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The Utburd of Børholmen and Erika Larsdatter Bogen: A Haunting and Scam That Reached the Courtroom

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In 1852, the alleged psychic Erika Larsdatter Bogen, arrived at Børholmen, a small island in western Norway. She claimed that she had found the ghost and corpse of the dead child, and she named the mother who allegedly buried it. But what was the truth?

In Norwegian folklore, few spirits are as disturbing as the utburd, the ghost of an unwanted child left to die and denied a proper burial. These beings were said to cry, whisper, and wander restlessly, demanding justice or release. Sometimes in these stories, they would come back and accuse their parents for murder. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Norway

Most utburd stories belong to legend and oral tradition, but one case from western Norway in the mid-1800s went far beyond fireside storytelling. It ended not with prayers or exorcism, but in a courtroom.

Børholmen: Børholmen lies right out to sea just south of the entrance to the Sognefjord. The islet lies between Kversøy to the west and Grima and Lomannsøy to the east. Despite its close contact with the North Sea, the islet is sheltered from most winds and is sheltered from the sea swells. On the east side of Børholmen we find the old trading and inn. Børholmen was not registered until 1838, but had been a trading and innkeeper’s town since the late 17th century. Here they received fish that was put into barrels and sent on to Bergen.

Crying of an Utburd Beneath the Floor

In 1852, people living on Børholmen in Eivindvik on the windy west coast, reported something deeply unsettling at the small island with less than 20 living there. At night, they claimed to hear crying and faint whining sounds coming from beneath the floor of the living room. The noises were described as those of a child, soft yet persistent, impossible to ignore. In a society where belief in spirits was still widespread, the explanation came quickly. Many believed the sounds were caused by an utburd that had returned to lament its fate. But what was the truth behind the rumours, and exactly who were they who claimed to hear it?

Utburd: The word utburd comes from Old Norse útburðr, meaning “that which is taken outside.” In traditional rural Norway, this term referred to a child who had been abandoned or left to die in the wild because the family could not care for it or because it was born out of wedlock, a deep social stigma at the time. In the old folk imagination, these children did not pass peacefully into the afterlife. Many were left unbaptized and were buried outside consecrated ground. Because they never received Christian rites, their souls were believed unable to enter heaven or find peace. Instead, they became something darker: a ghost driven by need and grievance.

Into this tense situation stepped Erika Larsdatter Bogen, a young woman from Lindås, an island not too far from Børholmen, who was known locally for claiming clairvoyant abilities. Born in 1828, she was only in her early twenties when she announced that she could communicate with the spirit beneath the floor.

She was described by the priest responsible for her confirmation as poor and the youngest of six siblings from a farm. She was also said to have been vain, and would always have a mirror she could check herself with and not interested in the words of God at all. After her confirmation she was sent out to work, but by Christmas 1951, she was back with her parents with too many people to feed. This is when her alleged gift revealed itself. 

She claimed to have started hearing knocking sounds in the walls of her parents room and passed out and claimed that an angel had visited her and given her the gift of sight. She fell ill and had to stay in bed for weeks.

A Ghost Names its Parents as Killers

After she had come to herself, she started to travel around with her gifts as far as Bergen. People wanted to talk to her about her abilities. She never asked for payment during her travels, but never refused when it was offered. She wasn’t met without controversies, although she became popular. A priest said about her so-called angel who told her about stuff:

“If something supernatural revealed itself to her, it is no good angel, but either Satan, the lord of darkness himself or some of his angels.” – Priest Holtermann

This is how she ended up at Børholmen. She had tired the locals on Lindås, and she moved to Eivindvik, where she was given housing at the vicarage. When she arrived she looked tired and her clothing was torn. Her grand tour of being psychic hadn’t been too lucrative.  

Strange things started to happen over the next months, but only when Erika was present and this happened when she moved into the house of Peder Jakobssønn at Børholmen who wanted to have her around to talk about ghosts and angels she claimed she got the information from.. 

The Inn: After the inn and trade ended, the people on Børholmen became fishermen and small farmers. Agriculture was more or less shut down in the 1950s. Up until today – March 2001, there have been people who have made a living from fishing. Now five people live here.

According to Erika, the crying came from an utburd that revealed not only its suffering, but also its identity. The spirit allegedly named its parents as Kristine Kværnøen and Knut Stevnebø, accusing them of having killed the child and buried it in secret. Kristine was a 30 year old woman who had given her clothing and kindness when Erika first arrived. Knut was a man Erika knew from Bergen, and she claimed that Kristine had gone there five years ago and gotten pregnant. Kristine and Knut had served at a house together six years ago. 

