Ep 19: The Black Death & the beginning of Witch hunting

A Woman's Place Ireland

In the 19th episode of A Woman's Place we discuss how Women/Witches are to blame for the misfortunes of mankind, especially disease. We take you back to the Black Death in Europe in 1346 and document how one of the most traumatic events in European history led to the witch hunts just two centuries later.

Sorcha talks you through some of the Religious elements, including the two popes that kept excommunicating each other, as well as painting the picture of what the environment was like between the periods of the Black Death in the 1300s and witch hunting in the 1500s.

Links to the stories mentioned in the podcast include Dr. Shi Zhengli aka 'Bat Woman'

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/14/world/asia/china-covid-wuhan-lab-leak.html

The story of Typhoid Mary

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/typhoid-mary-the-irishwoman-blamed-for-bringing-a-deadly-disease-to-new-york-1.4210229

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/23/882115755/theres-something-about-mary?t=1629972336921

Two black Australian women who broke lockdown and were persecuted for doing so:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-31/racism-directed-at-women-charged-with-coronavirus-border-fraud/12510910

Books and Articles:

Plague and Persecution: The Black Death and Early Modern Witch-Hunts

https://dra.american.edu/islandora/object/1011capstones%3A96/datastream/PDF/view

“Fearless Wives and Frightened Shrews”

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