It was a deeply meaningful experience to create an artwork for the Medicine Spoon Memorial. This international collaborative art memorial led by artist Caren Thompson intends to honor and acknowledge the women who were persecuted as witches in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales during the European Witch Hunts of 1450-1750.

 

Caren sent participants a piece of pre-loved fabric with a spoon printed on it along with the name of a woman who was persecuted. Participants created a spoon in the woman's honor and mailed it back to be displayed in a vast collection of prayer flags. You can find out more here.

The woman my spoon is dedicated to is Dorothy Lee. Dorothy was hanged in 1646 in King's Lynn under the persecution of the murderous "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins. She was an innocent woman and her name, like her unjust accusation, trial and murder, is just a small note in the court records. The symbol under Dorothy's name in the spoon I created for her is the symbol of the "Witch's Heart" in King's Lynn. In 1590, years before Dorothy was murdered, another woman--Margaret Read-- was accused and burned at the stake for the crime of witchcraft. According to local legend, Margaret's heart burst from her body and hit the wall of a nearby building, leaving a permanent mark which is still marked today with this symbol. Dorothy would have lived in the shadow of that mark, understood what it meant--knowing that a woman could be accused and horrifically murdered. Perhaps this caused her fear, perhaps her family knew Margaret, perhaps she felt safer knowing a "witch" was purged from her community, never thinking it she might find herself in the same position.

The Medicine Spoon Memorial is important, sacred, healing work. Historic witch trials have everything to do with the experience of being a woman throughout time. Understanding the perversion of justice and religion to malign innocent women and the lack of agency these women had to change their fate is an important lesson that resonates to this day. I feel honored to have participated and that my contribution will join the many, many beautiful, lovingly created spoons created by others all over the world.