Erika further claimed that the ghost told her exactly where its remains could be found. The Utburd didn’t say if it was stillborn or killed at birth. It was also claimed that Kristina was after Peder Jakobsønn’s 18 year old son, Knut, whom she had seen talking in church at times. Erika claimed that she wanted to protect Knut from Kristine’s clutches.

She reportedly dug at the indicated spot and produced a piece of cloth containing two bones. If her story had been true, it could have led to a serious criminal case for infanticide, one of the most feared and morally charged crimes of the time. Rumors spread quickly, and suspicion fell heavily on the accused parents as well as Erika.

Doubt and Investigation of Erika Larsdatter Bogen

However, not everyone was convinced and Kristine took the accusations with surprisingly calmness. But when Erika didn’t want to back down with the haunting and claims that Kristine’s Utburd ghost was haunting the area, she reported Erika to the police. Erika didn’t show up at her hearing and an officer was sent out to investigate this strange case. 

The cloth Erika presented appeared with the bones appeared new, not five years old and buried, and the bones did not seem to belong to a newborn child. These inconsistencies raised serious doubts about the entire story more so than the question of the ghost did.

During Erika’s interrogation, events took an even stranger turn. A thin, piping voice suddenly interrupted the questioning, seemingly defending Erika. Some present believed this to be the voice of the ghost itself. The sheriff could not be certain where the sound came from, but he noticed something telling. Each time the voice was heard, Erika moved her head from side to side, and just before the sound appeared, she brought her fingers to the corners of her mouth.

From these observations, the sheriff reached a conclusion. Erika was not speaking with a ghost. She was practicing ventriloquism and was a fraud.

From Haunting to Fraud

The case shifted dramatically. What began as a terrifying ghost story became an accusation of deliberate deception. The authorities concluded that Erika Bogen had fabricated the entire haunting and had falsely accused two innocent people of a crime that could have destroyed their lives.

The county governor, Amtmann Landmark of Nordre Bergenhus, ordered that Erika be prosecuted. She initially avoided trial by claiming to be too weak and frail to appear in court. During this period, she married Knut Børholmen, the man who she had tried to keep away from Kristine, and the couple moved to Bergen, where they opened a small business and attempted to start anew.

On 31 May 1854, Erika was finally brought to justice as she couldn’t keep a low profile and again started to claim she could talk with ghosts, starting a ruckus in a house in Bergen as well. The district court in Ytre Sogn sentenced her to seven months of hard labor. She appealed the verdict, but the case reached the Supreme Court, which took an even harsher view. The court ruled that her serious and unfounded accusations against Kristine Kværnøen warranted no less than one year of hard labor, along with legal costs. The prosecution was led by Bernhard Dunker, a prominent legal figure of the time.

Apparently, Knut had sent her a letter, saying that he bore Erika no warm feelings. Many speculate though that Knut was one of her helpers with the haunting. Still, when Erika was imprisoned, she was pregnant with her own child, a daughter that Knut came to pick up after she gave birth in prison. And according to records, it looks like they had seven children in total. Locally, she has been remembered as Rikke Bokken.

And a case of accusing someone of burying children, ended up with her having some of her own. 

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References:

Børholmen – Wikipedia

Utburd – Wikipedia

Erika Larsdatter Bogen : gjengangerhistorier fra Bergenskanten i 1850-Aarene

Kremmarleiet på Børholmen | Kringom

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Room 407 and the Gentle Ghost of Fleischer’s Hotel

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As the first hostess of the hotel in Voss, Norway, the ghost of Magdalene at the historic and majestic Fleischier’s Hotel is said to linger inside of Room 407. 

Fleischer’s Hotel stands proudly beside the lake at Voss, a grand wooden hotel steeped in family history and tradition right by the train station. The hotel was built in the Swiss style. This style of building was popular in Norway from about 1850-1910 and is inspired by the architecture of the Alps.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Norway

For generations, guests have spoken in hushed tones about one particular room. Room 407 with a grand view over the water Vossvangen is built around, is said to be occupied, even when no name is written in the ledger. According to long held legend, this is where the spirit of the hotel’s very first hostess still resides.

