Digital Event Type: Zoom Lecture

Dream Horror – A Halloween Evening of Fear on Film – Dr Murray Leeder – Zoom

Dream Horror – A Halloween Evening of Fear on Film

To celebrate Halloween, the Last Tuesday Society is hosting a presentation on the role of dreams in horror films.

Join Dr Murray Leeder as he examines the role of dreams in horror films and proposes “dream horror” as a mode for horror. The nightmare functions for horror sort of as the fairy tale does for the romantic comedy: as a kind of ur-signifier. Dream sequences have often represented a point of contact between horror and art cinema, since they license moments of avant-garde experimentation couched within narrative. They also represent moments where horror irrupts into other genres (e.g. the dream ballet in Oklahoma! (1955)). But, as we shall see, dreams are also often representations of occluded truths about patriarchal capitalism that need not be woken up from but woken up to. As Rosemary yells in Rosemary’s Baby (1968), ‘This is no dream! This is really happening!’

Bio

Murray Leeder is ATS Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Arts – English & Film Studies Department, University of Alberta. He is the author of Horror Film: A Critical Introduction (Bloomsbury, 2018), The Modern Supernatural and the Beginnings of Cinema (2017) and Halloween (Auteur, 2014), and editor of Cinematic Ghosts: Haunting and Spectrality from Silent Cinema to the Digital Era (Bloomsbury, 2015) and ReFocus: The Films of William Castle (2018). He has published in such journals as Horror Studies, The Canadian Journal of Film Studies, The Journal of Popular Culture and The Journal of Popular Film and Television.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. She lives in Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesvos.

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Daisy Wheel, Hexfoil, Six-Petal Rosette & Flower of Life: One Symbol’s Journey – Wayne Perkins – Zoom

Daisy Wheel, Hexafoil, Flower of Life: One Symbol’s Journey

The six-petal rosette is well known to graffiti hunters, sometimes referred to as a daisy wheel. To geometers it is known as a hexfoil (or hexafoil) and to the adherents of the New Age as the ‘Flower of Life.’

It is first recorded as a solar symbol in Near East in the 8th century BC, flanking a Syrian solar deity – although there are claims that it can be seen in the symbolic art of earlier cultures.

It appears on the Gundestrup Cauldron; an object melding Celtic, Thracian and Near Eastern mythical symbolism. Two rosettes flank a Goddess, surrounded by exotic creatures which seem to be elephants, winged griffins, and a large feline.

The symbol was carried west by the Roman Legionnaires where it often appears on their headstones. The Merovingians of the 5th century deployed the symbol alongside pagan imagery on their grave slabs. By the 8th century, it was adopted by the Carolingians and embedded within their sacred architecture.

In early Medieval Europe it was used to invoke the protection of the Virgin, sometimes placed as a ‘crown’ in holy sculptures from the Mediterranean. By the time it arrived in England, it was considered to be the motif most appropriate for the pilgrim ampullae of Our Lady of Walsingham, the second most important shrine in England after Thomas Beckets shrine Canterbury.

Following the Black Death, the symbol was appropriated by the new elite class to adorn and protect their high-status buildings in the Tudor age. To show its durability, it even went on to have a further life as a motif used on headstones in the New World.

This talk will follow the symbol’s journey of appropriation by ancient cultures, up to the point when it becomes part of the  repertoire  of symbols sacred to Christianity. The talk  will focus upon the corpora of medieval graffiti, where it was often associated with fonts and follow it through to the Early Modern Period, where it was adopted by the elites to protect their grand residences and fortifications.

Speaker Bio

Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist of 23 years with a special interest in apotropaic graffiti, folklore and concealed objects recovered from ancient buildings.

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Witchcraft In Kent: The Archaeological Evidence – Wayne Perkins – Zoom

Witchcraft In Kent: The Archaeological Evidence

History has shown us that the Witch – as conceived of as the broom-riding hag stereotype –   was essentially the delusional construct of the misogynist cleric Heinrich Kramer.

His insidious ideas were perpetuated via the publication of  ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ (Hammer of the Witches) in 1486, a propagandist tract which came complete with fake approbations from his Faculty in Cologne. Condemned on release, numerous reprints over the years continued to disseminate his ideas, contrary to intellectual thought elsewhere.

As Kramer’s assertions were fantasy, it would be therefore safe to assume that no one had ever been harmed by so-called ‘maleficium.’

