Cat Stiles

Join me tomorrow at South Square in Bradford for Heritage Open Days, where I'll be telling the story of Mary Sykes, a woman who lived in Bradford almost 400 years ago that stood trial accused of witchcraft...

#HeritageOpenDays #WomenInHistory #Witches

Join me for Heritage Open Days at South Square in Bradford!

I'll be telling the story of Mary Sykes, a woman from Bradford accused of witchcraft in 1649, and uncovering the history of English witch trials.

Totally free to attend and no need to book!

Back at Bolling Hall today delivering 3 family friendly talks about Mary Sykes, a Bradford woman accused of witchcraft in 1649.

Really pleased to be doing this as part of the first ever Bradford Heritage Festival!

Congratulations!! 🎉

It's this weekend!

On Saturday, I'll be at Bolling Hall museum telling the story of Mary Sykes who was accused of witchcraft in 1649. We'll be looking at what her neighbours said about her & the history of witchcraft in Yorkshire. Plus kids will learn about witch bottles & have a go at making one!

And I couldn't be prouder 😅

Next Jennifer De Biasio explores the co-production of the witch in Lucerne in the latter half of the C15th, comprised of contradictory popular and elite beliefs

The story of Els von Mersberg using magic to counter domestic violence and sexual assault against women was a highlight!

#MagicWitchCon

Our last panel of the conference, kicking off with Anna Kalkaeva taking us through female witches and male sorcerers in nineteenth century German folklore (Sagen)

#MagicWitchCon

Another great keynote from Rita Voltmer on the many faces of the European witch, ending with a call for semantic respect for the accused who fought, often in vain, not to go down in history as a witch

#MagicWitchCon

Proudest moment of #MagicWitchCon was definitely introducing @witchesetc.bsky.social to a new witch!

I will never stop talking about Miracola...

Then another great talk by Nikolas Brusletto covering centuries of magic and witchcraft beliefs in Norway from the pre-Christian period to the early modern witch trials

#MagicWitchCon

Kicking off day 3 with an incredibly fascinating paper from Joanna Paschendag on the role of accusations of sorcery in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and colonisation in the US

#MagicWitchCon

Now moving onto Ellie Whitehead on Sinclair's Satans Invisible World Discovered and the relationship between the scientific revolution and witch hunting in seventeenth century Scotland, especially the rising need for empirical evidence

#MagicWitchCon

Concluding the day with another great panel! First up we had Paolo Portone on the development of the modern positive meaning of strega in Italy

#MagicWitchCon

Too busy chairing the last panel to share about the papers individually, but some fascinating talks by @toujoursbizarre.bsky.social , Dan Harms and Neil Tarrant!

#MagicWitchCon

Really fascinating talk from @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social on Unstoppering the Witch-Bottle

Next up, Vitória Rama on ancient Mesopotamian witches as illegitimate practitioners of magic who were considered both a threat to society and enemy of the state combatted by complex rituals performed by exorcists who were agents of the temple who worked for the social elite

#MagicWitchCon

For the second panel of the day we have Maria Tsitsani discussing the importance of magical charms and spells in 4th century papyri for providing psychological reinforcement and symbolic authority to victims of injustice in often ineffective ancient legal systems

#MagicWitchCon

Great morning so far at #MagicWitchCon in York! Some fascinating papers so far yesterday and today.

So excited to be part of the programme of the first ever Bradford Heritage Festival!

I'll once again be bringing the story of Mary Sykes, a Bradford woman accused of witchcraft in 1649, to life, & talking about the historical context of the English witch trials

bradfordheritageconnection.co.uk

📣🚨 CFP: Neurodiversity Special Issue: A Critical Turn in Neurodiversity Studies: Bridging the Arts, Humanities and the Social Sciences 📣🚨

📝Abstract deadline: 3 August 2025
✉️ Please share widely with arts, humanities and social science networks!

Full call: journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cm...

So excited to be heading to York next month for this amazing conference!

My paper will explore themes of sex, desire and embodiment in cultural depictions of witches in the seventeenth century.

Online tickets also available!

A picture of Cat Stiles, Konnie Huq and Andra Chelcea at an event for Primary School children for Bradford 2025

I don't often post about my job, but sometimes it's just too cool not to share...

I spent all of Friday with Blue Peter legend, Konnie Huq, talking to Bradford primary school children about writing, drawing & science. And thanks to the National Literacy Trust we were able to donate over 300 books!

Excited to speak at the Magic & Witchcraft Conference at @crems-york.bsky.social in June!

