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wonder-worker · 3 months

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what did cicely neville do in edward iv's reign?

Hi! Cecily’s entire role during Edward IV’s reign is too long and complex to fully get into right now, so this is just going to be a very brief overview. It’s also not going to touch on her relationship with her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, even though that's somewhat relevant here in some aspects, because that’s also too complex and speculatory.

Ironically, despite the Duke of York’s claims to kingship, it was only after his death and during her widowhood that Cecily Neville truly emerged as a “quasi-queen”. After her son Edward IV had been acclaimed as King in London, and before he left for Towton with the other lords, he summoned the mayor and “all the notables of London” to gather and “recommended them to the duchess his mother”. During his absence, Cecily would preside over his household in Baynard Castle and was probably meant to act as his representative of sorts in the city. After his kingship was more firmly established, Cecily primarily resided at Westminster with him from 1461-64 and regularly accompanied him on several ceremonial and political occasions, such as their visit to Canterbury where she was magnificently welcomed. She also appears to have had a great deal of personal and political influence with her son: Nicholas O’Flanagan, the contemporary Bishop of Elpin, observed in the first few years of Edward IV's reign, his mother could “rule the king as she pleases.”

Cecily’s role demonstrably changed after Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville in 1464. She remained the second-highest ranked woman in the country, but she took a significant step back from high politics (a la Joan of Kent after her son’s marriage to Anne of Bohemia). That does not mean that either of them suddenly became apolitical or uninvolved: quite the opposite*. Cecily remained the head of a large household, her administration supported her son’s, she continued to support a few religious institutions, she engaged in trade, she launched court cases, and she clearly inspired loyalty among her affinity. All of this was fairly standard for a medieval noblewoman, but was naturally enhanced by Cecily’s own prominent royal status. Cecily was godmother to at least three of the royal children: Elizabeth of York, her namesake Cecily, and the youngest child, Bridget. She also played a role in reconciling her son George to the Yorkist cause in 1471, though she did not have the spearheading role which has often been erroneously credited to her by historians (ie: “engineering peace between her warring sons”); instead, it was her daughters Anne and Margaret who took the leading role in achieving the reconciliation, while Cecily probably aided them. She was also clearly perceived to be influential with Edward IV, best evidenced by how the mayors of Norwich petitioned her to aid them against the Duke of Suffolk in 1480, though we don’t actually know the result of Cecily’s intervention to judge whether it succeeded or how effective it was**. Regardless, though, she evidently had a much lower national profile during these years.

(On a more personal level, we also have a very sweet anecdote from Elizabeth Stonor who spoke of a meeting between Cecily and Edward in October 1476 at Greenwich: 'and ther I sawe the metyng betwyne the Kynge and my ladye his Modyr. And trewly me thowght it was a very good syght’.)

Cecily’s numerous titles are also interesting. Immediately after Edward IV’s ascension, she called herself “the Kyngs Moder, Duchess of York”. Variations of the title included references to her late husband, but she primarily defined herself in relation to her son, through whom her current position and power derived. As Laynesmith says: "narrative accounts, particularly chronicles, had naturally used the phrase ‘the king’s mother’ to describe women in the past, especially Joan of Kent. However, it was Cecily who turned this into a specific title in her letters and on her seals." A few months after Edward's marriage was announced, Cecily adopted a new title, now styling herself as: “By the ryghtful enheritors Wyffe late of the Regne off Englande & of Fraunce & off ye lordschyppe off yrlonde, the kynges mowder ye Duchesse of Yorke.” This referenced the Yorkist perception of her husband, Richard Duke of York, who was called the "true and indubitable heir" of England. In 1477, a herald for the wedding of her grandson Richard of Shrewsbury styled Cecily as “the right high and excellent Princesse and Queene of right, Cicelie, Mother to the Kinge”. This was once again linked to her husband’s status: Cecily described him in her letters as “in right King of England and of France and lord of Ireland”. All in all, Cecily’s various designations appear to have been designed to signify her own importance within the regime, to uphold the claim of her late husband, and to strengthen Edward IV’s position by promoting him as the son of the supposedly rightful heir. It’s also very possible, as Laynesmith has suggested, that “it was as her queenly power diminished [after the early 1460s] that her claims to queenship were more elaborately emphasized in wax and on parchment”.

Cecily’s role and prominence, and how it changed overtime, is best demonstrated by the number of times English subjects offered prayers for her soul in return for grants. Between June 1461 and September 1464, there are twelve instances of grants made to people who offered prayers for her. (To compare, during the first three years of Elizabeth Woodville's queenship, there were sixteen grants of the same type. So, Cecily didn't quite reach the level of the queen, but she came close; it was quintessential "quasi-queenship"). However, mentions of Cecily dramatically deceased following Edward IV's marriage: over the next 19 years till 1483, she is only mentioned five times, and in all cases Elizabeth Woodville was also listed before she was. Three of these mentions are in 1465, likely reflecting contemporary unease with her son's controversial marriage and the perceived unsuitable origins of the new queen. After that, however, Cecily is mentioned only twice: once in 1476 and once in 1481, with the latter being a grant to her own son-in-law Thomas St. Leger***. This fits well with what I mentioned above about her quasi-queenship in the early 1460s, followed by a much more reduced role and lower national profile in the future years.

Hope this helps!

*Oddly, Cecily is not mentioned at all in contemporary reports for her daughter Margaret’s wedding. Laynesmith believes that she was unwell, and that may as well be true, but Margaret's celebrations went on for a great period of time and it does seem conspicuous that Cecily was entirely absent from them all. It's also worth noting that a letter from the Milanese ambassador Giovanni Pietro Panicharolla on the marriage wrote that "the king, the queen, her father, and the king's brothers are all disposed to it" (sidenote: it's VERY interesting that the queen's father is mentioned before the king's own brothers and male heirs) but made no mention of Cecily. Nor, iirc, was she mentioned in the tournament held to celebrate Anglo-Burgundian relations. It does clearly seem as though Cecily did not play a notable role in the marriage, and relevant diplomacy, at all. (Laynesmith's claim that Cecily had "helped lay the ground for" the marriage because she *checks notes* dispatched both her sons to Burgundy in middle of a civil war 7 years earlier, with many fluctuations in Anglo-Burgundian relations in between, is, I'm sorry to say, nonsense). ** Laynesmith believes that "Cecily’s intervention to control Suffolk perhaps marked a turning point in the duke’s violent career because when he resorted to force again the following summer his victim successfully reclaimed the manor from which he had personally ejected her." I think that Laynesmith is being far too assumptive and that we don’t even know the result of Cecily’s intervention in 1480 to somehow credit her with entirely different case one year later that did not even involve her, lol. ***Even more oddly, Cecily’s own son Richard didn’t include her among the list for who to offer prayers for in his college in Middleham in 1478. This was despite the fact that he had included Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, his wife Anne, his sisters, his dead brothers and his dead father. It’s incredibly striking, and I wonder what could have happened to cause her exclusion, especially since she was included in religious foundations by both Edward and her son-in-law Thomas St. Leger? Laynesmith claims that "this rather suggests that Richard's own piety was not consciously influenced by hers", and sure, that seems obvious, but it certainly can't have been the only reason. Was she merely overlooked (unlikely), or did they have a quarrel at the time, or was it for another now-unknown reason? Whatever the case, it's a small but intriguing detail to me.

