Wanna hear about the most famous witch in all of Scottish history? Who wouldn’t, right? This would be one Isobel Gowdie, who gave four testimonials in 1662 confessing her involvement in harmful magical practices and consorting with the devil.Gowdie’s trial is better documented than any other witchcraft confession. Although she was probably treated poorly during […]
Isobel Gowdie – Scotland’s First Witch Read More »
Everyone has heard of the infamous witch-hunt craze of Early Modern Europe, resulting in the executions of thousands of people, mainly women, based on groundless accusations. The figure in this image from 1629 of “Robin Goodfellow,” is of course the fairy-type known as Puck, made famous by Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Magical witches and the
Puck’s and Early Modern European Witch-hunts Read More »
By the Early Modern period in England, many people associated witches with their accompanying animals called “familars.” At the bottom of this woodcut you can see “Boy” (also “Boye”) the dog and alleged familiar of the military leader Prince Rupert of the Rhine, who died with his master in battle in 1644.The familiars of 17th-century
Witches and their Familiars Read More »
This 16th-century woodcut shows some witches happily gathering ’round a pair of devils. Crimes commonly thought to have been committed by witches included murder of children, cannibalism, and carnal acts with Satan (#Q-Anonfortheages). Many trial records go into minute detail about subjects we would consider crazy, like the accused witches’ sexual intercourse with demons, marks
Medieval Witches and Their Crimes With Devils Read More »
What sort of woman flies around at night, perhaps leading a pack of hunters or accommodated by an assortment of animals, and works magic in the homes of certain women? Although a witch might fit the bill, this description applied to a belief in a variety of magical females across Europe in the Late Middle
The Bendanti of Medieval Europe Read More »
This week’s posts feature women who became famous for something they didn’t do. And we begin with the case of Mrs. O’Leary and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.On a windy day on October eighth of that year, after a lengthy dry season, a barn belonging to the Irish immigrants Mr and Mrs O’Leary caught
Mrs. O’Leary and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 Read More »
Mata Hari, nee Margaretha Geertruida, was considered to be the ultimate femme fatale for much of the 20th century. Making waves as an exotic dancer in the years before the First World War, Mata Hari became known as a seductress of powerful men who used her feminine wiles as a spy for the Germans.Mata Hari
Mata Hari – the Ultimate Femme Fatale Read More »
Of the many shady undertakings committed by Helen Duncan, witchcraft was not one of them. But nonetheless, during the Second World War the Scottish Spiritualist and show-woman was convicted under the 1735 Witchcraft Act. Duncan spent nine months in jail, and was the last person prosecuted in Britain under this legislation.An irony is that Duncan
Helen Duncan and the 1735 Witchcraft Act Read More »
In our theme this week of “women who were famous for something they didn’t do,” I turn to the well-known and macabre story of the alleged death of Catherine the Great of Russia (d. 1796). The incredibly successful monarch had her husband assassinated, suppressed many rebellions, and was a patron of the arts. But she
The Rumor of Catherine the Great’s Death Read More »
You are looking at a rare Medieval illustration of the anatomy of a uterus. It is highly schematic/abstract, obviously, but the important bits for Medieval people were all there. At the top, you see a fetus (the Latin words used were “embryo,” “conceptus,” and “fetus”), and straight below it is the entrance marked “hec eat
Medieval Uterus Anatomy Read More »
We know that women in the Middle Ages wanted to have control over their ability to conceive, and medical texts from these centuries show that while women wanted to know how they could avoid getting pregnant, many were also concerned about infertility. After all, bearing children was considered the central function of women in this
The Trotula Test for Medieval Infertility Read More »
This week we are looking at Medieval birth control. This terrifying object, known as a “chastity belt,” was once thought to have been developed by men during the Middle Ages to lock up their wives or daughters’ genitalia, thereby controlling not just women’s reproduction, but their sexuality. The good news — they were probably mostly
The Fake Creation of Chastity Belts Read More »
You are looking at a page out of the Voynich manuscript, an as-yet untranslated text from the first half of the 15th-century. Shown is an illustration of what may be a type of sage plant. Many types of common herbs were likely taken as a means of birth control in the Middle Ages, but knowledge
Sage as a Contraceptive and Abortificant Read More »
The study of the history of birth control in the Medieval Isalmic world breaks a lot of stereotypes.According to the Islamic tradition recorded in the _Hadith_ (sacred Islamic scriptures accounting the sayings or deeds of the prophet Muhammad), sexual pleasure was something that married women (as well as men) had a right to. Although the
Birth Control, Sex, and Abortion in the Medieval Islamic World Read More »
This week, I am teaming up to do a crossover-post series on fashion statements that made history with my friend (and former student) Katie McGowan! (@katiemaecrochet ) Following is her write-up featuring Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “Dissent” collar.Fashion can be used to express opinions, and no one did that more effectively than the late Supreme Court Justice,
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Her Judicial Collars Read More »
In the second cross-over post for the week, I bring you an analysis of President Nixon’s gray suit that helped him lose the 1960 election to JFK. Katie McGowan wrote up this fashion decision that influenced history:America’s first Presidential debate in 1960 was unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most importantly for giving live faces
Richard Nixon and His Grey Suit Read More »
In this third crossover history post on “fashion statements that made history” with Katie McGowan, I feature one of the most famous beards in history, worn by the Pharoh Hatshepsut, which means “foremost of women.” Yep, you read that right: Hatshepsut dressed in drag.Hatshepsut (c. 1503-1482 BCE) had been wedded to the powerful ruler Thutmose
Queen Hatshepsut and Drag Read More »
On our third crossover post in “fashion statements that made history” with myself and Katie McGowan, I am featuring Joan of Arc and her male attire for battle.Jeanne d’Arc, aka “the Maid of Orleans,” was highly conscientious about the way gender played into her self-perception as the military leader chosen by God to lead the
Joan of Arc – “The Maid of Orleans” Read More »
In the final crossover post this week in “fashion decisions that made history,” by Katie McGowan and myself, I am featuring the fabulously intricate imperial robes called _caftans_ worn by the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire.In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Ottoman Dynasty governed an area around Anatolia (modern Turkey and environs), controlling some
Extravagance of Sultan Caftans of the Ottoman Empire Read More »
Near Big Spring State Park in central Pennsylvania lies the Hemlocks Natural Area. Made up of about 120-acres of rare old-growth forest, the region became a National Natural Landmark in 1972. There, Hemlock trees over 100 feet tall and hundreds of years old grow amidst tulip poplar, black gum, oak, and basswood trees.A small stream
Central Pennsylvania’s Hemlock Natural Area Read More »
