Cursing, Crisis and Customary Knowledge in Early Modern English Townships

• Autore: O'Brien Karen
• Pubblicazione: Cham : , : Springer International Publishing AG, , 2024; ©2023
• Edizione: 1st ed.
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (282 pages)
• Soggetto topico: Witchcraft and sex; Social history in literature
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- Contents -- 1 The Social Context of Cursing and the Cultural Politics of Speech -- Charting the Growth of Interpersonal Dispute Legislation -- Godly Discipline and Female Repression -- Silencing Women: Censoring Female Speech and Conduct -- Why Northwest England Matters: The Importance of Context in Understanding Female Speech Infringement Laws -- Societal Dynamics in the Northwest: Examining Government, Politics, and Conflict -- Government and Politics -- The Significance of Depositions, Petitions, and Letters in Historical Research -- The Policing of Women's Language and Behaviour: Increased Control and Restrictions -- Notes -- 2 Cursing in Early Modern Townships -- Challenging Patriarchy: Women's Verbal Transgressions and Acts of Agency -- Cursing and Customary Knowledge in Social and Historical Context -- The Art of Verbal Healing: Rituals and Practices -- Traditional Wisdom and Healing Practices -- The Use of Herbal Medicine in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries -- Macer's Herbal -- Healing Women's Medical Conditions: Macer's Popular Herbs and Plants -- Cursing and Banning -- Notes -- 3 Spoken Transgression and the Courts -- Punishing Female Speech and Conduct -- Defying the Law: Voices of Agitation in Manorial Court, Portmoot, and Liverpool Town Books -- Casting Spells and Charms: Elizabeth Crackelow and Margaret Linke's Cunning Craft -- Women and Cursing: A Cultural Perspective -- Ellen Pemberton's Curse -- Transgressors: 'Knaves, Whores and Chyders'42 -- The Curse of Joane Elderson -- Unravelling the Tangle of Curses, Grief, and Petitions from 1630 to 1640 -- Notes -- 4 The Interplay of Curses, Social Crisis, and Economic Instability -- Mortality Crisis and Social Structure in Lancashire and Cheshire -- Nantwich Township: Turmoil and Discord -- 'All These Late Warres'22 -- Widows, Orphans, 'Maymed' [sic] Soldiers. ; Poverty and Mortality -- Infant Mortality -- The Turbulent Decade of 1660-1670: A Chronicle of Loss, Hardship, and Curses -- Female Spoken Transgressions and Sexual Activity -- The Curse of Anne Knutsford -- A 'Public Bawd' -- 'Husht, Negative and Averse' -- The Curse -- 'Rivealing the Sicrettes of Women' -- 'Rivealing the Sicrettes': Measures and Countermeasures -- The 'Sicrettes' of the People of Nantwich: Bastards and Paramours -- Bastardy and Richard Walthall's Activities -- 'A Powiful and Ready-Handed Woman': The Vindication of Anne Knutsford, March 1663 -- Notes -- 5 Contextualising Customary Knowledge, Mystical Healing, and Cursing -- Beyond Medicine: Magical Healing, Love Magic, and Spells in Treating Disease -- Cunning Women and Interpersonal Relationships -- The Cultural Significance of Cursing: An Examination of Popular Beliefs -- Sudden Waves of Illness: 'Your Petitioners Humbly Prayeth' -- 'Blesser' and 'Cunning Woman' Mary Shaw -- Petitions and 'Strange and Sudden Diseases' -- Starving and Homeless: 'Your Petitioner Cripell Almost Starved for Want of a Habitation' -- Everyday Remedies for Household Healing -- Remedy, Ritual, and Herbal Medicine: Eliza Cholmondeley's Insight into Traditional Healing Practices -- Unveiling Women's Emotional Struggles through Letters, Petitions, and Testimonies -- 'Throtled into Kindness': The Dark Realities of Interpersonal and Domestic Violence in Early Modern Society -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
• Sommario/riassunto: Karen O'Brien's 'Cursing, Crisis and Customary Knowledge in Early Modern English Townships' explores the social and cultural dynamics of cursing in early modern England, particularly within townships in the Northwest. The book examines the role of cursing as a form of female agency and resistance against patriarchal structures and societal norms. It delves into the historical context of cursing, including its connection to social crises, economic instability, and the legal repercussions faced by women. Additionally, the work investigates traditional healing practices and the cultural significance of curses, reflecting on how these elements intertwined with the everyday lives and beliefs of early modern communities. Intended for scholars and students of history, the book provides insight into lesser-known aspects of witchcraft and magic, broadening the understanding of early modern European beliefs and practices.
• Titolo autorizzato: Cursing, Crisis and Customary Knowledge in Early Modern English Townships
• ISBN: 9783031440458; 3031440455
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910768452403321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
• Serie: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic Series