Sources:

"Cecily, Duchess of York" by J.L. Laynesmith

"A Paper Crown: The Titles and Seals of Cecily, Duchess of York" by J.L. Laynesmith (The Ricardian)

"Cecily Neville: Mother of Kings" by Amy License

#ask #cecily neville duchess of york #edward iv #english history #cecily neville #my post #queue

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sjsmith56 · 9 months

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How I Really Feel About You

Summary: Bucky’s writer girlfriend moves into the Tower with him. He questions her about her love for Jane Austen’s novels, specifically Pride and Prejudice. For the next movie night he insists they watch Bridget Jones’s Diary and Pride and Prejudice. His reaction and the reaction of the other Avengers surprises her. First person POV.

Length: 3.25K

Characters: Bucky, unnamed OFC, Sam Wilson, Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop

Warnings: Imagine Bucky walking across the field as Mr. Darcy (sigh), implied smut.

Author’s notes: I love Pride and Prejudice and while watching the movie again envisioned Bucky Barnes as Mr. Darcy. This is the result.

The movers were scheduled to arrive the following day and I still had so much to pack for my move to the Avengers Tower. After a year of dating when Bucky Barnes, current Avenger and my boyfriend, finally asked me to move in with him into a larger apartment, I said yes. He was everything I ever wanted in a man; just old-fashioned enough to treat me with courtesy and respect, but modern enough not to be threatened by my career that took me away every so often on research trips as I flew around the world, becoming familiar with places I would write about in my novels. Sometimes, he even came with me for a time, or met me there after finishing his own mission. There wasn’t much writing done during those times but his presence certainly added to the romance of those locations, which always made its way into my books.

Being drop dead gorgeous didn’t hurt either, as I still couldn’t believe this man with the body of a god and the face of an angel, had eyes only for me. I could spend a lot of time listing off my own perceived deficits, but Bucky didn’t want to hear them from anyone’s lips. In his eyes, I was perfect, beautiful even when I was on a tear while writing, had bloodshot eyes and stringy hair, while wearing my sweatpants that were a little too tight, so my muffin top was visible. Maybe it was part of his being a 1940s man, but he seemed to like a little padding on a woman’s body, and he certainly liked mine.

Right now, he was helping me finish packing for the move, something I had procrastinated about for several weeks as I finished a final draft of my latest novel before sending it to my editor for fine-tuning. He offered to pack my bookcases, filled with my eclectic and diverse collection of books, memorabilia, and knickknacks, doing a good job until he came to the last one.

“How many different versions and souvenirs of Pride and Prejudice do you need?” Bucky asked.

He was standing in front of what I called “The Shrine,” my collection of all things related to Jane Austen’s masterpiece. It included several different collector book editions; a hardcover one, in dark brown leather with gold gilded letters, a cloth bound edition in red with silver lettering, a special illustrated hardcover edition with protective sleeve and my paperback edition that I actually used to read whenever I felt the need to resume my acquaintance with my favourite title. There were DVDs of all the movie and television versions, including the special collector’s edition of the BBC/PBS series starring Colin Firth, and Jennifer Ehle. Then there were the literary texts about Pride and Prejudice, followed by the knickknacks, souvenirs, and the photo album with the photographs of the various actors that I always took with me to comic cons, premieres and any other occasion where I might run into one of said stars, in the hopes of getting their autographs. It was my obsession and until Bucky started packing the individual items into boxes, I don’t think he realized how much I loved the book, the series, and the movies that I couldn’t watch enough times.

“Says the man with a bookcase full of Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books and the DVDs,” I replied from the linen closet. “But I’m fine with that because I know you love them and they’re good books, good movies, and your Gandalf action figure is pretty cool.”

He appeared in the hallway, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed. His face was so serious and for a moment I wondered if he was offended that I brought up his own obsession. From the floor I looked up at him.

“What?” I asked.

“How come you’ve never asked me to watch any of the movies?” he asked. “I know you’ve seen all of the Tolkien movies. Yet, you’ve always saved your Pride and Prejudice movies for girls’ night. Is there something I should know? Are they like Bridgerton and you watch them for the sex scenes?”

“No, there are no sex scenes in Pride and Prejudice although I’m sure there is a porn version somewhere if I Google it.” I shuddered. “I would hate to think what they would do with it. Have you never read it?”

His eyes rolled. “Of course, I’ve read it, well some of it,” he clarified. “What’s the big deal?”

“What do you know about Jane Austen and the times in which she wrote?” I countered.

“Not much,” he admitted. “Enlighten me.”

I stood up as this required my full attention. “She was born in 1775, one of eight children of a clergyman,” I replied, knowing the famous author’s background well. “Well educated, she was also born into a social structure that saw a woman of her status as suitable only to be the wife of a gentleman, and mother of his children. Most marriages of the time were arranged, although her parents were a love match, and a woman was considered the property of her husband. The only women who worked for a living were in the working class. If a higher-class woman had to work because of circumstances it was seen as a drop in her social status, as governess was likely one of the few suitable jobs for her. Jane Austen began writing as a child but by the time she wrote her first published novel in 1811 it is known she had been engaged once but changed her mind and never seemed to be involved with anyone after. It doesn’t mean she wasn’t; it just was never made public. Yet her stories of life for a woman in her social sphere gave a real insight into the pressure women had to marry well, and not necessarily marry for love. Most of her heroines did just the opposite, marrying for love.”

“She didn’t write about sex at all?” asked Bucky, puzzled.

“She didn’t have to,” I explained. “It’s referred to in very genteel terms. A character in Pride and Prejudice runs off with a man who has no intention of marrying her, and although it’s not said that they did the deed, they refer to her ruination, and how that will affect the marriage chances of her sisters. In another novel, there is a reference to a teenage girl who runs off with a man, is discarded by him, and finds herself pregnant after. Because he’s a gentleman, and of a higher status than her, his standing is considered more important than hers. She’s the guilty party even though he sweet talked her into bedding with him.”

“I would have kicked his ass,” said Bucky, his face set in stone. “Talking a young woman into sex then leaving her behind with his child. Too many guys like that even in my time.”

Running my arms around his muscular middle I squeezed him hard until his face softened and he kissed me. He was my knight in shining armour with his still strong belief in how men should treat women.

“There were plenty that would but rich, handsome men of a certain status in those days often took advantage of sweet young girls that they saw as objects to satisfy their desires,” I replied. “It’s a universal truth even now, and Jane Austen was well aware of it. That’s why there have been so many versions of it in both books and movies.”

“How many books did she write?”

“Six major novels, all of them adapted into movies or TV series. There are many shorter novels, I don’t quite remember the number and one of them called Lady Susan was turned into a hilarious movie called Love and Friendship.” I placed my hand on his cheek. “Would you do me a favour and read Pride and Prejudice all the way through? Then, when I’m moved in with you, we’ll watch the most recent movie together. It’s a good adaptation, although it cuts out a lot, but it brings some aspects to the story that I like, and we can talk about the differences. Then someday, maybe on a rainy day, when I’m not writing, and you’re not on a mission we can binge watch the BBC series. It is the definitive version and delves so well into the characters. It’s what made me fall in love with Jane Austen’s writing, and certainly pointed me in the direction of writing as a career.”

That beautiful smile of Bucky’s broke out and he tilted his head at my admission. Ever since we met, and he found out I was a writer, he had often shared his admiration of those who lived by the creation of the written word. Of course, his favourite author was J.R.R. Tolkien, but he was also open to many others, and we often spent time on the couch reading together. One of us would be on their back with their feet or head on the lap of the other; it was interchangeable who was where. It was one of the many things I loved about James Buchanan Barnes, that he considered reading an important part of his life.

