Familiar things, like household accounts, can be the only traces that can lead us to the everyday lives of women in previous centuries. For author Stacey Halls, domestic records painted a detailed picture of 17th century life. In 1660, a pregnant woman named Alice Thornton had a dream in which the white sheet she slept […]
Be Afraid. Be Just a Little Bit Afraid
What is it that fascinates us about Halloween? Why have we, even over here in sensible old Britain, so readily embraced the whole spook-fest? Is it the chance to wear day-glow orange? The opportunity to Come To Work As A Goth for a day? The dubious thrill of sending our children out into the streets […]
Broomsticks and Orgies
‘When did witches start to fly?’ a reader asked me after the Harrogate History Festival. Good question! Until the 16th century, witchcraft was not a crime unless it caused injury or death. The community needed witches who could calm storms or banish pests from crops. Early writers on witchcraft didn’t mention the infamous witches’ sabbat. […]