My paper, "Sex Specific:
The Witch, Desire & Embodiment in Early Modern Culture", will explore how witchcraft is written onto the bodies of the real accused women and literary fantasies of witches

A sketchbook page with written word, painted images, and a sticker. The painted images are of drag king Eugene Delacroissant in a couple of bright outfits and also waving the inclusive LGBT+ flag on a sword; one of the speakers, and of the etching of two women on a grave. The sticker is of two women kissing with the words "The Lovers" under it, signifying the tarot card. The text reads: Queer-Ying The Museum: Daggers & Drag - 1pm Tournament Galley, Floor 4 - Claire Mead. Queer Rep in Arms - 1:45pm Newsroom, Floor 4 - Katie Vernon. Hidden Queer Histories - 3pm, Floor 2 - Kit Heyam. Performing Masculinity - 3:45pm, Newsroom, Fllor 4 - Cat Stiles. Around Eugene are the quotes: "Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need... QUEER IT" and "This is all me, I organised ALL of this" with a winky face. There is also a signature by Eugene. Around the small sketch of the talker Cat are the quotes: "The awkward moment when early medieval Catholic France is more accepting than... JK Rowling" and "Helkiah Crooke, Great Name" By the etching are the names Agnes Oxenbridge and Elizabeth Ethingham, with "By each other" as a note, and other notes pointing to them saying "Buried together" "Hair down = unmarried" and "They were 'Good Friends' " There is also a note which says: (La) Chevalier d'Eon, Trans ICON, Presentation Sword at Armouries.

A sketchbook page featuring illustrations, a collage, and written notes. The illustrations are of a Female Pageant St George (also the note by it), an illustration of Penthésilee - Tapestry in Chateau d'Angers (also the note by it), a painted rainbow flag, a bollock dagger, a sketch of armour worn by Henry VIII, a sketch of Mary Frith/Moll Curpurse, and an unfinished sketch of a Daemonologie border. There are collaged images from the talk featuring knights and the actual image of Penthésilee - Tapestry in Chateau d'Angers The texts reads: "Female Masculinity = Sword Lesbians??? Maybe." "Paegents (sic) & Medeival (sic) Tournaments were early Queer Crossdressing? Perhaps." Which leads to "Ladies dressed as men, with knives across the belly in pouches." Which leads to "No punishment." Which also leads to the drawing of the Ballock (sic) Dagger with "(early to mid 15thC ) labelled under it. Above all of the written in pink is "Here, I am seen" Written by Henry VIII's armour is "Fellas, is it effeminate to love women?" with a drawing of an angry face saying "Stop trying to attract women and run the country!" By the drawing of Moll Cutpurse are the notes "The Roaring Girl" and "Problematic Fave". Notes on the left of the image are: "This one looks like a generic gun and that's kind of the point - Brown Bess (generic brown gun), Floor 2" with "I wanna marry and kiss Brown Bess" and "Lesbian song" pointing to it. "Winchester Rifle - Floor 5" "Forget Me not Fun - Floor 5 Engagement Rings!" with blue flowers painted by it. "C18th Trans Sword - Floor 5. 'I am a woman written on sword' Remember me to friends" On the bottom of the page reads "(about queer rep) ' We are looking for a ghost in the archive...' Cat Stiles"

Close Ups of the sketchbook pages! Writing is in the Alt Text.
Featuring: @carmineclaire.bsky.social @katievernon.bsky.social @krheyam.bsky.social and @catsfstiles.bsky.social

Love this, Beth!

I absolutely need this

Picture of Cat Stiles, a woman in her mid thirties with dark curly hair, wearing a black top and embroidered corset, and standing in front of an illustration of the Battle of the Spurs in the Tournament Gallery at the Royal Armouries

Really excited to be back at @royalarmouries.bsky.social today as part of their LGBTQIA+ History Month.

I'll be giving a talk later this afternoon about early modern bodies and masculinity (with added swords!)

Queer-ying the museum 1 March 2025

This Saturday (1st March) I'll be speaking about bodies, sex, and gender (with added swords!) in the Tudor period as part of the Royal Armouries LGBTQIA+ History Month event 🏳️‍🌈

#LGBTQIAHistoryMonth

royalarmouries.org/leeds/whats-...

A picture of Cat Stiles, a 33 year old woman with dark curly hair in Tudor inspired clothing

Last week I was at Bolling Hall in Bradford sharing the history of English witch trials, and especially the story of Mary Sykes, the witch of Bowling with local families. And most importantly of all, they let me do it on costume 😂

#witchtrials #historian #bradford