Liz Davies, Curator at St Neots Museum, will explain how our ancestors tried to understand the world around them before industrial revolution and the development of modern scientific theories.
The talk, part of Wysing’s lively and varied autumn events programme, continues the overarching theme of Convention T – a reference to logician Alfred Tarksi and the exploration of how systems and structures can be applied to uncover meaning, narrative and paradox.
Between 6.30 to 8pm on Thursday October 3 Liz will discuss the history of the witches of Huntingdonshire, including the famous cases in Warboys in the 1590s and Great Paxton in 1808, while also giving an account of the folk medicine practice that was current in the area.
Liz said: “There was a very strong belief in witchcraft in this area and this was reflected in the great interest in folk medicine. The two things are very closely related.
“One of the main reasons for a belief in witchcraft in the past was because people couldn’t explain illness. So for example, in the case in Great Paxton, the girl who became ill was actually epileptic and that wasn’t at all well understood all that time ago and that was why her parents thought she had been bewitched.”
The talk will also touch on how success with natural remedies, such as digitalis (found in foxgloves), encouraged other more outlandish practices, including lucky charms and cooked mouse.
Liz added: “For example, things that were a particular shape were thought to help an injury that had a similar shape. So if you’ve got arthritic hands, maybe if you carry around a mole’s paw, which is slightly crabbed-looking, there is a sympathetic magic that would help to protect you.”
The event is free and no prior booking is needed.
Wysing Arts Centre, Fox Road, Bourn, Cambridge, CB23 2TX
www.wysingartscentre.org tel 01954 718881
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For further information please contact:
Matthew Gaw, External Relations Manager, Wysing Arts Centre
01954 717108 [email protected]
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Witchcraft explored at Wysing
2 October 2013
The magical power of moles, hares and cooked mice will be uncovered in a talk tomorrow evening, charting the region’s rich history of myth and witchcraft at Wysing Arts Centre.