Pilgrimage remembers women condemned as witches
Two artists are to undertake a riverside pilgrimage in period dress to remember women persecuted as witches in the 17th Century.Ruth Dillon and Eleanor Dale are following the River Yare from Limpenhoe, near Norwich to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Saturday as part of a broader art project called We Are Witch.Their 10-mile (16km) walk aims to highlight the miscarriages of justice in 400-year-old cases from East Anglia, while exploring contemporary issues of oppression, freedom of speech and feminism. The journey would offer a "unique opportunity to connect with people and place", Ms Dillon said.
"I am interested in modern pilgrimage as an act of honouring and devotion. "Walking was central to the lives of people in the 1600s and to the trials of the women persecuted as witches. "In making and wearing period clothing, we hope to embody something of their stories and lives through cloth and stitch. "Using clothing as a portal for connection allows us to share the project more widely with people we meet along the route."
The walk sets off from Limpenhoe village church - St Boltolph's - as he was the patron saint of wayfarers.It will culminate in a ceremony at North Denes beach in Great Yarmouth, which held several 17th-Century witch trials. One of the most notorious was in 1645 when Matthew Hopkins, the so-called Witchfinder General, was invited to the town and 11 people, including two men, were tried in the court in the Tolhouse.
Several of the defendants were acquitted but five women - Alice Clisswell, Bridgetta Howard, Maria Blackborne, Elizabeth Dudgeon and Elizabeth Bradwell - were found guilty and hanged."These women were killed at the height of the trials in East Anglia," said Ms Dillon."It is hard to comprehend the fear that must have been present in communities where every woman was at risk."The project is called We Are Witch in recognition that if any one of us was born at a different time, we could have experienced the same fate; when women were singled out for being different, poor, single, disabled or for speaking their mind."The project is also producing a quilt, expected to be exhibited later in the year, featuring the condemned women.On Sunday, Ms Dillon and Ms Dale will be at the Tolhouse Gaol and Great Yarmouth Minster to discuss their walk and the project.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Pilgrimage remembers women condemned as witches
Two artists are to undertake a riverside pilgrimage in period dress to remember women persecuted as witches in the 17th Dillon and Eleanor Dale are following the River Yare from Limpenhoe, near Norwich to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Saturday as part of a broader art project called We Are 10-mile (16km) walk aims to highlight the miscarriages of justice in 400-year-old cases from East Anglia, while exploring contemporary issues of oppression, freedom of speech and feminism. The journey would offer a "unique opportunity to connect with people and place", Ms Dillon said. "I am interested in modern pilgrimage as an act of honouring and devotion. "Walking was central to the lives of people in the 1600s and to the trials of the women persecuted as witches. "In making and wearing period clothing, we hope to embody something of their stories and lives through cloth and stitch. "Using clothing as a portal for connection allows us to share the project more widely with people we meet along the route." The walk sets off from Limpenhoe village church - St Boltolph's - as he was the patron saint of will culminate in a ceremony at North Denes beach in Great Yarmouth, which held several 17th-Century witch trials. One of the most notorious was in 1645 when Matthew Hopkins, the so-called Witchfinder General, was invited to the town and 11 people, including two men, were tried in the court in the Tolhouse. Several of the defendants were acquitted but five women - Alice Clisswell, Bridgetta Howard, Maria Blackborne, Elizabeth Dudgeon and Elizabeth Bradwell - were found guilty and hanged."These women were killed at the height of the trials in East Anglia," said Ms Dillon."It is hard to comprehend the fear that must have been present in communities where every woman was at risk."The project is called We Are Witch in recognition that if any one of us was born at a different time, we could have experienced the same fate; when women were singled out for being different, poor, single, disabled or for speaking their mind."The project is also producing a quilt, expected to be exhibited later in the year, featuring the condemned Sunday, Ms Dillon and Ms Dale will be at the Tolhouse Gaol and Great Yarmouth Minster to discuss their walk and the project. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Meghan Markle shares rare videos of Archie and Lilibet to wish Harry a Happy Father's Day
