In this powerful opening episode of our Wrath series, we begin unpacking the long, twisted history of how women’s anger, sexuality and emotional expression have been pathologised, feared, and demonised throughout the ages.

We trace the roots of "hysteria" and "melancholy" from ancient Egyptian beliefs about the wandering womb, through Hippocrates' dubious sex-based prescriptions, to medieval Europe’s descent into superstition and sin. We trace how diagnoses like hysteria and melancholy were used to explain—and control—women’s bodies and behaviour. Along the way, we explore how very real medical conditions — like endometriosis — were misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and transformed from bodily afflictions to signs of madness, evil, and even witchcraft.

We also touch on the early roots of the European witch hunts and how the seeds of fear, misogyny, and moral panic began to grow. This episode digs into the early myths that still echo in modern medicine and lays the foundation for Part 2, where we dive deeper into the witch trials, including the brutal history of the Scottish hunts and the infamous Scold’s Bridle.

🧠🔥 Check out our blog post for references and further reading — and stay tuned for Part 2.

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