As some of you might recall, I’m working on this book with a bit of a witch theme. Today I read that during the English witch craze in the 1640s, the Rev. John Gaule recorded that “every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furr’d brow, a hairy lip, a gobber tooth, a squint eye, a squeaking voice, or a scolding tongue … is not only suspected, but pronounced for a witch. “
Okay, conveniently, the stinky old men who hunted and tried these witches, left the pretty, young unwrinkled maidens out of the mix.
It’s interesting to me that the physical characteristics that women of a certain age try to correct with Botox, waxing, fillers, etc are the exact characteristics that once would have identified us as witches. Other red flags identifying witches were the presence of a “familiar” – an animal that the witch talks to and supposedly suckles, then sends forth to perform evil deeds. Now don’t look at me. I certainly don’t suckle my familiars – they were weaned long ago – but I do talk their ears off and why not? They don’t mind my furr’d brow, hairy lip, etc.
Why were men so threatened by aging women for so many centuries? And why do we women still try to prevent ourselves from looking our age, now, when there is little risk of being stoned or burned at the stake for our appearance?
Well all I can say is being English myself and moving over to the states a few years ago, I am glad I was born in 1965! I would have been taken down for sure..
Though at 43 I am considering Botox….. Maybe in my past life I was hunted, and feel the need… yes thats it!
Okay, now I REALLY have to get that gobber tooth taken care of…
Thank goodness I didn’t live in those times. With the dense forrest of follicles that sprouts daily on my chin and upper lip, I wouldn’t be long for the stake. History, the more things change…the more thay stay the same.
Ann, I don’t think we do it any longer for the men in our lives…we do it to live up to, compete with, and get noticed by our same sex. There are still many witches out there hiding behind their botoxed filled, lip injected, silicone implanted, face lifted, wrinkle free ladies! It’s a catty, catty world out there in the suburbs. I understand if your face is your work some people take it too far. And..someone should really tell 40 year olds that they are too old to be shopping in Forever 21! Mini Skirts and belly shirts are not attractive at a certain age, no matter how nice a body you have.
Hi Ann,
wow. that Rev. Gaule had a lot of gall…! My gobbler tooth is aching when I read this…argh!
While there is little risk of being stoned or burned at the stake, society makes it difficult for women to age gracefully. Everyday we are bombarded with products to erase aging and magazine articles giving us advice on how to turn back the clock. Everywhere you turn we are told we need to be thin and stay young. Society loves the young and beautiful! I have been blessed with great skin, and at 50, I don’t look my age, but I still would not put needles in my face and inject chemicals to make me look like someone I am not. And I certainly don’t want any surgical procedures that will end up tightening my face so much it will make me look like my cat!
Cool information Ann…I can’t wait to read your new book!!!
My familiar was weened long ago too, but I have also talk his ear off!! I have yet to do any injections or fillers, because genetically, I’m lucky. Never say never..but I hope to be comfortable enough with my wrinkles and such as I continue to age. We’ll see…
lol!
Being a makeup artist, I see a lot of women who are Witches in Disguise! lol! I myself on the other hand, must be a witch!
Now every client I do makeup on, I’ll secretly be thinking, “You can’t fool me with your smooth, wrinkle-less skin, I’m on to you, you’re a witch!”
Very, very interesting post. Just a theory: because there is an evolutionary drive to reproduce to preserve the species, perhaps the aversion to those of the species that look like they can no longer reproduce is hard-wired (and maybe even subconscious). This is just based on different things that I’ve read–because I have always noticed that the fear/threat of older-looking women does exist and I have also wanted to know the reasons!
I have to say that I love my number 11 in the middle of my forehead. As for trying to look younger,well, no injections for me. You can’t hide your neck after all and that is what gives us older gals away. As long as I am a witch and not the other that begins with a b…. Can’t wait to read your next book, seems like a big departure from the other two.