A week later, I was completely moved into the large apartment in the Avengers Tower. We had three bedrooms, one for us with our own ensuite, one for guests, as my family liked to visit New York at least once a year, and one to use as my writing office. We had a large living / dining area with a kitchen, although we took most of our meals in the communal kitchen with the other Avengers, some with spouses and significant others. Sam had just made a big pot of jambalaya, and everyone was crowded around with a bowl, eager to get some of the culinary treat.

“So, movie night tonight?” asked Kate Bishop as she walked away with her full bowl. “I’m feeling like we need some action movies.”

“Pride and Prejudice,” stated Bucky. “I want to watch it and then watch Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

Sam nearly spit out his drink and I threw a kitchen towel at him. He grinned at Bucky, ready to unleash his wit on him.

“You want to watch some chick flicks? The human cyborg, former Terminator, the Tin Man wants to watch a couple of romance movies?”

“Asks the man who hasn’t had a girlfriend in how long? Maybe you’ll learn something.”

Bucky didn’t even look at Sam when he said it. But you know when two guys are sizing each other up in the school yard and they begin with low level insults then one says something that the other can’t respond to? We were at that point. If Sam’s skin was lighter toned, I’m sure he would have been blushing. Everyone watched the two of them to see what would be said next. Bucky looked Sam in the eye, almost daring him to say something.

“Alright, White Panther, we’ll watch them,” said Sam. “I’m sure they will both be very informative on how to get a girlfriend. The bigger deal is how to keep one.”

Bucky put his arm around me and with a shit-eating grin looked at Sam. “I seem to be managing quite well in that department as well. Don’t I, Darling?”

I grinned at Sam then gave Bucky a long kiss. “You’re a wonderful boyfriend. Why don’t we watch the Bridget Jones movie first then watch the source material second.” I looked at all the others. “Everyone has to watch both movies. If I have to watch all of the Fast and Furious movies, you can watch two versions of Pride and Prejudice.”

I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting everyone to laugh so much at the Bridget Jones version. They especially seemed to enjoy the fight scene between Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver, hilariously critiquing the fighting styles. By the time the movie ended even Sam admitted he had been mildly entertained.

“Take it,” whispered Bucky. “It’s likely all he’ll admit to.”

“What about you?” I asked, quietly. “What did you think?”

“I gained some insights into modern dating that I could have used before I met you,” he said, as he gazed into my eyes. “Maybe I wouldn’t have floundered so much. The double standards certainly haven’t changed from the 1940s.”

We kissed as Kate brought up Pride and Prejudice in the TV menu, noting there was a movie version and a series version. As she looked at the series information, she recognized Colin Firth from the Bridget Jones movie.

“Wait, he played Mr. Darcy in two different versions of the story?” she asked. “Maybe we should watch the series.”

“That’s a whole rainy day of watching that you would have to commit to,” I stated. “It’s more faithful to the original book and it’s best viewed with others who want to watch it with you. The movie is a good adaptation and there is a scene near the end that should take your breath away. If it doesn’t then perhaps Jane Austen isn’t for you.”

“Who’s Jane Austen?” she asked.

“The woman who wrote the original book in 1813,” interjected Bucky. “You should read it.”

I wanted to kiss him again for that. With a shrug she queued up the start of the movie and everyone went to the bathroom, refilled their drinks, and restocked their popcorn and candy. Then Kate started the movie and I let myself become immersed in it.

“He’s hot,” I could hear someone whisper, when Matthew MacFadyen first appeared as Mr. Darcy.

“Isn’t she on Yellowstone?” Someone else asked that when Kelly Reilly appeared as Caroline Bingley.

“Shhh,” was the answer and I inwardly grinned.

When Mr. Collins arrived, there were groans at how awkward and clueless he was.

“Reminds me of some guys I grew up with,” deadpanned Kate, then she yelped when Yelena elbowed her to keep quiet as she leaned forward, taking in everything.

There were some comments at the incredible music score, which I had the CD for, as well as a digital version on my playlist. Finally, we got to the scene between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine. There were whispers of “Bitch” at Judy Dench’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy’s aunt. When Elizabeth sent the old woman on her way I settled back, knowing that my absolute favourite part of the movie was coming. Sure enough, there was Lizzie walking in the early morning mist in her nightgown and housecoat. Intellectually I knew it was highly unlikely the daughter of a gentleman would do that but visually and romantically I could feel the emotions in the scene when she turned to see Mr. Darcy walking towards her in the same mist, his overcoat flaring out as he walked, his chest partially visible through the open top of his shirt. His manly stride was just … perfect.

“Damn,” Sam’s voice was loud enough that I almost giggled.

Several audible exhaled breaths showed the scene had hit the mark and I looked up to see Bucky watching the TV screen intently. There wasn’t even a kiss between the characters while they were silhouetted in the morning sunrise, just them touching their foreheads together. It was magic. When the final scene ended, and the credits began to roll I started to turn around then felt Bucky’s face next to my ear.

“That was good,” he whispered. “We’re going to our room right now.”

Before I could respond he pulled me up and practically dragged me down the long hallway to our apartment where he pressed into me against the wall, kissing me feverishly. It wasn’t until we were both laying on the messy bed after, our legs splayed across each other, that he finally said something about the movie.

“I never knew how romantic it was,” he said, then he shook his head. “It’s not even that. They were so constrained by the morals of the time and the expectations to marry at or above your station, but all of their desires just raged under the surface.” He sighed. “That part at the end when Mr. Darcy comes out of the mist. Did you hear all the gasps? Even Sam was affected. I know that it was in the script but it just ….”

His voice trailed off and I lifted my head, propping it up on my hand as I gazed at him, while running my fingers over his chest.

“Do you remember when we met?” I asked. “I was driving all night to get to New York, and I had the flat tire. There I was, out on the highway, in the dark, the fog coming in and not a vehicle in sight. There was no cell service, and I couldn’t even get the first lug nut off the flat tire.” He raised himself to look at me, propping his head up on his hand and gently caressing my arm with his other hand. “Then out from the dark there you were, dressed all in black in your combat gear, your rifle slung over your shoulder. I should have been afraid, but you just strode right to me and looked at the flat tire.”

“It’s not safe for you here,” he stated. “That’s what I said, isn’t it? I remember. Somehow you had suffered a flat tire right in the middle of our stakeout and I just wanted to get you to safety.”

“Every time I see that scene of Mr. Darcy walking through the mist I’m taken back to that night when you helped a lady in distress. You walked me back to the quinjet and told me to stay there until you were all done with your stakeout. When you had your suspects, you changed the tire and strode through the mist just before dawn to get me. It’s how I really feel about you, Bucky. You’re my Mr. Darcy, in the flesh, except we liked each other from the start. We didn’t have to get through our prejudices to find out that we belonged together.”

“That makes you my Lizzie Bennett, doesn’t it?” He smiled. “My beautiful, smart, incredible girlfriend.”

We slept in each other’s arms, secure in the certainty that we were meant for each other. In the morning, after a quick shower, we headed out to the kitchen and found everyone else already up. As Bucky poured us each a coffee, Yelena came up to us and gestured out the window.

“It’s a rainy day,” she said bluntly. “Perhaps we can watch the miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. You did say it is more faithful to the original book.”

