I've Got Friends in Low Places... And Low Countries: Folk Magic in the Netherlands with Nay Noordman

Sitting precariously below sea level and stuck between larger nations  often at odds with each other, the Netherlands has always stood at a  crossroads.  Indeed, the famed secularism of the Low Countries can be  seen as essential to the region's survival.  But what happens when we  take a look outside of the glistening trading cities of Holland?  What  do we see when we look to the provinces that are often unmentioned  during the Dutch Golden Age?  This class will focus on the lesser known  folklore and cunning arts found in the farmlands and fishing villages of  the Northern and Eastern provinces of the Netherlands -- places that  sit at their own crossroads of older regional traditions and modern  national identity.  Topics will include the veneration of mighty dead  and folk saints that survived the Reformation, the Duivelbanners who  continued to practice their magical arts openly in some provinces into  the 20th century, the cultural context of the Witch and the Devil, and  the Otherwordly spirits who can both cure and curse.

This is a 120 minute, foundational level lecture.

About the Presenter:

Nay is a wortcunner and armchair ethnobotanist living in the Pacific  Northwest.  Born to a family of sea-faring storytellers, she took a  great interest in ancestral tales of Black Books, elves, and helpful  household spirits -- all of which have influenced her current mundane  and magical practices.  A lifelong student of plant medicine, she has  participated in advanced training and taught courses in the fundamentals  of herbalism, aromatherapy, and flower essences.  She is delighted to  share her folkloric and botanical obsessions with you today.