And yet, Kent’s Assize Court Records are full of indictments of those accused of practising malignant witchcraft and the subsequent judgements which led to their execution. Following the Witchcraft Act of 1562, indictments for murder by witchcraft had begun to appear in the historical record.

This illustrated talk uses a combination of survey, local case studies and the examination of the key witchcraft trials in the county to paint a picture of 17th century Kent. It was second only to Essex to have the highest number of witchcraft indictments in England

Speaker Bio

Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist of 23 years with a special interest in apotropaic graffiti, folklore and concealed objects recovered from ancient buildings.

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John Schorne, Gentleman Born, Conjured the Devil into a Boot – Wayne Perkins – Zoom

John Schorne, Gentleman Born, Conjured the Devil into a Boot

‘Master,’ ‘Maister’ or ‘Sir’ John Schorn(e), Rector of North Marston, Buckinghamshire died in 1314, reputed to have possessed miraculous powers of healing sickness in both animals and humans.

His most infamous miracle was when he conjured the devil into a boot! A second legend recounts the time when struck the ground with his staff from which a spring gushed forth. The water was said to be excellent for curing the ‘ague’ (malaria) and gout!

Following his death in the 14th century, his shrine became the third most popular after Canterbury & Walsingham – yet, mysteriously, he remained uncanonised!

This talk will seek to illustrate the circumstances for his non-canonisation, of how his bones were ‘translated ‘to St George’s Chapel at Windsor and how his ‘territory of grace’ spread out to encompass the south of England.

Speaker Bio

Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist of 23 years with a special interest in apotropaic graffiti, folklore and concealed objects recovered from ancient buildings.

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1930’s Cairo: Jinn summoners and mystics – Dr Raphael Cormack – Zoom

1930’s Cairo: Jinn summoners and mystics

In 1930’s Cairo there was a police campaign to shut down the shadow world of Jinn summoners and mystics. At the same time, another group emerged, the hypnotists and spiritualists inspired by the scientific progress of the 20th century. This talk puts these two phenomena alongside each other, looking at one of the most famous court cases of the 1930’s, involving an Italian woman who had married one of the kings of the Jinn world, and at some of the most famous hypnotists of modern Cairo. Looking at these two things together, the talk will explore questions of gender, modernity, and East-West relations in a completely new way.

Bio

Raphael Cormack is Assistant Professor of Arabic at Durham University. He is a writer, translator, and editor. His first book, Midnight in Cairo, was about the female stars of Egypt’s early 20th century entertainment scene. Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age, about the transnational history of the occult in the 1920’s and 1930’s, is his second book.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. She lives in Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesvos.

Caption

Dr Salomon, Arabic hypnotist and his medium Emile.

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Will You Join The Dance? A brief history of the Danse Macabre – Cat Irving – Zoom

Will You Join The Dance? A brief history of the Danse Macabre

The Dance of Death was an artistic trope that began in the fifteenth century to show death as the great leveller: everyone will die, from the lowliest peasant to the king and the pope. Death is depicted as a skeleton, leading people from all walks of life to join his dance. This talk will look at the origins of this image, and the way it evolved, and tied in with other memento mori images, as well as reflecting shifts in anatomical understanding

Bio:

Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for over twenty years. After a degree in Anatomical Science she began removing brains and sewing up bodies at the Edinburgh City Mortuary. Following training in the care of wet tissue collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England she worked with the preparations of William Hunter at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University, where she is now Consultant Human Remains Conservator. Cat is a licensed anatomist, and gives regular talks on anatomy and medical history. She recently carried out conservation work on the skeleton of serial killer William Burke

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Latin American Mythology and Legends – Gods, Ghosts, and Forbidden Forests – Lena Heide Brennand – Zoom

Latin American Mythology and Legends – Gods, Ghosts, and Forbidden Forests

From the whispering jungles of the Amazon to the haunted streets of colonial cities, Latin America is steeped in stories that blur the line between myth and reality. Join us for a captivating journey through a continent rich in ancient deities, shape-shifting spirits, bloodthirsty creatures, and heroic tricksters.

This lecture dives into the mythologies of the Aztec, Maya, Inca, and lesser-known Indigenous cultures—alongside folk legends like La Llorona, El Silbón, and the Chupacabra. Discover how colonialism, Catholicism, and native beliefs intertwined to create some of the most potent and haunting lore on Earth.

Whether you’re drawn to the gods of the sun and maize, or the weeping woman who wanders by moonlight, this is a night of stories that will enchant, terrify, and inspire.