I looked at all the others, who had obviously delegated Yelena to the task of getting our participation. Even Sam was there, looking a little sheepish. But she was right. It was a rainy day and the episodes, if we ran them without interruption would take over 5 ½ hours to watch. There were perhaps better ways to spend the day but to me, there weren’t many. Bucky heated up several breakfast sandwiches for himself while I grabbed a muffin, some yogurt, a banana and a coffee. We settled into a spot on the sofa, as did everyone else. Then Yelena started the playback, the lights dimmed, and we all lost ourselves into the life of a Regency family with five unmarried daughters once again.

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captain-lafi · 5 days

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INFODUMP (tw: death):

Salem Witch Trials!! Okay!! Okay!! So!!! Witches!! Spotted?? Salem, Massachusetts!! 1692-1693!!! Started with three women accused of being witches!! One slave (Tituba), one poor woman (Sarah Good), and one older woman (Sarah Osborne)!!

Tituba was a slave owned by Samuel Parris. She confessed to witchcraft after being accused, but didn’t get hanged due to her no longer being a threat, so instead she was kept in prison till May 9th of 1673, and once she was released she ran away with her husband. After that, she was never heard of again.

Sarah Good was a poor beggar, she was married and had a daughter, she was also pregnant. She gave birth in prison, but her child died, then Good was hanged. Her daughter (four years old), Dorothy Good, was also accused of witchcraft, and was sent to prison for around seven or eight months. Her father worked very hard to bail her out, but due to their poor financial status it took a while to make the money. After being arrested at such a young age, not much is known about Dorothy’s life later on. Some people assume she went insane.

Sarah Osborne was accused, and also hanged. I don’t know as much about her.

The first person killed in the trials was Bridget Bishop, and she was hanged on June 10th, 1692. I also don’t know much about her.

The trials ended in May of 1693. But, not before 25 people had been killed, and over 200 had been accused.

And, opposed to common belief, accused witches were not actually burned in Salem. Instead, they were hanged or stoned (only one person). Being stoned was having stones placed on you till you died.

Kind of scattered, but I hope this makes sense. :’)

Reminds me of last night when me and Winter were watching Scamilton and we kept on saying things like "BLASPHEMY" and "BURN THE WITCH" 😭

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grogusmum · 2 years

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Seven Tears part 5

SELKIE!EZRA X F!READER

W/C: 2800ish

SERIES SUMMARY: Months after being abandoned, she does something rash and summons a selkie, who wishes to bring her comfort and maybe more.

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Pearl and Ezra move to Rón Inis. Pearl learns there that her selkie love has his own past.

WARNING: Olde Timey gender norms and sexism, mentions of spouse abandonment,though set in Ireland, and Ireland's predominantly white, Reader is physically undescribed, as are her blood relatives, her missing spouse and his family are white, church nonsense and fisticuffs, food, reader is pregnant, Ezra is a selkie, yes, it deserves its own warning. Excessive use of pet names.

(as always see something say something. please let me know in my DMs if there is a warning I missed)

NOTES: I thought that we were coming to he end of our story, but I was surprised to find out I was wrong. There is more to tell, and more selkie myth I really wanted to include. So I hope you are interested in several more chapters. Happy birthday, Kindred! Enjoy💚

Swept Away

Part 1

Part 4

M'fhíorghrá my true love

Gaeilge translation

A ghrá love

Sláinte health or cheers

A stór my treasure

Rón Inis Island of Seals

Deirdre and Felicia are in the kitchen, Thomas and Patrick in the back bringing wood in when Ezra gives a knock as he walks in the door. Hugh, your younger brother was on the couch with you, both seemingly occupied by the crossword puzzle in the evening paper. Hugh looks very much like an Irish setter who sits on their owner's feet when feeling protective. Ezra smiles at the scene in the parlor, the smells of a roast and potatoes, the fire crackling. He, of course, brings with him the smell of the sea.

You look up and extract yourself from the afghan on your lap and Hugh, handing him the paper. You pull Ezra by his jacket toward the fire to warm him up.

“Alright, Ezra?” Hugh asks.

“Just so,” Ezra smiles and then wraps his arms around you, quietly in your ear, “are you alright, moonbeam?”

“I am,” you murmur, “now.”

“Suppers on the table,” Felica calls.

While everyone eats, you tell them what happened, Ezra squeezes your hand under the table occasionally, then Deirdre and Patrick tell their tales of the visit to St Bridget's and with Colin.

The stories are interrupted periodically by different members of the Brennan Clan when emotions run high.

“But he is not an actual selkie!” Cries Hugh.

“Don be daft, of course he is, lookit him,” Thomas says, tossing a roll at him. Thus earning a glare from their father.

It seems everyone at once knew and did not know that Ezra is truly a selkie.

"Don tell me everyone knew but me?" Hugh wailed.

Deirdre, of course, nods, being the only one who was told outright. Then comes a murmuring of the rumors and guesses. Your hands shake as you confirm it, looking at Ezra for help. He just raises his glass, winks-

"Sláinte" (slawn-cha)

Your family laughs and raises their glasses, once over the shock, the relief you feel stings the corners of your eyes.

“It was only a matter of time before the seal people mixed with the Brennans!” Patrick proclaims above the din.

In the past, they had chosen not to talk about Colin since his desertion, speaking of him only if you wished it. He has shown his colors, was what your Mam would say. But the notion that he would return after all this time and why set everyone's blood to boil anew. Whenever he is mentioned this night, they practically hiss at his name. Muttering curses.

You chose to keep the story of becoming sick to yourself, and of Jamie and Colin fairly brief, being more interested in the part you did not know, like Deirdre’s trip to see Father O'Brien-

“How could he talk to you like that, Mam?” Hugh says scandalized.

“What about annulment?” Felicia asks.

“Oh I am going to the Bishop next, this is not over.”

You sigh, and Ezra puts an arm around you.

Then Patrick’s conversation with Colin-

“Did you pan him out, Da?” Hugh asks.

“Someone beat me to it.” Patrick winks at the pair of you.

You smile a little here and cock your thumb at Ezra, and your brothers erupt. Thomas who is next to him claps his shoulder. Felicia smiles into her lap and sneaks a look at you.

“To my way of thinking, it is my pearl here who truly deserves that honor.” Ezra calls over the pleased chatter and kisses your forehead.

Hugh agrees and surprisingly so does Deirdre.

After a moment everyone settles down.

“So what'll you do now?” Felicia asks. Diedre starts clearing plates, her nervous energy needing to be harnessed for something.

“Well, That of course depends on Moonbeam here. But I’ve spoken with Tilda, from the pub? She is sort of a cousin of mine. She has offered us one of the cottages on Rón Inis (Roan Inish).”

“Wait, she is a Conneely?” You say in wonder, “How did I not know that.”

“You’ve only known her by her married name, love,” Deirdre says over her shoulder from the sink.

It is a commonly held belief that the Conneelys were well mixed with seal folk, no more so than by the Conneely's themselves, so no one questions Ezra’s claim, they just exchange looks.

Your Da looks down at the table.

“It’s not far, a row boat will do”, you assure him.

“I know,” he says with a sad smile, “ I know, darlin’ we would just miss seeing ye everyday.”

“I know.”

Ezra squeezes your knee, and looks at you, his eyebrows lifted in question.

“So, you would come with me?”

You nod. Then a smile breaks wide-

“Yes, Ezra. I would.”

Deidre comes back to the table, the iron skillet in her hand, and smile on her face. She does not hide the tears in her eyes. You jump up from the table and hug her.

“Tis not far, Mam, just a row.”

“You are right, tis just a row!” She shakes off her thoughts of being lonesome for you and puts down the skillet of fresh apple cake on a trivet. “Plates, Hugh.”