MEGHAN Markle has shared a rare video showing Archie and Lilibet to wish Harry a Happy Father's day. The heartwarming footage was posted on Instagram with Jason Mraz's hit 'Have It All' playing in the background. 2 It was captioned: "Happy Father's Day to our favorite guy." The Duchess has been more open with posting her children this year, amid her new business ventures. The mum-of-two has previously posted several clips of them making jam on her Instagram stories. But she often uploads snaps with their faces either hidden or the kids facing the other way during the shot. It comes after Prince William's children wished him a Happy Father's Day in a heartwarming post on social media. The sweet message was posted on the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales on behalf of young royals George, Charlotte and Louis. One is a portrait shot showing Wills standing with his arms around Prince George, 11,and Princess Charlotte, 10, while seven-year-old Prince Louis stands in front of him. Another black and white picture shared showed the four lying on the grass laughing in an embrace. The post was captioned: "Happy Father's Day, Papa (before and after!). We love you! G, C & L," accompanied by a love heart. The heartwarming photographs were taken by Josh Shinner earlier this year in Norfolk. The King and Queen have also wished fathers around the world a happy Father's Day by posting photographs of their own fathers on the royal family's Instagram account. "To all Dads everywhere, we wish you a happy Father's Day today," the official account said. The post shared a photograph of the late Prince Philip playing with a young Charles and the Princess Royal on a swing. Watch Trooping the Colour highlights A picture of Camilla and her father Major Bruce Shand was also shared, showing the pair posing for a photograph on Camilla and Charles's wedding day on April 9 2005. It comes as the family attended Trooping the Colour on Saturday celebrating the King's official birthday. Wills wore the Full Ceremonial Guard Order of the Welsh Guards yesterday during the parade. His two sons, George and Louis, looked dapper in suits with red ties. Prince William saluted while on horseback, alongside Princess Anne and the Duke of Edinburgh. Kate, meanwhile, looked elegant in an aquamarine Catherine Walker coatdress with ivory lapels and cuffs. A family photo from Saturday's event was shared on Instagram after with the Wales' beaming. This year's celebrations marked Charles' third Trooping the Colour parade as monarch.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
George, Charlotte and Louis share Father's Day tribute to Prince William
Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, have wished their father, the Prince of Wales, a happy Father's Day in a social media post that declared: "We love you!" Two new photographs of Prince William and his three children were released on Sunday to mark the occasion. The first picture shows the prince and his children posing for a family picture in a garden, while in the second picture, William and the youngsters are shown wrestling playfully in the grass, with the two boys holding their father down and Charlotte laughing. In their post, the three children wrote: 'Happy Father's Day, Papa (before and after!) We love you!' The message was signed 'G, C & L' followed by a sparkly heart emoji. Kensington Palace said the photographs were taken by professional photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk earlier this year. The King and Queen have also wished fathers around the world a happy Father's Day by posting photographs of their own fathers on the royal family's Instagram account. 'To all Dads everywhere, we wish you a happy Father's Day today,' the official account said. The post shared a photograph of the late Prince Philip playing with a young Charles and the Princess Royal on a swing. A picture of Camilla and her father Major Bruce Shand was also shared, showing the pair posing for a photograph on Camilla and Charles's wedding day on April 9 2005. The three children joined their grandfather, the King, the Queen, and their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, to watch a flypast of military aircraft from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Saturday. Louis, wearing a red tie and dark suit that matched his brother's, began enthusiastically waving at the crowd, drawing big cheers from those standing in the Mall to watch the Red Arrows fly overhead. He briefly stopped to turn around and address his father, then continued to wave and grin until George gently nudged him to stop by touching his arm. But the youngest prince could not resist giving the crowd one last wave as his family retreated into Buckingham Palace after the flypast ended. The children had ridden to Horse Guards Parade with their mother and sister in a carriage earlier in the day to watch the troops celebrating the King's official birthday.
