PROBOSCIS TONGUES AND DEMONIC QUEEFING
June 15, 2015 9:41 AM   Subscribe

An overview of folklore, religion and popular intuition surrounding childbirth, pregnant women, and young infants: abortion by aswang, blood-drinking Lilith, curses from witches, skeletal-faced spirits, and demonic births. content advisory: infant mortality

From the excellent Death and the Maiden blog, which examines the relationship between women and death.
posted by Juliet Banana (5 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite
 
What a great blog concept -- I'll have to read the rest of it. Childbirth is the original body horror.

Interesting that she notes hydatidiform moles; I didn't know that had happened to Anne Hutchinson. That particular phenomenon may be the reason that, in the 13th century, Margaret, Countess of Henneberg, was said to have given birth to 365 tiny children at once.

Can anyone read the Lilith Amulet and give an idea of what it says in general? Just psalms or spells?
posted by Countess Elena at 10:16 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]


Bookmarked for much later perusal!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:06 AM on June 15, 2015


Don't let any pregnant moms read this! It is hard enough dealing with the horror stories from moms, aunts, neighbors, people on the bus etc. Think good thoughts, assume all will be well, don't learn too much about all that could go wrong. Pray if that is your thing, wear amulets, don't buy too much baby stuff until after the baby arrives. Eat good food, don't drink, walk and swim and think about healthy happy babies, not demons! Lets get some positive Old Wives Tales going for the young moms, says this Old Wife:-)
posted by mermayd at 2:00 PM on June 15, 2015


Childbirth is the original body horror.
Which is why some people claim that this book (trigger warning: explicit AND cartoony) is "The Most Traumatizing Kids Book Ever". Wiser minds disagree.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:53 PM on June 15, 2015


abortion by aswang

The aswang was featured on the creepiest episode of Grimm.
posted by homunculus at 2:20 PM on July 1, 2015


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