Threads of Life: The Golden Age Midwife admdist Cloth, Tissue and Antique Deities of Fate

Sabrina Grohsebner

doi:10.25365/adv.2020.1.6175

Authors

Sabrina Grohsebner University of Vienna https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4648-0885

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25365/adv.2020.1.6175

Keywords:

The Interpretation of Childbirth in Early Modern Spain, childbirth, tria fata, threads, weaving, spinning, Lucina, Juno, Moirae, Parcae, Golden Age, Siglo de Oro, Spain, Parca, midwife, cloth, Sisters of Fate, handicraft, fate, pregnancy, labour, textile labour, destiny, Virgin Mary

Abstract

In Golden Age Spain, childbirth assistance intertwined with ritualistic practices mediated by midwives. This study explores the symbolic significance of childbirth rituals, drawing parallels with ancient Roman and Greek deities of fate. The midwife, akin to the divine sisters of destiny, assumes a multifaceted role, shaping both physical and moral destinies. Symbolic associations between textile production and reproduction further enrich the analysis, revealing societal perceptions of female handcrafters and midwives. Through an examination of literary, artistic, and cultural artifacts, this research uncovers the intricate connections between fate, reproduction, and handicrafts in Golden Age society. It also suggests avenues for further exploration, including the representation of the umbilical cord, social attitudes towards different fabric productions, and etymological investigations into relevant terminology. Ultimately, this study illuminates the profound cultural and symbolic dimensions of childbirth assistance in Golden Age Spain.

References

Aichinger, W. “Childbirth Rhythms and Childbirth Ritual in Early Modern Spain, together with some Comments on the Virtues of Midwives.” Hipogrifo, 6 (1), 2018: 391–415.

Aichinger, W., & Dulmovits, A.-V. “Escenarios de parto y bautismo de urgencia en libros de bautismo del siglo XVII.” Revista Historia Autónoma, 16, 2020, 13-35.

Bachofen, J. J. (1992). Myth, Religion and Motherright. Princeton University Press.

Bernis, C., & Varea, C. “Hour of Birth and Birth Assistance: From a Primate to a Medicalized Pattern?” American Journal of Human Biology, 24.1, 2012: 14-21.

Bicks, C. Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare’s England. New York: Routledge, 2017.

Boccaccio, G. Spinstress. [Drawing] (~1460). In Fox, S. [Ed.]. The Medieval Woman. An Illuminated Book of Days. Boston: [s.e.], 1985.

Brodersen, K. Metzler Lexikon Antike. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2006.

Calero Fernández, M. Á. “Sobre los oficios femeninos en el refranero español: la mujer y la costura.” Paremia, 7, 1998, 43-52.

Carrasco, D. The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2012.

Ceán Bermúdez, J. A. Historia del arte de la pintura. In Aterido, Á. (Ed.). Corpus Velazqueño. Documentos y textos. Madrid, 2000, 733–735.

Collins, J. (1823). A dictionary of Spanish proverbs. [s.s.]: G. and WB Whittaker.

Correas, G. Vocabulario de refranes y frases proverbiales [1627], ed. Combet, L., Madrid: Castalia, 2000.

da Costa Fontes, M. “Martínez de Toledo’s ‘Nightmare’ and the Courtly and Oral Traditions.” In Armistead, G. [Ed.]. Oral tradition and Hispanic literature: essays in honour of Samuel G. Armistead. London: Taylor & Francis, 1995, 189-216.

Dasen, V. “Roman Birth Rites of Passage Revisited.” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 22, 2009, 199–214.

Dasen, V. “Childbirth and Infancy in Greek and Roman Antiquity.” In B. Rawson (Ed.), A Companion to Families in the Greek and Roman World. John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 291-314.

