A day of talks was held in Boscastle on Saturday May 14th. It was lovely to see everyone there and the day seemed like a great success. If you weren't able to attend, here is a write up of the day by Joyce Froome. Photos courtesy of Kerriann Godwin and Mark Norman. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day a success. Special thanks to Steve Patterson.
If you like the sound of this, you might consider attending our Halloween Conference on October 15th:
Above: Geraldine with Steve Patterson in the upstairs gallery.
Geraldine Beskin began the event with a compelling
account of the life and character of the Spiritualist medium Helen Duncan, who
has become famous as the last person tried for witchcraft in Britain. She is
often seen simply as the victim of injustice whose case led to the repeal of
the Witchcraft Act, but Geraldine revealed a far more complex story, with disquieting
echoes of earlier witch hunts.
Helen Duncan came from a part of Scotland where
there was a strong belief in second sight. Before she achieved fame as a
medium, her life was full of poverty, illness and tragedy, alleviated only by
her marriage to a soldier she had communicated with psychically as he lay
wounded during the First World War. Her remarkable ability to enter a
mediumistic trance thus grew out of personal trauma as well as the traditional
beliefs of her Scottish home. She then became embroiled in the conflict between
the increasingly popular Spiritualist movement and scientific scepticism,
developing an ill-advised association with the self-promoting psychic
investigator Harry Price; and the apparent incongruity of the fact that her
psychic powers were combined with a tough and sometimes belligerent personality
made her an obvious target for those determined to discredit Spiritualism.
Geraldine’s
infectious admiration for Helen Duncan held her audience captivated, and
brought alive the human story behind Helen Duncan’s historical significance.
Above: Zoe Young with Ralph Harvey and Cassie Calhoun in the Museum.
Next up was Nick Groom with a lively exploration of
British May Day customs. He began (of course!) with the Padstow Obby Oss, before
heading off on a fascinating foray into the numerous historical accounts of
other May festivities, featuring morris dancers, maypoles, dragons and horses.
The evidence suggests a wealth of locally distinctive ceremonies, confirming
the social and spiritual importance of May Day. As the character of our
countryside is eroded by growing uniformity and commercialisation, Nick
encouragingly suggested that May Day celebrations seem to have an ability to
resist this in a way that other festivals cannot.
In the afternoon, Zoe Young gave a moving and troubling
account of her experiences making a film about the persecution of women accused
of witchcraft in Ghana – a disturbing reminder that the fear of malevolent
magic is still having terrible consequences today. She went on to suggest a connection
between these persecutions and the abuse of children suspected of being
possessed by evil spirits in African-origin communities in London. She explored
the complicated contributing factors, including the role of the fundamentalist
Christian churches that exploit these situations to gain control over their
congregations, and the tension between traditional animist spirit beliefs and
the growth of a commercialised attitude to the natural world. It is a subject
that raises many challenging questions. Does a belief in magic lead to the
persecution of women, or does the desire to disempower women lead to the
demonization of magic? Zoe made the important and thought-provoking point that
those of us who are fighting to rehabilitate the concept of the witch in Europe
and America need to be aware of the potential implications and global context
of our efforts.
Above: Joyce Froome looking at the Richel Collection.
The afternoon was rounded off with a discussion of some
of the objects in the Museum’s collection. As so often happens, it was a
reminder of how our supporters are one of our best sources of information. Contributions
included an account of a wise woman capturing a troublesome spirit in a jam jar,
and the important warning that it is extremely difficult to charge a wand made
of metal. Thank you all very much – your information will be a valuable
addition to our database.
Above: there were also stalls at the event selling an array of items (this photo shows Circle of Spears' stall).
The day ended with a candlelit evening at the Museum (photos below). It was a great day, watch this space for future events!
Above: Museum manager Peter welcoming visitors.
Above: Binky, Friend of the Museum in the lower gallery.
Above: Museum Director Simon Costin with Helen Cornish.
Above: Simon with Ralph Harvey.
Above: Mark Norman of Circle of Spears productions.