Your younger brother pops out of his seat to pull the dessert plates down from the shelf above the sideboard, the ching of silver means he remembers the forks.

“There is much to plan, but for now, let us enjoy some of your mother’s fine cake,” Patrick says, sending a wink your way.

The preparation was swift and quiet. You parents worked on the annulment, deciding you can come to the mainland when needed instead of waiting as it can take months. Your family helped you pack and loaded everything on his fishing boat, you’d have to row a curragh (cah-ra) as well, so you had means to get to and fro as needed.

When the early morning of your departure arrived, you both looked at the somewhat bare little house you had shared. You had decided to only take what was indisputably yours. Which meant anything you brought with you, wedding gifts given to you from your family (thankfully that included the bed, which was a gift from your parents), and anything you bought or made after Colin left. Only months ago you would have left this house without a backward glance, but now, it was the home you had made with Ezra, where you fell in love with him.

Ezra finds you in the bedroom folding some linens. He looks at them, then you. Searching. You look up from the laundry and smile.

“Never let it be said I left a mess behind.”

“We should go, Moonbeam”, Ezra says it like a question. His head cocked to the side, searching your face, for reservations, for fear, for regret.

“We should.” You say looking at him with nary a sign of trebiation. He smiles a huff and bumps his head to yours. You folded the wedding ring quilt and laid it on a blanket rack that rested by the wood stove. Neither had come from your side.

You open the door to find Tilda and Fergus. Fergus carries a large basket filled to the brim. Tilda, a large something, wrapped in a sea green blanket.

“Just want to keep you fed while you settle in,” she smiles, kissing you both on the cheek.

“Wanted to see you off,” Fergus explains, giving Ezra a squeeze on the arm.

The four of you walk together to the dock, your siblings and parents are already there. Not that you can see them in the half light, but dark heads bob in the water. Ezra’s family has come too. He watches the water, with a lopsided smile.

“Do you mind two more,” asks Fergus amiably.

“More hands make lighter work!” Patrick says, shaking his hand.

Your father explains that they would have to use the curragh and jon boat to bring everything to the shore. As the sun rises in earnest and you become anxious to set off.

You and Ezra get in currah, a funny round wicker boat, your two brothers in the flat bottomed jon, the rest board the fishing boat.

"Are you ready, a stòr?"

"I am ready, m'fhíorghrá (MEER-ggrah) ."

The sun told you it was mid morning when the island was in full view, and by this time Ezra’s family had made their presence known to all of you. They gamboled, rolled and ducked under the boats. Their excitement growing.

While most of the seal were curious of all three vessels, there was one, small light colored seal, that stuck close to your boat. Eying you occasionally, but watching Ezra.

“Who is this,” you ask.

“This lovely pup is my-” Ezra looks down at her, giving her such a warm look you should have guessed the answer,. “She is my daughter, Cee.”

Ezra looks to you, wondering if this will make a difference.

“Your… daughter?” you say a smile slowing growing. You look down at her, leaning down close. “Hello Cee! Why, aren’t you wonderful!”

Cee rolls in agreement, Ezra gives his hearty laugh and you just beam at the two.

For a time, you let your mind wonder at the life Ezra had known before you, in the sea and out of it. Would it be inappropriate to ask? You know the reputation of selkie men. Some have been confirmed and some debunked with your time with Ezra. Do you want to know?

“How old is she? Cee?”

“Fourteen.” Ezra says, still looking at his seal daughter.

Two sevens, you think. Two possible visits, two possible other lovers. You can not change a selkies nature, and you surely do not want to change Ezra’s so you sit with this, settling yourself with the knowledge, that you knew in abstract but…

“A ghrá? I can see the wheels whirling,” he smiles kindly, he nods to Cee and she dips into the sea and visits another seal beside your fathers fishing boat. “You can ask me anything, I am but an open book to you, to be perused in your good time.”

“Where is her mother?”

Ezra eyes softened still, your question was matter of fact, though not cold, he could see you trying. He smiled.

“She is no longer with us, she passed many, many years ago. Cee was on land with her mother, she would not part from her. But when she fell ill, she brought Cee to the waters edge and introduced us properly and I helped Cee transform, so she could join me when it was time. She was 7. The fates were looking favorably upon us. I could leave the water and help her.”

There was so much more to this story you want to know but there is something more pressing-

“I, we…” you look down at your belly, that is still not giving away the secret of the life growing within.

“Yes,” Ezra eyes shine and his face radiating adoration.

“Ours?” You ask rhetorically, smiling eyes wet, a hiccup of a laugh.

“Ours.” Ezra repeats.

Oh, he wants to close the distance and wrap himself around you, blasted boat… later, he reminds himself. We have all the time in the world, especially if-

“Did you love her very much?”

“I did, though I must admit, there was another. I could not have her so I tried to put her out of my mind. Move on and find something for myself.”

“Oh,” you say your voice sounding small, and Ezra looks at you. His eyebrows drifting up. “Oh,” you say again. Your face warms, both in embarrassment and pleasure.

“Oh,” he repeats playfully.

“Was there anyone else,” you say feeling more confident. You looked at your seal man, he could have had one hundred lovers. It does not matter. He loves you, and he always has. You were having his baby.

“One other, a fellow,” Ezra says grunting into the oars. “Before I ever laid eyes one you.”

You are only taking by surprise momentarily.

“Did he summon you?”

“A stór, I am not avoiding your inquiry indefinitely, but we are to come ashore momentarily.” Ezra settles the oars in the boat. “I will regale you the tale of my first love, if you wish it, at a more opportune time. Perhaps not in front of your family.”

“Well, it would be a fine how do you do, to be accepting of us and not you and your fellow.”

“Truly, my Moonbeam, I heartily agree, but you would be surprised. Regardless, it would perhaps be unseemly to speak of any past sweethearts with your parents, at all.

“Can’t argue with that,” you laugh and the jolt as the curragh beaches.

The fishing boat stayed in the deeper waters, and the small boats were loaded running back and forth. The many hands did make swift work. Soon, your sister, Felicia, was busy sweeping the sand out of the cottages. Your father was up on the roof of the largest cottage, inspecting the thatch. While your mother hollered for him to get his fool self down before he fell off and let one of his sons do it.

“Get up there, Thomas!” Deirdre shouts. “Hugh help your sister.”

Inside, you were getting an impromptu lesson in seaweed soup and how to use it in seafood chowder, from Tilda. Ezra and Fergus were shuttling back and forth from the strand with the last of the furniture, baskets and creates.

“I should help,” you look at them apologetically.

“You need to learn this recipe handed down from the seal people in my family. And you will have plenty of work once we leave. Rest, you are doing so for two.”

You look at her thunderstruck.

“Cousin Ezra confided in me, when he was looking for advice on what to do with, when your-”

“Colin.”

“Yes that,” she says as though finding something distasteful stuck to her shoe. You can not help but smile.

“Thank you,” you suddenly wrap your arms around the older woman, “Thank you for this. We can never truly repay you.”

“You can,” Tilda says, and she walks over to the large basket,beside it is the large something. Tilda set it down and unwrapped it reverently.

“Use this cradle for your babe.”

Your eyes were saucers, it was a tiny boat, encrusted with shells and carved with intricate design.

“Carved from the mast of a sunken ship. Been in my family for generations.”

“Tis beautiful, Tilda! I will use it with honor.”

You placed it next to the fireplace, next to Ezra’s pelt awaiting it’s new home and then turned back to the cauldron Tilda was filling with seaweed.