Fleischer’s Hotel: The hotel by Evangervegen road (E16) in Voss, Norway is thought to be haunted by the ghost of one of the founders.// Photo

Magdalene Fleischer’s Unfinished Watch

The ghost is believed to be Magdalene Fleischer herself, the woman who helped shape Fleischer’s the hotel that is still running by her rules it seems. 

Her full name was Magdalene Margrethe von Schlanbusch (1839-1915),  married to Fredrik Lyth Ørum Fleischer (1834-1906) who founded the hotel after they sold the family owned church to Voss.

The two ran the hotel from 1864 to 1906. Magdalene was Fleischer’s savior when the husband thought all was lost when the new building burned down in 1888, only 13 days after it opened. Magdalene had single-handedly insured the existing hotel and the new building during construction, without her husband’s knowledge. The hotel was rebuilt the next year and is still standing. 

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Witnesses describe seeing a female figure dressed in black, moving silently through Room 407 or standing near the bed. Why exactly this room, sources never claim to have an answer to. Others speak of sudden cold drafts that pass through the room without warning, and chandeliers that flicker and glow for no earthly reason.

Despite these unsettling signs, Magdalene is not considered a malevolent presence. Quite the opposite. Staff and guests alike describe her as protective and deeply concerned with the well being of those who stay at the hotel. It is said she refuses to leave because her sense of duty to the guests never truly ended.

A Touch in the Night

One of the most striking accounts comes from a guest who claimed to have awakened during the night to feel a gentle hand patting her cheek. When she opened her eyes, the room was empty, yet the sense of comfort lingered. There was no fear, only the impression of being cared for, as if checked on by a devoted hostess making her rounds.

Hotel staff have their own stories. An employee once claimed that flickering lights appeared when Magdalene seemed displeased, particularly if she felt the service provided to guests was lacking. In these moments, the lights were not threatening but insistent, a quiet reminder that standards must be upheld.

– Guests who have stayed here for several nights have on several occasions come down to the reception and said that they no longer want to stay in room 407. They have had the feeling that someone was watching them, said Butler, Michael Pedersen. He also claimed to have felt or heard someone walking in the hallways. 

Magdalene Fleischer

– I heard lots of women’s voices from inside the toilet, as if they were talking to each other. I got a little scared, and hurried on, but had to go back to take a look. Still, I didn’t dare open the door to look. I was completely in shock. I knew there couldn’t possibly be anyone there, because the door to the hallway was locked. I rushed out and locked it behind me! Source

Also the descendants of the alleged ghosts, comes with a few ghost stories of her own. Asta Maria Fleischer Tønjum, the great granddaughter, worked all her life at the hotel as well. 

– Not so many years ago, a regular male guest stopped by the reception and reported an incident in room 407. This was passed on to me, and I called the man, who told me that a lady had appeared in the room. She had come over to his bed and stood there for a while before she dissolved and disappeared. The lady had a black, unbuttoned blouse and buttoned boots. The man had not been scared, because he felt that the lady was kind-hearted and was there to look after him. When he heard the story about Magdalene, he thought that the woman who appeared to him could well be her, says Asta Marie. Source

A Spirit Bound by Care

Unlike many haunted hotels where spirits are tied to tragedy or unrest, Fleischer’s tells a different kind of ghost story. As her descendants claim, she was a warm and kind lady in life as she seems to have been in her afterlife as well. Magdalene Fleischer is said to remain out of love and responsibility rather than sorrow. 

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References:

Magic Magasin – Det spøker på Fleischers Hotel

Fleischer’s Hotel – Wikipedia

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Utne Hotel and the Watchful Spirit of “Mor Utne”

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In one of the oldest hotels in Norway in the serene Hardangerfjord, Mother Utne is said to still be running things. After working 70 years at Hotel Utne, management at the hotel claims that she is still the one in charge. 

On the quiet shores of the Hardangerfjord stands Utne Hotel, one of Norway’s oldest wooden hotels and has been in operation since 1722. Here they serve the famed Hardanger cider and the national dish Fårikål, with their ghost stories. Its rooms are filled with antiques, its walls layered with centuries of hospitality and human presence. 

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Among the portraits and heirlooms, one figure holds particular power over the building. Her painted gaze follows guests from the wall, calm yet unyielding. She is known simply as Mor Utne. And many believe she never truly left.

Hotell Utne: The old hotel is said to be haunted by the matroness, called mother Utne. // photo was taken by Jarle Vines. © 2009 Jarle Vines, some rights reserved.

