‘Vapid balderdash!’ Midwives and witches.

Midwives have long been linked with witchcraft, largely because of the work of anthropologist Margaret Murray. In the 1920s she wrote a book about witchcraft,which, she said, existed throughout Europe in the middle ages as a pagan religion, despite the church’s attempts to suppress it. Midwives, she maintained, were particularly likely to indulge in witchcraft and were often hunted down and executed as witches.

It is easy to see why, in the very superstitious middle ages, a midwife might be suspected of witchcraft. She was probably highly skilled, especially in herbal medicine and the practicalities, the manouevres, of childbirth. She would be a valued member of the community, a useful and respected resident of the village or town. Her skills and knowledge influenced whether a mother and child lived or died, and so probably she was seen as holding considerable power.

With power comes risk, and if women and babies died - or cattle became ill, or crops failed – superstitious villagers might well lay these calamities at the midwife's door, especially if she was not well liked or people wanted revenge for some previous disaster.

In the next blog, I’ll write a bit more about midwives and witchcraft, and in the blog after that I’ll explain the ‘vapid balderdash’ bit!