Once the bed was restrung and made up, and Patrick was satisfied with the state of the thatch, your family bid you farewell. It was tearful, but there were many reminders that you would have to go to the mainland weekly for supplies and that they were welcome on the island whenever they wished. Soon it was just you and Ezra. You smiled, and the you made your way into the cottage closed the door on a very long day. Settled into the two chairs by the fire, you put your feet up thankfully on a small stool. Then you opened you eyes wide and sat up-

“Where is Cee?” you cry.

“Cee will come and go, my pearl. She is quite independent having spent the lion's share of her remembered life in the water.”

“Oh,” you then add quietly. “I didn't know I was taking you from someone, Ezra.”

“Oh Moonbeam,” Ezra takes your hand, looks around, “I will miss our settee, come-”

You stand, and he brings you onto his lap, tucking you into him.

“Is she okay, does she prefer being in seal form?”

“Yes, most Selkies, yearn for the sea. Though, this island feels different. Liminal. A place between. She may be of a mind to come and stay for a spell and then be on her way. So long as she has control over her coat, she will feel at ease.”

“And you?”

“I, a chuisle mo chroí (ah coo-shil mu cree), am at ease where ever you are and yearn but for one thing. You know what that is?”

You look down, playing with the buttons of his shirt-

“Me?” You look at him, bashfully.

“You,” he says. “And soon there will be a little one.”

“Will- what-”

“Someday the child will enter the sea, and will not want to return to land. It is different for every one. We, you will have to be ready. My own, do you think you can do this?”

Ezra watches you closely, you are struggling. Trying.

“Not so little that as a pup or babe that they still need their mama. But no one can stop the march of time anymore than the ebb and flow of the sea.”

“What if I want us all to be together?”

Ezra looks you in the eye. You wait patiently.

“There is one thing, but you would need to want it with your whole being.”

“What is that?” You say quickly.

“You would have to become a selkie yourself.”

PART 6

THANK YOU FOR READING! 💚

You can find more of my writing here MASTERLIST and if you would care to be tagged for this or any of my writing fill out my taglist form

#selkie ezra #selkie #ezra prospect #selkie ezra x f!reader #ezra (prospect)#selkie!ezra x f!reader #ezra (prospect au)#ezra (prospect) x f!reader #selkie au

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myhauntedsalem · 2 months

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Nathaniel Saltonstall, Salem Witch Trials Judge

The most impressive monument belongs to the family of Nathaniel Saltonstall, who was one of the judges at the Salem witchcraft trials in the 1690s.

Saltonstall was born in Ipswich in 1639, attended Harvard, and eventually became Haverhill’s town clerk. He married Elizabeth Ward, who was the daughter of John Ward, the minister who founded Haverhill. In short, he was kind of a bigwig.

When the 1692 witch craze broke out in Salem Village, Saltonstall was appointed to the Court Oyer and Terminer, a group of seven judges who would oversee the witchcraft trials.

Saltonstall only heard one witchcraft case, that of Bridget Bishop, who was found guilty and hanged on Gallows Hill. After this, he removed himself from the Court Oyer and Terminer. Salem was far from his home in Haverhill, but more importantly he didn’t believe the afflicted girls were really possessed, and found the spectral evidence admitted in court unconvincing.

It wasn’t so easy for him to escape the Salem madness unscathed, though. When he returned to Haverhill he started to drink heavily, and was reprimanded for it by Samuel Sewall, one of the judges who remained on the court. Even worse, the afflicted Salem Village girls claimed they saw Nathaniel Saltonstall’s spectre with the other witches, and that he was a witch himself.

Because he was well-connected Saltonstall was never brought to trial. He weathered the witch craze, and eventually died in 1707. I don’t know if he stopped drinking.

#ghost and hauntings #paranormal #ghost and spirits #haunted locations #haunted salem #myhauntedsalem #salem massachusetts #paranormal phenomena #salem witch trials #Nathaniel Saltonstall

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thepastisalreadywritten · 10 months

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SAINT OF THE DAY (August 9)

On August 9, the Catholic Church remembers St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein.

St. Teresa converted from Judaism to Catholicism in the course of her work as a philosopher and later entered the Carmelite Order.

She died in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in 1942.

Edith Stein was born on 12 October 1891 – a date that coincided with her family's celebration of Yom Kippur, the Jewish “day of atonement.”

Edith's father died when she was just two years old, and she gave up the practice of her Jewish faith as an adolescent.

As a young woman with profound intellectual gifts, Edith gravitated toward the study of philosophy and became a pupil of the renowned professor Edmund Husserl in 1913.

Through her studies, the non-religious Edith met several Christians whose intellectual and spiritual lives she admired.

After earning her degree with the highest honors from Gottingen University in 1915, she served as a nurse in an Austrian field hospital during World War I.

She returned to academic work in 1916, earning her doctorate after writing a highly-regarded thesis on the phenomenon of empathy.

She remained interested in the idea of religious commitment but had not yet made such a commitment herself.

In 1921, while visiting friends, Edith spent an entire night reading the autobiography of the 16th-century Carmelite nun St. Teresa of Avila.

“When I had finished the book,” she later recalled, “I said to myself: This is the truth.”

She was baptized into the Catholic Church on the first day of January 1922.

Edith intended to join the Carmelites immediately after her conversion but would ultimately have to wait another 11 years before taking this step.

Instead, she taught at a Dominican school and gave numerous public lectures on women's issues.

In 1931, she spent her time writing a study of St. Thomas Aquinas and took a university teaching position in 1932.

In 1933, the rise of Nazism, combined with Edith's Jewish ethnicity, put an end to her teaching career.

After a painful parting with her mother, who did not understand her Christian conversion, she entered a Carmelite convent in 1934, taking the name “Teresa Benedicta of the Cross” as a symbol of her acceptance of suffering.

“I felt,” she wrote, “that those who understood the Cross of Christ should take upon themselves on everybody's behalf.”

She saw it as her vocation “to intercede with God for everyone, but she prayed especially for the Jews of Germany whose tragic fate was becoming clear."

“I ask the Lord to accept my life and my death,” she wrote in 1939, “so that the Lord will be accepted by his people and that his kingdom may come in glory, for the salvation of Germany and the peace of the world.”

After completing her final work, a study of St. John of the Cross entitled “The Science of the Cross,” Teresa Benedicta was arrested along with her sister Rosa (who had also become a Catholic) and the members of her religious community on 7 August 1942.

The arrests came in retaliation against a protest letter by the Dutch Bishops, decrying the Nazi treatment of Jews.

Teresa Benedicta of the Cross died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz on 9 August 1942.

Pope John Paul II beatified her as a martyr on 1 May 1987 and then canonized 11 years later on 11 October 1998.

She is one of the six patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia, Cyril and Methodius, Bridget of Sweden, and Catherine of Siena.

#Saint of the Day #St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross #St. Edith Stein

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witchyfashion · 9 months

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"Deliciously eerie.” —Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind “Boroughs of the Dead,” featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us . . . Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful. Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women. Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation. "A Haunted History of Invisible Women looks beyond the legends of maligned female ghosts and gives us their real histories. It is both a meditation on the misogyny of a ghost-hunting culture that capitalizes on false narratives of sex and death, and a fascinating look at the flesh-and-blood women behind the ghost stories. This book is a long-overdue search for historic truth, yet it recognizes that “When it comes to ghosts, truth is as elusive as the spirits themselves.” —Chris Woodyard, Author of The Victorian Book of the Dead. Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison

https://amzn.to/45U6ne6

#ghost #ghost stories #haunting

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soberscientistlife · 2 years

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BRIDGET BISHOP ~ in the year 1692, a woman named Bridget Bishop was hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem, Massachusetts, after being found guilty of the crime of Witchcraft. She was the first person to be publicly executed in the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Accused, tried, and executed for being a witch, Bishop was known to enjoy a drink or two, operated two taverns in town, and enjoyed the game of shuffleboard. She had been widowed twice.

