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Uh, are all these things really accurate though? "The persecution of Europe’s witches, by this account, becomes in part a way of disciplining a class of semi-a

by aliswe 5y ago

Uh, are all these things really accurate though? "The persecution of Europe’s witches, by this account, becomes in part a way of disciplining a class of semi-autonomous beer producers into accepting the work and gender order of the domestic household." "female brewers, bartenders and, most importantly, drinkers (...) have always been there, not just alongside men but usually one step ahead of them" "The word bridal comes from bride-ale: an English tradition of raising money for a wedding whereby ‘a bride-to-be brewed a bunch of ale and threw a big party.’" (unsure if the bride herself was actually intended to brew this)

Ichthypresbyter 5y ago
The bride-ale thing is at least partly true- it does come from bride-ale, but in Old English the word "ale" didn't only mean beer, but also a feast or party at which people drank it. There were other similar occasions, including the "church-ale" to raise money for repair of a church. AFAIK the only survival of this term is the "Morris ale", which is a gathering of Morris dancers (who do tend to drink a lot of ale). In terms of female brewers, it is interesting that the surname "Brewster" exists and specifically refers to an ancestor who was a female brewer. The "-ster" suffix in English used to be the female equivalent of "-er" (as it still is in Dutch). The only regular English word in which "-ster" survives is spinster, but it also survives in other occupational surnames like Webster (a female weaver) and Baxter (a female baker). Most things about witches and their persecution tend to owe more to myth than history, though...
coderintherye 5y ago
Yes. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/women-used-dominate-beer-industry-until-witch-accusations-started-pouring-180977171/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/women-used-dominate-b...
- aliswe 5y ago
  Editor’s note, March 17, 2021: Last week, we ran this story that originally appeared on The Conversation, a nonprofit news outlet that publishes writing by academic experts from around the world. After publishing, we heard from multiple scholars who disagreed with the framing, analysis and conclusions discussed in the article below. They argue, in fact, that contemporary depictions of witches originated in sources other than women brewers and that the transfer from women to men of the work of brewing, in various geographic and historical settings, came about for economic and labor reasons. We addressed a number of factual errors in our March 10, 2021, editor’s note, found at the bottom of the page, and we have changed the headline from its original version.

by aliswe 5y ago

Ichthypresbyter 5y ago

The bride-ale thing is at least partly true- it does come from bride-ale, but in Old English the word "ale" didn't only mean beer, but also a feast or party at which people drank it. There were other similar occasions, including the "church-ale" to raise money for repair of a church. AFAIK the only survival of this term is the "Morris ale", which is a gathering of Morris dancers (who do tend to drink a lot of ale). In terms of female brewers, it is interesting that the surname "Brewster" exists and specifically refers to an ancestor who was a female brewer. The "-ster" suffix in English used to be the female equivalent of "-er" (as it still is in Dutch). The only regular English word in which "-ster" survives is spinster, but it also survives in other occupational surnames like Webster (a female weaver) and Baxter (a female baker). Most things about witches and their persecution tend to owe more to myth than history, though...

coderintherye 5y ago

Yes. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/women-used-dominate-beer-industry-until-witch-accusations-started-pouring-180977171/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/women-used-dominate-b...

aliswe 5y ago
Editor’s note, March 17, 2021: Last week, we ran this story that originally appeared on The Conversation, a nonprofit news outlet that publishes writing by academic experts from around the world. After publishing, we heard from multiple scholars who disagreed with the framing, analysis and conclusions discussed in the article below. They argue, in fact, that contemporary depictions of witches originated in sources other than women brewers and that the transfer from women to men of the work of brewing, in various geographic and historical settings, came about for economic and labor reasons. We addressed a number of factual errors in our March 10, 2021, editor’s note, found at the bottom of the page, and we have changed the headline from its original version.