Science on Tap: “The Science and Magic of Fairy-Tale Birth”
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Date:
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May 14, 2012
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Time:
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6:00 p.m.
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Location:
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National Mechanics
22 S. Third Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106 |
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Open to the Public |
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Fee:
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Free
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Many fairy tales begin with a king and a queen who desperately want to have a child. The range of remedies offered in early modern fairy tales suggest uncertainty and anxiety about women’s bodies, where children come from, and how to prevent pregnancies from going horribly wrong. For example, fairy tales are filled with monstrous births that happen as the result of an imprudent wish, unfortunate cravings, or failing to follow directions.
In this talk Linda J. Lee will consider how early modern European fairy-tale writers and collectors combined the scientific and magical thinking of their times to address anxieties about infertility, pregnancy, sex selection, and anomalous births.
Linda J. Lee is a student in the Graduate Program in Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania.
Science on Tap is a monthly gathering that features a brief, informal presentation by a scientist or other expert followed by lively conversation.
Presented by the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
Open to the public (age 21+ or accompanied by chaperone 25 years or older).
Register for an event link