She was bold, outspoken, independent, self-supporting, and liked to wear fine clothes (notably, a "red paragon bodice bordered and looped with different colors" and lace). She was said to have a sharp tongue. Bishop didn't fit into her society's notions of how a "good" woman should behave and her neighbors feared and resented her as a result. Though Bishop was the first to be executed in Salem, she was not the last.

Take a moment today to remember her, and celebrate the differences you see around you instead of fearing them.

- GrannyMoon

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ambroselaveau90 · 1 year

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⛥THE WITCHING HOUR⛥

After his abuela dies,Matthias discovers that he is a witch when he begins to exhibits unique abilities,tied to the dark days of Salem.But his family decides that living with his eccentric aunts would be the best place for him to learn how to control his abilities.

But as a series of blood-curdling mysteries converge on the town,it forces Matthias to align with others to combat these horrors.Join him as he tries to figure out the secrets of his past and who he can trust as he develops feelings for a enigmatic vampire,while trying to survive in this Hellmouth.

⛥SERIES REGULARS⛥

Caleb Mclaughlin as Matthias Adesanya

A 21-year old newbie witch with immense powers,inheriting them from his ancestors.He shares blood with both the Salem Witches & the Voodoo Practitioners of New Orleans due to being a descendant of Tituba Immaculate & Bridget Bishop.

When his grandmother Marisol dies,his bound magick starts to manifest itself,which leads his folks to send him to live with his aunties Esperanza & Tabitha,in hopes of teaching him how to control his powers.But when he crosses paths with the very peculiar denizens of New York,maybe it was his fate to live in the city that never sleeps.

Stephanie Beatriz as Esperanza Ortega

A 35-year old Witch,the wife to Tabitha Montgomery.She is a powerful witch.Compared to her wife and nephew,she is the second strongest among them innately but her talent lies in offensive magicks like curses & hexes.After her mom passes away,she decides to take in nephew to help him with his newfound powers but also wants to figure out the string of horrific cases that have recently been happening in the city.

Lucy Barrett as Tabitha Montgomery

A 30-year old,a witch,the wife to Esperanza Ortega.She has strong mystical skills & is a strong witch.Compared to her wife and nephew,she is the weakest among them innately but her talents lie in defensive magicks like boundary spells.

Like her wife,she wants to teach her nephew how to use his newfound powers but she also wants to help her family deal with the loss of Marisol,as they each become obsessed with other things to not deal with their grief.

Micheal Cimino as Antonio Salazar

A 23-year old/501-year old vampire,a main protagonist of the Millennium Of Hellfire Series.Sired by a Conquistador in 1520,making him apart of Rebekah Mikaelson's Sireline.As members of The Strix start going missing in the city,Antonio is assigned to investigate the many disappearances but as he follows the trails of his comrades,he ends meeting a trio of witches that are following the same trail.The youngest one interests him the most,if it wasn't for his status as a Weaver,it definitely was the scent of his blood.As they become closer,will Antonio let the horrors of his past consume Matthias in a effort to protect him from his bloody secrets?

George Sears as Gabriel Mortensen

A 22-year old Werewolf,a main protagonist of the Millennium Of Hellfire.Gabriel was born as the youngest child of the Legendary Alphas Lena Grace and Daniel Mortensen on the outskirts of a Russian Village in 1999.As a member of two centuries and highly esteemed Lycan bloodlines,Gabriel was raised along with his sisters to see lycanthropy as a gift.As a string of disappearances and murders start to stress out the leaders of New York's underworld which include his parents,he decides to impress his parents by figuring out who is really doing this,but while he is doing so,he meets two men that interests him,a sassy witch and a charming vampire.

He knows his family would make him a Omega for mating with a vampire,but a witch is out of the question,especially since this witch isn't some nature loving Wiccan,he's a Dark Witch that sacrifices others & practices magicks that make others cower in fear.But as they get closer,will Gabriel let his wolf take over,embracing the bloodlust of his ancestors,or stay in the shadows of his sisters?

#MillenniumOfHellfire #Matthias Adesanya #Antonio Salazar #Gabriel Mortensen #Esperanza Ortega #Tabitha Montgomery #TVDU AU #tvdu spinoff #tvdu oc #teen wolf ocs #ahs ocs #AmbroseLaveaustuff #black witches #anti mikaelson family

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femme-witching · 2 years

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An Introduction to Witchcraft History

What is Witchcraft?

Witchcraft is traditionally defined as the “exercise or invocation of alleged supernatural powers to control people or events, practices typically involving sorcery or magic.

Modernly defined by global practices of magic, western 14th-18th century beliefs, and Wicca

Derived from the old English word ‘wiccecraeft’

Different cultures did not share a coherent pattern of belief in witchcraft

Blended concepts of magic, sorcery, religion, folklore, theology, technology, and diabolism

Witches were commonly believed to work at night

Sorcery

Sorcery historically predates witchcraft as a concept, and is defined simply as ‘attempts to influence the world through occult.’

Prior to the 1300s, western perceptions of sorcery and magic were in alignment

Early western witches used incantations, divination, amulets, potions, and dolls/ figurines to perform magic

Magic aiming to gain or preserve health, gain property, to help others, for revenge, and for protection from natural disasters of harmful spirits

Magical reliance on deities or spirits influenced future belief of witches working with demons or Satan

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Early Recordings

The earliest recording of witchcraft was found in the 1 Samuel passage of the Bible (931-721 BCE).

King Saul sought the Witch of Endor to summon the spirit of Samuel, the dead prophet, who would help defeat the Philistine army

Samuel prophosized the death of Saul and his sons, who died in battle by suicide

Old Testament- Exodus 22:18 translated from the Torah

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”

passages against divination, chanting, or contact with the dead

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European Witch History

Witchcraft was perceived in the west as cannibalism, orgiastic rites with the devil/ Satan, and performance of black magic. Despite being written off as devil worshippers, many early European witches were just hurbalists and healers.

European Witch Craze

Malleus Maleficarum was a book that spurred European hysteria surrounding witches, written in Germany in 1486. “Malleus Maleficarum” translates to “The Hammer of Witches”, and was written by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. It acted as a guide to identifying, hunting, and interrogating witches, and greatly influenced European witch hunts and paranoia.

Accused witches gave forced confessions after being tortured

Accused witches were executed by burning or hanging

Witch hunters targeted widows, single women, and societal outcasts

Between 1500 and 1660 CE, 80,000 accused witches were executed

Witches were associated with lust and the devil

The “Malleus Maleficarum” also greatly influenced King James VI of Scotland, who was one of Europe’s most noutorious witch hunters. In 1589 James went to Denmark to meet his new bride, Princess Anne. On their return to Scotland, a raging storm damaged several of James’ ships, casuing one of them to be lost at sea. A woman in Denmark confessed to using magic to cause the storm, and she was executed alongside several others accused of witchcraft by Anne. This spurred the prosecution and deaths of 3,000 accused witches in Scotland.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

American Witch History

This section discusses European-based perception of witchcraft, and is not related to indigenous cultural practices.

