This is the beginning of a series of irregular posts for paid subscribers—sketches for a book I thought I might write about Orcadian women accused of witchcraft.
I am obsessed with ship figureheads, stories of ‘storm witches’ and the places where these things intersect. Figureheads are anthropomorphic sculptures embodying the spirit of a vessel. They are a refined, surreal evolution from the dragon heads on Viking ships. At the height of naval sea faring, figureheads were often depicted as women, as the ship was gendered female, yet women were not allowed on board as sailors. Figureheads could be embody graces and virtues, but they could also be monstrous—medusas or witches.