Jessica beat me to it! … Once women are no longer competing to reproduce with the highest status males, and are no longer of interest to those males, perhaps they are more free to act in their own interest. This becomes a threat to the order established by males, who then look for ways to diminish or eliminate the threat.
Courtney, since you are in the biz, what is a really good face product out there to take the witch out of all of us, winkles, warts, and all. Please share your in the know.
I am so glad you were bold enough to bring up a topic that most people avoid – the suckling of familiars. I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed in a non-threatening atmosphere, and your blog has proved to be the perfect place for that. Thank you. (And thanks for the good laugh again today!)
Ann:
My take on this. Interesting subject.Has been around since the beginning of time (I think).
And no, no danger of being burned at the stake, but reality of being ignored, of losing your grip, of being needed. Being passe.
Erotic capital is power possessed by an individual as a result of his or her sexual attractiveness to others. It is one among other species of capital, including social capital, symbolic capital, and cultural capital. Copied this from somewhere.
aesthetics
a shapely strong body is appealing
an out of shape, flabby, weak one is not.
A young female person falls in love, or in lust, or does the expected thing at this moment. Children come. Children grow. Wife knows the person, put him through college, was running the home, did not have time to focus on her maintenance, aged. She now has needs, no longer willing or able to continue to give of herself into oblivion (hers), complains, maneuvers to make a point.She is no longer lush, all accepting, all smiling, all understanding. She must be a witch.
Men are simpler by far. The shorter X chromosome for one. Yet, their sexual drive remains. He looks around and finds (or bumps into) younger species, who fall for his car, his money, status but he is getting nookie, his stability remains at home, does it and hides it. The younger person is starting at a different point of reference, likes the attention, her mind undeveloped. The older female ‘been there and has the T-shirt’, does not appreciate that and bitches. She must be a witch.
Not to forget that nature is cruel at menopause time for women. And some cry, hot flashes, gravity happens and all at the same time.She must be a witch.
Yet, the older woman is an integral part of the men, some women refuse to accept the demotion, the unhappiness of the unfairness and talks some more, using evil ways. she must be a witch. And in the olden days, things were rougher and burned us at the stake.
For myself, I just want to do something about my double chin. It is not because I want to be LIKE somebody else, it is because it is a’hanging and it messes up my face. And there is a lot of pressure to stop ‘the hands of time’. We are all trying to understand.
Great topic, Ann.
Well, I for one have no fear of growing older, I’m already there-white hair and all.I entertain no idea nor have I ever done anything to my face, teeth, or any other part of my body.
Accept me in my “witchiness”!
Looking forward to your new book.
: )
Ann,
It’s too bad the Rev. John Gaule didn’t get the chance to see a Geritol commercial or meet Jocelyn Wildenstein aka “The Cat Woman.” Perhaps he would have changed his mind about witches.
Christine
This year my daughter and I read Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” and perhaps Gaule’s checklist is why they were all in disguise! ha, ha! How interesting that they believed a young beautiful maid could not possibly be an evil witch. Judging a book by it’s cover for sure.
I don’t think that men have always been threatened by aging women. They were usually threatened by the unmarried old ones. Witches were aged women not subjected to men, not married (because they were married with the devil), or widow or prostitutes. Many were young and pretty, but heretical. So they were not “true” women, and men were frightened by those: a woman couldn’t live witouth a man. Christian religion has always explained that the plan of God is the family, a man and a devoted and quiet woman, and a witch is not fallowing this plan, in fact she contrasts it and was the enemy to fight, because of her magic practices and difference.
The reason is to be researched into the bad interpretation of the fallowing verse:
Do not allow a sorceress to live. (Exodus 22:18)
Confirmed by this one:
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(John 15:6)
But when Jesus arrived abolished the severe Law of the Old Testament and replaced it with the Grace, so no more sacrifices. Then, it’s useless to say that in the past the Catholic Church has never fallowed the Christian teachings of love and mercy.