De Angeli, S. “Problemi di iconografia romana: dalle Moire alle Parche.” In L. Kahil & P. Linant de Bellefonds (Eds.), Rel., myth., iconographie, MEFRA, 103, 1991, 105-128.

de Rojas, F. La Celestina, ed. Lobera, F. J., Serés, G., Díaz-Mas, P., Mota, C., Arzálluz, I. R., & Rico, F. Real Academia Española - Galaxia Gutenberg-Círculo de Lectores, 2011.

Filippini, N. M. Generare, Partorire, Nascere: Una Storia Dall’antichità Alla Provetta. Roma: Viella, 2017.

Fischer-Monzón, H. “Nacer en tiempos de Calderón: Lucina, Diana y (la) Luna, las diosas lunares del parto en el Siglo de Oro.” Memoria y Civilización, 21, 2018a, 61-88.

Fischer-Monzón, H. “Divine Interference in Royal Affairs: New Perspectives on Lucina, the Roman Goddess of Birth and Shadow of the Virgin Mary in Catholic Early Modern Spain.” Hipogrifo, 6 (1), 2018b, 451-465.

Gélis, J. Die Geburt: Volksglaube, Rituale und Praktiken von 1500-1900. München: Diederichs, 1989.

Gourevitch, D. “Comment rendre à sa véritable nature le petit monstre humain?” In P. J. van der Eijk, H. F. J. Horstmanshoff, & P. J. Schrijvers (Eds.), Ancient medicine in its socio-cultural context. Amsterdam: P.H.J., 1994, 239-260.

Hellwig, K. Aby Warburg und Fritz Saxl enträtseln Velázquez: ein spanisches Intermezzo zum Nachleben der Antike. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2015.

Henrichs, A. “Parcae.” In H. Cancik, H. Schneider, & M. Landfester (Eds.), Der neue Pauly, 2006.

Jaeger, F. Enzyklopädie Der Neuzeit, Vols. 3, 6, and 14. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2006-2011.

Kilian, I. “Weihungen an Eileithyia Und Artemis Orthia.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 31, 1978, 219–222.

Ortega y Gasset, J. Velázquez. Madrid: Editorial Espasa Calpe, 1999.

Ortega, M., & Morant Deusa, I. [Coords.]. Historia De Las Mujeres En España Y América Latina: 2: El Mundo Moderno. Madrid: Ed. Cátedra, 2006.

Park, K. Secrets of women. Gender, generation, and the origins of human dissection. New York, NY: Zone Books, 2006.

Rawson, B. [Ed.]. A companion to families in the Greek and Roman worlds. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

Schaus, G. P. [Ed.]. Stymphalos: The Acropolis Sanctuary. University of Toronto Press, 2014.

Schröder, H. O. “Fatum (Heimarmene).” In H. O. Schröder (Ed.), Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, 7. Stuttgart, 1969, 524–563.

Strosetzki, C. Calderón. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2011.

Thompson, E. P. “Tiempo, disciplina de trabajo y capitalismo industrial.” In E. P. Thompson, Tradición, revuelta y consciencia de clase. Estudios sobre la crisis de la sociedad preindustrial. Barcelona: Crítica, 1984.

Trambaioli, M. “Las divinidades nefastas: Desde la tragedia clásica hasta la fiesta teatral de la España barroca.” Criticón, 120, 2014, 305-327.

Türk, K. Bilder Der Arbeit. Eine Ikonografische Anthologie. Opladen: Westdt. Verl., 2000.

Weiss, C. “Deae fata nascentibus canunt.” In H. Froning, T. Hölscher, & H. Mielsch (Eds.), Kotinos. Festschrift für Erika Simon. Mainz, 1992, 366–374.

Willets, R. F. “Cretan Eileithyia.” The Classical Quarterly, 8 (3/4), 1958, 221-223.

Wilson, R. “Observations on English Bodies: Licensing Maternity in Shakespeare’s Plays.” In R. Burt & J. M. Archer (Eds.), Enclosure Acts: Sexuality, Property, and Culture in Early Modern England. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press, 1996, 133-134.