The Woman Who Became the Hotel

Mor Utne was the hotel’s hostess for more than seventy years in the mid-19th century. Generations of travelers passed through under her watchful eye, and the hotel’s routines and traditions became inseparable from her presence. She knew every room, every floorboard, every sound the old building could make. When she finally died, the hotel continued on. But those who live and work there insist that something essential remains behind.

Mother Utne:Torbjørg Johannesdatter Utne (1812-1903) was a well known figure at the hotel, even after she was widowed in 1882, and left the business to her son, Svein Utne. Her portrait was done by Eilif Pettersen.

Her portrait still hangs on the wall, and beneath it stands her favourite rocking chair in the fireplace lounge. It is her chair alone. Guests avoid sitting in it, even when the hotel is full and no other seats remain. During renovations, workers left the chair untouched, some out of respect, others out of an unspoken unease they could not quite explain.

Still, she seems to be a rather helpful ghost, returning objects to what she deems the right place, and the staff claims that she exudes a warmth when her presence enters a room. 

Signs of a Quiet Guardian

Staff and guests alike have reported strange happenings throughout the hotel. Lamps are said to switch on and off without reason. Doors open and close on their own, slow and deliberate, as if guided by an unseen hand. Figures are sensed rather than seen, a presence felt just behind the shoulder or at the edge of a corridor.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

These events are rarely frightening. Instead, they carry a feeling of supervision, as though the hotel is being quietly inspected. Many believe this is Mor Utne, still tending to her duties, ensuring that everything remains as it should be.

The Girl From the Ghost Room

According to local legend though, Mother Utne is not the only one said to be haunting the hotel. Room 15 is often called the Ghost Room, and that strange things keeps happening there. Could it be that Mother Utne is making her presence known in this particular room, or could it be that there is another ghost roaming the hotel as well. 

It is said that an 18 year old girl once jumped from the window and died and there is in fact her, not Mother Utne haunting this part of the hotel. But although we know quite a bit about Mother Utne as an actual figure, this tale seems to be lost in history and is now merely a legend. 

A Presence That Endures

Unlike many haunted places, Utne Hotel is not known for terror or violence. Its haunting is subtle and intimate. Mor Utne is said to watch, not to warn. She is not bound by tragedy but by devotion. After a lifetime spent caring for the hotel and its guests, perhaps she simply could not let go.

Those who stay the night often speak of restful sleep mixed with an odd awareness, as if someone is nearby, listening. Some wake convinced they have been gently checked on, though no one ever enters their room.

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References:

Følte at noen forsøkte å dytte dem ut mens de vasket vinduet

Utne Hotell

Torbjørg Utne – hotelleier – Store norske leksikon

Det uforklarlige

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The Tragic Ghost of the Maid Haunting Visnes Hotel

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A maid who once worked at the hotel allegedly took her own life at the old Visnes Hotel, deep in the Norwegian fjords. Now it is said she is lingering in the afterlife in the old rooms she once worked in.

Visnes Hotel stands quietly on the edge of Stryn, its Swiss style facade looking out over the dramatic landscapes of western Norway. Surrounded by fjords, mountains, and deep history, the hotel is known today for its charm, warmth, and long tradition of hospitality. 

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But what is it about the haunted rumors that seem to follow the hotel, even after several rebrandings and renovations? It is said that behind its carefully preserved rooms and peaceful gardens, a far darker story is said to linger.

Haunted Hotel: Visnes Hotel in Stryn, Norway. Wooden hotel built in 1850. It is said to be haunted by a maid who took her own life in the hotel. // Source: Jorid Martinsen/Wikimedia

A Hotel Built on Long Memory

The story of Visnes began in 1850, when Anton Visnes opened his farmhouse to travelers passing through the region. Over the decades, the property slowly evolved, until his son Arne formally transformed it into a hotel in 1887. 

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Since then, Visnes Hotel has remained in operation, carrying the marks of many eras within its walls. The large courtyard, the old barn, and the historic interiors give the building a sense of deep continuity, as though the past never truly left.

It is perhaps this unbroken history that has allowed one restless spirit to remain behind.

Stryn: DXR/Wikimedia

The Maid Who Never Left

Local legend speaks of a young maid who once worked at Visnes during its early hotel years. Both her life and death carries almost no details and proof, and little is known about both her and the legends she left behind.

She was said to be hardworking and quiet, spending long days tending to guests, cleaning rooms, and moving silently through the halls. 