The fact that we women try to look younger, when we get older, I don’t think that has a lot to do with this witches history, but it has an old anthropological reason: men have always preferred younger women because they are fertile, so maybe we have this unconscious fear to lose them for a younger woman. Instead the witches were not interested to be loved by men, as they were involved in malefic things, and so they didn’t care about their appearance. This could be a reason.
There is an old proverb in Abruzzo dialect that say:
La fémmèn a 50 ann,
jèttel a lu mare ng’ tutte le pann
That means:
When a woman reaches the age 50,
you can throw her into the sea with all her clothing
It doesn’t sound funny translated into English because it loses its rhyme
Your responses have all made me laugh – especially Angela’s about the much neglected topic of suckling familiars. Really, let’s come out from behind closed doors.
I prefer to look at myself as a bottle of fine wine….Better with age.
Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I need to get the trowel to apply my makeup.
Not gonna touch this one…no way, no how.
I am laughing at Alan’s post!!!
The Witch from Rodmell
I once met a witch from Rodmell,
Who screamed like a bat out of hell.
She jumped on to her broom,
And flew out of the room -
I only asked her how to spell!
Anonymous.
“come here my pretty….”hee hee
Lupe
I have so many “familiars” that I talk too..they are wonderfully patient, understanding and keep ALL my secrets!
I have no plans for botox, etc…….but I never say never
Compare the more visible ladies – Sally Field vs Joan Rivers……JR is starting to look like the CAT WOMAN! Sally is aging gracefully and looks wonderful.
Love the topic Ann, you bring so much to the table for all of us to think about and share.
Thanks so much!
I don’t know guys………I think plastic surgery is the snappiest thing since rubber bands. For me – there is something about hitting that wall that makes me do something about it.
I’m on both sides of the fence here. I suckled two familiars (past the 12 month mark) and did Restylane under my eyes when I turned 40 two years ago. I have no regrets about either choice.
Wendy–I laughed out loud at your post–just as I finished my tweezing and waxing !!! So much fun…I guess I too am a witch deep down.
Oooh, having suckled my familiars in tandem (I had twin familiars) could my wrinkles be a byproduct of actually being de-juiced? Dehydrated?
Hysterical post, Ann…as always.
Have never believed women try to look good for men. As a whole, women in general look good to men. We’re a competitive, ever-comparing gender. At the Great Wolf Lodge waterpark with the family a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t see the men comparing back hair and paunch, but the women were CLEARLY sizing up each other’s thighs, bellies and booties. We’re wicked. Maybe there are witches amongst us?
Rose W. I’m with you, like fine wine with a trowel, lol!
A few years back when I had to do a speech for a speech class I HAD to take, I did it on the Salem Witch Hunt. I sure learned alot about just how extensive that was. What made me so utterly angry was how a judges were allowed to use any deceit necessary to extract a confession from a suspected “witch”. All in all, I discovered that at the minimum, 50,000 females had been accused and murdered throughout Europe for being witches. Who knows what happened in other countries and additional numbers…horribly sad! Here’s a link to a website that has some authentic historical information about the witch hunts: http://witchhunthistory.com/witchhunthistory.html
And just in case anyone is interested, I had to watch this youtube clip of a Scottish lady, Susan Boyle, who appeared on the British version of American Idol, “I’ve Got Talent” after hearing so much about it on the news. Here’s a link to the video clip…if anyone hasn’t seen this yet, please take a moment to watch it. This lady pretty much had the whole place thinking more or less that anyone who physically looks like her can’t possibly have any talent or anything much else. Her performance totally blew me away, as well as my husband who never watches that stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Jane, I’m so glad you posted the link to the Susan Boyle video. Love her. She’s never been kissed, the dear. I was a little appalled at all the eye rolling about her age. She’s 47, not 90 for crying out loud.
So true Ann…thanks for your comments:-) I admit that I was choking back tears while I was watching this. Yeah she showed them alright! And doesn’t she have a great personality?? Love her!