Dear friends, do you know anything about the witches-the magicians-the herbalists who once lived in Navahradak? If not, we will tell you!
It was a long time ago, back in 1603, a girl was born in Navahradak district - Raina Mankovskaya. When the beauty turned 17, the Orthodox priest Martin Gramyka married her, and the couple moved to the village of Yatra. There Raina was engaged in treating people with prays and herbs, which she knew since her childhood. That's why people thought she was a healer or witch.
By the way, we would never have known about her, unless Jan Stanislaw Sapieha started a shameful witch-trial against our "healer", Raina. The fact is that at the end of his life, Jan Stanisław Sapieha had developed symptoms of mental illness, which directly affected the beginning of the witch hunt in his estates.
And the story began when a woman that was suspected of witchcraft named Raina Hramyčyna as her "companion." The informant assured that Raina was a very strong witch.
According to the scholars, in 1629 Raina Hramyčyna was invited to treat the only son of Jan Stanisław Sapieha. And indeed, when the healer came, the baby felt better. As soon as Raina left the house, the son of Jan Stanisław died. And soon after that Jan Stanislaw felt the same symptoms of the disease as his child.
Of course, the blame was put on the "witch". Raina was imprisoned. The process lasted for two years. Naturally, during this time they found witnesses of the so-called "magic" - especially with regard to Raina's obstetric activities. Gramyčyna asked to release her from prison and promised to make sure that Jan Stanisław would get healthy and get married soon. Raina's husband, the priest Martin Gramyka, who personally consecrated the herbs collected by Raina, also said that his wife was not a witch, because otherwise how he could live with her.
The story ended with Raina being recognized not only as a witch but also as a "warlock". And naturally, the Inquisition "for connection with evil spirits" burned a woman at the stake. It happened in 1631 in the suburbs of Slonim. But Raina managed to say her last words to the Sapiehas, "Let it happen to them as it happened to me." And in a short time after the execution of the "witch" Jan Stanisław's father, Leū Sapieha, died. Immediately after him Jan Stanisław's wife, Griselda Vesyalovskaya, died, too. Jan Sapieha died in 1635. And so the Sapieha family line broke off on Jan Stanislaw.
Ladies and gentlemen, do you think Gromyčyna-Mankowska was a real witch? Or was she just a victim of circumstances, time, and place? Looking forward to your answers, opinions, and the most fantastic ideas!