In this week’s episode Max Dashu speaks with Joanna about: the long history of women suppression; witchcraft accusation for land theft from women; the crusade against the Cathars; the consolidation of feudalism and the early witch hunts; the influence of the Roman legal code in the Spanish persecutions; patterns of abuse, “witch and whore”; accusations as a tool of control of the female population; the chastity ordeal of fire, back to ancient Vedic and Biblical times; the dynamics of scapegoating.

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document women’s history from an international perspective. She built a collection of 15.000 slides and 30.000 digital images, and has created 150 slideshows on female cultural heritage across human history. Dashu’s work bridges the gap between academia and grassroots education. Max Dashu is known for her expertise on ancient female iconography in world archaeology, women shamans, witches and the witch hunts; mother-right cultures, patriarchies and the origins of domination. Dashu has published Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1000 (Veleda Press, 2016). This book is Vol. VII in the 15-volume series “Secret History of the Witches”, with two more volumes forthcoming. She has also produced two videos on dvd: “Women’s Power in Global Perspective” (2008) and “Woman Shaman: The Ancients” (2013).

“I Can’t Sit Still”, original music by Evarusnik

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