Words Matter Lecture 2024 with Dr Zoe Enstone

This year’s Words Matter Lecture- ‘Witch; sorceress; fairy; fay; goddess? Magical women in the literature of the fifteenth century and today’, was delivered by Dr Zoë Enstone, who shared her research on the magical women of fifteenth-century literature and their ongoing impact on contemporary culture.
As modern readers, we are often familiar with the tropes of Arthurian romance such as brave knights, damsels in distress, wise wizards, and dragons to be slain, many of which have been reshaped over centuries into fairy tales or children’s literature. However, the medieval romances themselves were often much more complicated than these aspects would suggest and offer a fascinating glimpse into the social and political concerns of a tumultuous historical period.
Zoë explores the developments of these Arthurian romances, which often featured magical women who were powerful, autonomous, and sometimes threatening figures, acting in ways that challenged the ideals of the court. She examines whether these portrayals reflect broader anxieties within an evolving Christian context, including the rising concerns around witchcraft and magic. Words really do matter, as the interplay of traditions and motivations saw these women shifting between categorisations like goddess, fairy and witch. Zoë will also explore some of the ways these works have influenced the more recent literature, especially given the rise of ‘witcherature’ and a renewed interest in the magical.