The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials were a time of mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The trials occurred due to Puritain religious paranoia and witches were used as a scapegoat for smallpox and conflict with Naumkeag Native Americans. The trials began through this series of events:

9 year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11 year-old Abigail Williams had fits of bodily contortion and uncontrolled screaming

Symptoms spread to more young women, and hysteria spread

Sarah Good, Sarah Osborn, and Tituba- a slave of the Parris family- were accused of witchcraft

Tituba confessed to cursing the girls and accused others of black magic

Bridget Bishop was the first person executed for being a witch in Salem on June 10, 1692 by hanging

Though modern research suggests the bodily contortion and screaming was likely caused by fungal poisoning, the hysteria was attributed to witchcraft and black magic. Over the course of the Salem Witch Trials, 150 people were accused and 18 were executed.

Connecticut Witch Craze

Alse Young was the first American executed for witchcraft, killed in Windsor, Connecticut in 1647. In Connecticut, 46 people were accused of performing witchcraft and 11 were executed for it prior to 1697.

Virginia Witch Craze

In Virginia, 24 witch trials occurred from 1626-1730. In Lower Norfolk County, Virgina, a law was passed against false witchcraft accusations in 1655. The most famous accused witch from Virginia was Grace Sherwood, who was said to have slaughtered pigs and hexed cotton. Sherwood was brought to trial in 1706, and tested as a witch using the ‘sink or float’ method. Sherwood was convicted as a witch and imprisoned for 8 years.

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Thank you for reading!!

#witchcraft #witchblr #witch #history #witch history #magick #witch trials

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blairwaldcrf · 1 year

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Being Human (US version) / Gossip Girl crossover au

(disclaimer: i realize this is ridiculously niche but it's almost midnight and i need this out of my head)

Dan: Aidan

broody, pines like crazy, capable of lying, tries to be a good person, loves kids and culture, would be fine in healthcare if he had to be. would indeed be the kind of vampire to demand a werewolf be his roommate so they can be "normal"

Rebecca: Georgina, i mean she even brings in a son for them that he has to lose, uses their sextape as blackmail...

Bishop: Carter, he can rock the "i made you" vibes but balance it with a soft spot

Marcus: damian

Suren: serena- party girl who tries to reform (obv they're both more than that but).. i wouldn't mind this being a continuation of Georgina after Rebecca's death i suppose

original human life wife&son: ?? anyone but ivy lmao. idk I'd have to rewatch to even remember if she had a personality...

Celine: I actually have a soft spot for this also being Serena..

Blair: Sally

loses sight of her dreams and ambitions to be with fiance, his temper gets her killed, he covers it up and becomes increasingly insane while doing so making her need to torture him. her whole arc involves finally self-actualizing

Danny: do i have to say it.

Bridget: Raina. no reason really just she'd have the backbone to do the right thing and get rid of chuck

Kenny: I want to say Eric despite that being very depressing, but here we are

(I'm forgetting so many people from her arcs please forgive me)

Nate: Josh

drops his family & their expectations because he might hurt someone after turning and he's a terrible liar so he runs away and isolates + my nate is in healthcare agenda

Nora: Vanessa, although i don't see her as a nurse, so maybe a social worker he runs into while with patients and also MORE IMPORTANTLY we're not doing the misogynistic plot lines that put her through pain to build Josh/Nate's character

Emily: jenny, because she's a lesbian and i can, but also because she's the one person Nate could trust with things like this and the banter they have is adorable

prev fiance: not sure if i remember her having a personality?

Ray: "embrace the wolf" stuff, purposefully turning Josh/Nate so not to be alone... like it's giving chuck but I already used him so I'll have to go with Catherine and just hate myself

creepy stepford werewolf family: the Vanderbilts not related to nate in this au lolll

potential great moments:

- dan & nate threatening to kill chuck with their powers after he tries to burn the house down to get rid of blair

- the angst of Milo but somehow Worse™

- Blair trying to decide on whether to use her powers for good, revenge, or selfish reasons (or all three), and literally being able to haunt prank the boys wherever and whenever she wants

#gossip girl au #gg au #being human (us)#gg crossover #cherry talks

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silvestromedia · 2 years

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Saint of the day August 22

St. John Kemble, 1679 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Herefordshire, England, in 1599, and studied at Douai, where he was ordained in 1625. Returning to England, John labored in missions for fifty-three years. At the age of eighty-one, he was arrested at Pembridge Castle, the home of his brother. He was falsely charged in the Titus Oates Plot and condemned for being a Catholic. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Hereford. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.

St. John Wall, 1679 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born near Preston, England, and was educated at Douai and Rome and ordained in 1645. In 1651 he became a Franciscan, called Father Joachim of St. Anne, returning to Worcester, England, in 1656. There he was arrested in December 1678 and imprisoned for five months. He was martyred by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Redhill. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.

Bl. Richard Kirkman, 1582 A.D. English martyr. Born in Addingham, Yorkshire, he left England and studied at the famous Catholic school of Douai, France, the preparatory institution for English Catholics who would then return home and work for the reconversion of the isle. Ordained in 1579, in Reims, he sailed to England and served as a tutor for Richard Dymake’s family in Scrivelsby. Richard then went to Yorkshire and Northumberland and he was arrested near Wakefield. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered near York with Blessed William Lacey, on August 22, for denying the supremacy of Queen Elizabeth I as head of the Church of England

Bl. William Lacey, 1582 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Horton, West Riding, Yorkshire, he distinguished himself as a lawyer and as an ardent Catholic, using his house as a refuge for the much oppressed Catholics of the time. Following the death of his second wife in 1579, he left England and studied at Reims, France, in preparation for his eventual ordination at Rome. William returned to England and worked in the area of Yorkshire until his arrest. He was arrested in York Prison while participating in the Eucharistic ceremony being sung in the cell of Blessed Thomas Bell. Condemned, he was executed at Knavesmaire, just outside of York with Blessed Richard Kirkman. William was beatified in 1886.

St. Sigfrid. Sigfrid, who died in the year 690, was a deacon at Wearmouth Abbey. He was known for his knowledge of scripture and for his frail health. He was elected coadjutor abbot in 688 on the death of St. Erstwine while Abbot St. Benedict Biscop was in Rome. Sigfrid died soon after St. Benedict.

St. Andrew the Scot, 877 A.D. Archdeacon and companion of St. Donatus. Andrew and his sister, St. Bridget the Younger, were born in Ireland of noble parents. They were educated by St. Donatus, and when Donatus went on a pilgrimage to Italy, Andrew accompanied him. In Fiesole, through a miracle, Donatus was elected bishop. Andrew was ordained the archdeacon of Fiesole, serving Donatus for fortyseven years. He also founded a monastery in Mensola, Italy. Andrew died shortly after Donatus, but his sister, St. Bridget the Younger, was carried by an angel to his bedside, all the way from Ireland.

St. Arnulf, 9th century. Hermit, venerated at Arnulphsbury or Eynesbury, in England.

St. Ethelgitha. Benedictine abbess of Northumbria, England.

St. Gunifort. A martyr of Pavia, Italy. He was Irish, Scottish, or English.

St. Antoninus (died 186) was a public executioner in Rome. It is believed that during the trial of St Eusebius he had a vision and converted to Christianity. The proclamation of faith cost his life and he was beheaded in 186. His feast day is 22 August.

ST. TIMOTHEUS,ROMAN MARTYR ON THE VIA OSTIENSE,

ST. SYNFORIANUS, MARTYR OF AUTUN,

ST. PHILIP BENIZI, PRIEST OF THE SERVANTS OF MARY

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