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Lifestyle
Brandi Goddard, Assistant Lecturer, History of Art, Design & Visual Culture, University of Alberta

‘We knew she was a fairy when we saw her:’ How Irish folklore around spinning instructed women artisans

IHS Ireland
The Irish Homespun Society, a female-led craft advocacy group, set out to 'keep women spinning in their homes' in the 1930s and 40s in the decades after textile labour shifted towards industrial production. (The Photographic Collection, B063.29.00014/by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection), CC BY-NC

Today, while we hear a fair bit from wellness experts and commentators about the importance of boundaries — whether related to “doomscrolling” with our phones, overwork or relationships — it’s not always easy to heed this advice for our own good.

My research into Irish folklore and traditional women’s craft reminds me that in this context, instead of advice coming through news stories, medical journals or TikTok gurus, people often received warnings through oral folklore and storytelling.

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