Over time, sorrow settled over her. Some say she fell in love with someone she could never have, while others believe she was overwhelmed by isolation and hardship. What is agreed upon is that her life ended tragically when she took her own life within the hotel grounds.

Her death was quietly buried in time, but her presence, according to many, was not.

Signs of a Restless Spirit

Guests and staff have reported unexplained footsteps in empty corridors late at night, doors that open and close on their own, and a feeling of being watched when no one else is nearby. Some claim to have seen the faint outline of a young woman in old fashioned clothing near the rooms once reserved for staff. 

There have been reports of strange knocking sounds in the walls as well as the sound of someone crying, although the rooms and corridors are empty. Others describe soft sounds, like someone tidying or moving furniture, long after the building has gone still.

The old barn on the property, now being restored, is also said to carry an uneasy atmosphere. Workers have spoken of sudden cold air, strange noises, and the sense that someone is standing just out of sight.

A Gentle but Lingering Presence

Unlike many ghost stories filled with terror, the spirit of Visnes Hotel is often described as sad rather than threatening. She is believed to be bound to the place where she lived and worked, repeating the quiet routines of a life that ended too soon. Some say she appears most often to those who are alone, as if drawn to familiar loneliness.

Today, guests come to Visnes Hotel for its history, beauty, and tranquility. But as night falls and the halls grow silent, some believe the young maid still walks softly through the building, unable to leave the place that defined her life and her death.

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    Said to be cursed forever after mistreating his prisoners, the jailer in Bern’s former prison tower, Käfitier is said to be haunted by the ghost of a monstrous calf.
  • The Lafayette Vampire Grave in Colorado
    For decades, parents have told their children to be home before dark in Lafayette, Colorado. The reason being that local lore tells of a vampire rising from his grave in the cemetery. But who exactly was the man behind the story, buried under the tombstone?
  • Grave of the Helhest in Roskilde Cathedral
    Buried in the same place as the Danish kings and queens, a legend about one of the smaller graves haunts the Roskilde Cathedral. It is said that a horse was buried here before any people, and it haunts the graveyard as the three legged helhest, an omen of death.
  • The Haunted Ruins of Lier Hospital in Norway
    As a place of dubious drug testing and the place where most lobotomies were done, the Lier Hospital and former asylum was left with a haunted rumor lingering in the decaying walls. Although most of the buildings are now torn down, it is still remembered as one of Norway’s most haunted places.
  • A Haunting Helhest in Odense St Canute Cathedral
    The Danish ghostly horse spirit Helhest is said to roam around St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark. It is believed seeing the three legged horse is an omen of imminent death.
  • The Helhest Haunting Saint Olaf’s Church in Helsingør
    According to old legends and Danish folklore, there are stories of three legged horses haunting the churches and graveyards in the country. in Saint Olaf’s Church, the spirit of the helhest is said to be the omen of death.
  • The Hauntings of Gamle Aker Church Over a Dragon’s Den
    Could it be that the oldest church in Oslo also has the oldest haunting? From legends about a dragon’s den underneath the structure and the ghostly silhouette haunting, the Gamle Aker Church perhaps has more activity than what meets the naked eye.
  • The Janissaries Vampires in Veliko Tarnovo
    During a time when Bulgaria was under the Ottoman Empire, there was talk about a vampire haunting the streets of Veliko Tarnovo. The rumours got so bad, that the Islamic rulers had to turn to pagan belief to rid themselves of the bloodthirsty creatures.
  • The Legend of the White Lady of Utstein Monastery
    In the windswept landscape of Norway’s west coast lies the Utstein Monastery, a site steeped in history and haunting tales. Known as Norway’s best-preserved medieval monastery, its ancient stone walls and iconic Gothic windows whisper stories of faith, love, and loss as well as the ghost of a Lady in White.
  • The Lord Edward Pub: The Rebel’s Restless Spirit
    After dying for the cause of Irish Independence, it is said the ghost of Lord Edward is haunting the pub he is buried close to and bears his name.
  • St. Patrick’s Cathedral: The Restless Spirit of Jonathan Swift
    In the ancient St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, there are said to be restless spirits still lingering. One of the more well known is said to be the ghost of Jonathan Swift, perhaps best known as the author of Gulliver’s Travels.

References:

Visnes Hotel – Historisk hotell i Stryn 

Visnes hotel | Kulturminnefondet 

Forbruker, Reiseliv | Tør du sove her?

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