Speaker Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience, Lena’s New Book – Mythical Creatures in Scandinavian Folklore is now available on Amazon

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Pox and Prejudice: The Story of Syphilis Through the Ages – Lena Heide Brennand & Cat Irving – Zoom

Plagues of Passion: A History of Herpes, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Hepatitis & HIV — A 6- Part Lecture Series Exploring the Dark Intimacies of Disease

Lecture One – Pox and Prejudice: The Story of Syphilis Through the Ages

From the whispered shame of ancient courtesans to the bio-political battlegrounds of the 20th century, this gripping lecture series traces the strange and scandalous journeys of five of history’s most infamous sexually transmitted infections: Herpes, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Hepatitis, and HIV.

Uncover how these infections shaped empires, influenced religion and morality, inspired grotesque treatments and cruel laws — and gave rise to some of the most ground-breaking medical breakthroughs of the modern age. With each session focusing on one disease, we’ll dive into its origin myths, sociocultural impact, evolving medical responses, and the enduring human stories behind the statistics.

Expect mummified syphilitics, Cold War paranoia, ancient Egyptian condoms, tabloid fearmongering, wartime brothels, queer resistance, blood politics, and the science of stigma.

History has never been this intimate.

Speaker Bio

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience, Lena’s New Book – Mythical Creatures in Scandinavian Folklore is now available on Amazon

Speaker Bio:

Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for over twenty years. After a degree in Anatomical Science she began removing brains and sewing up bodies at the Edinburgh City Mortuary. Following training in the care of wet tissue collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England she worked with the preparations of William Hunter at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University, where she is now Consultant Human Remains Conservator. Cat is a licensed anatomist, and gives regular talks on anatomy and medical history. She recently carried out conservation work on the skeleton of serial killer William Burke

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Fairy Tales: Their Ancient Origins – Professor Debbie Felton – Zoom

Fairy Tales: Their Ancient Origins

Did you know that the story of “Cinderella” can be traced back to ancient Greece of 2,500 years ago? How about “Beauty and the Beast,” based on the 2,000-year-old Roman story of “Cupid and Psyche”? These are just two examples of the many fairy tales that have their origins in the ancient world. This talk explores the nature of fairy tales in antiquity and their influence on later tales. We will explore ancient Egyptian stories, a medieval “Little Red Riding Hood,” and variants in the collections of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and others.

Image: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, ‘The Abduction of Psyche’ (1895).

Bio

Debbie Felton is Professor of Classics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she teaches ancient Greek and Latin as well as various courses in translation, such as “Fairy Tales in the Ancient World,” “Magic in the Ancient Mediterranean,” and “Monsters of Classical Myths—and Their Meanings.” She specializes in folklore in classical literature and has published on various folklore-related topics including ghosts and witches. She is the author of Ghost Stories from Classical Antiquity (1999) and Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History (2021). She has also edited several volumes, including A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity (2021) and The Oxford Handbook of Monsters in Classical Myth (2024).

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. She lives in Mytilene.

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Medusa: A History in 3,000 Years – Professor Debbie Felton – Zoom

Medusa: A History in 3,000 Years

In her role as a seemingly destructive female from classical mythology, Medusa continues to fascinate and disturb modern audiences. She has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the centuries: Is she a dangerous, man-destroying monster? An innocent maiden unjustly punished by the gods? A supernatural entity who just wanted to be left alone? A feminist icon?This talk presents various perspective on Medusa ranging over the last three thousand years, including representations from both literature and art, from early Greek texts such as Hesiod’s Origins of the Gods to recent artistic reconceptions such as Luciano Garbati’s Medusa with the Head of Perseus (2008) and beyond.

Bio

Debbie Felton is Professor of Classics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she teaches ancient Greek and Latin as well as various courses in translation, such as “Fairy Tales in the Ancient World,” “Magic in the Ancient Mediterranean,” and “Monsters of Classical Myths—and Their Meanings.” She specializes in folklore in classical literature and has published on various folklore-related topics including ghosts and witches. She is the author of Ghost Stories from Classical Antiquity (1999) and Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History (2021). She has also edited several volumes, including A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity (2021) and The Oxford Handbook of Monsters in Classical Myth (2024).

Image: Gorgoneion featuring the head of Medusa, Greece, 4th Century BCE. Pushkin Museum.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. She lives in Mytilene.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day