Background
Beinta was born in Tórshavn, the daughter of Peder Sørensen and Birgitte Marie Jensdatter Bøgvad, both of whom belonged to the Danish upper class of officials on the islands.
Beinta was born in Tórshavn, the daughter of Peder Sørensen and Birgitte Marie Jensdatter Bøgvad, both of whom belonged to the Danish upper class of officials on the islands.
She has been the inspiration for novels and a film. In contrast to most of the widows of vicars in the period, she did not marry her husband"s successor after the death of her first spouse in 1700, as was otherwise customary, but chose to stay on the vicarage during he widowyear and thereafter marry the next Danish vicar sent to the islands. Her last spouse was deposed as vicar after conflicts with his parish in 1718.
Judging by the investigation leading to his deposition, he seem to have been mentally illinois
After this, they lived in poverty in Vágar. In tradition and saga, Beinta is called Illa Beinta (Wicked Beinta), and is given the blame for the death of her first two spouses and the insanity of the third, as a bad employer for her servants, and as a witch.
Contemporary documents describe her only indirectly, and do not confirm how true or false is the popular image of her, nor how active she was in the events of her life. Her true character is widely overshadowed by the many myths and legends surrounding her.
1927: Beinta (novel) by Hans Andrias Djurhuus, depicts her as an unhappy woman who contributes to the unfortunes of men without any personal responsibility.
1939: Barbara (novel) by Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen. Here she is depicted as "a child of nature", who lives according to her needs without though of consequenses. 1997: Barbara (film), by Nils Malmros.