Thursday, March 29, 2018

Beliefs About Illness




What We Used To Believe


Every now and then we like to explore ‘old world’ remedies for illness. These folkways are fascinating reminders of how we all strive to understand our bodies. There were very real life-threatening concerns about threats to our wellbeing. This was all part of our efforts to cure what ailed us.
So here are a few interesting tidbits:

How Night Air Spread Diseases like Black Death

Back in the Middle ages, it was believed that bad air came from the decay of organic matter. People believed this foulness was more free-floating at night, especially for those who lived near swampy areas. The cure was to stay indoors at night with doors and windows tightly shut.

Epilepsy as Divine Visitation

Divine visits from the gods and goddesses of early Greece were believed to be the cause of epilepsy. The Greeks referred to this sacred disease as being neither a good or bad one. The quality of the visit was dependent upon the symptoms. For example, if during a seizure one screamed like a horse, the visit was thought to be from Poseidon who ruled the sea, earthquakes and horses.

Mental Illness and Witchcraft

Witch or wizard curses were the cause of mental illness, according to Medieval folkways. The most common medieval treatment was exorcism which was supposed to rid the person of the curse and/or demonic possession. During the Renaissance, burning the body to free the imprisoned soul was a common treatment.
Today we can laugh at these beliefs, right?
One can only imagine how future generations will look upon some of our medical lore. Perhaps they will wonder how it was we thought an apple a day, glass of wine nightly, or sleep tablets could help us set the world right.


Thursday, March 8, 2018

Admirable Suffragists


Two Women Who Misbehaved

Many women are to be commended for their work as suffragists. These brave, future thinking people took to the streets to march for the right to vote. Because of them we have the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, that right was not fully extended to all American women until the 1960’s when, at last, African American women could vote.While there are many we owe a debt of gratitude to, here is a brief look at two of these folk heroines.

Mary Church Terrell

The daughter of former slaves, Terrell was the first African-American women to study at Oberlin College in Ohio. She earned a college degree in 1884 and went on to earn a master’s degree. Afterwards, she became the first African-American woman appointed to a school board. 

She was challenged by the fact that most national women’s organizations excluded African-American women. At a speech before the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1904, she said, “My sisters of the dominant race, stand up not only for the oppressed sex, but also for the oppressed race!”

Her credits include becoming a charter member of the NAACP and opposing Jim Crow laws by suing a Washington restaurant for refusing to serve African-American customers.

Elizabeth Freeman

Freeman was no stranger to law enforcement encounters that led to many arrests. She was adept at turning those unsavory experiences into media opportunities.  She was creative in her strategies as she worked with suffrage groups across the country.

Her strategies included speaking at public events, such as movie houses. Well-thought out tactics also included driving a wagon through Ohio. Stopping in every town along the way, she passed out literature and spoke to those who gathered. In some instances, she attracted listeners by dressing as a gypsy.

To learn more about these and other women, click here


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