who uncovered her trial documents and wrote the article “Kvinder i mandsklæder” (“Women in Men’s Clothes”) in Historisk Tidsskrift. This scholarship has been crucial in bringing her life-and those of other gender-nonconforming women in 18th-century Denmark -to wider attention and academic discussion.