Protection and Punishment: Beliefs About Angels in Tudor and Stuart England

Botticini’s painting of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary depicts the angelic hierarchy. Detail from Francesco Bottincini’s L'elezione della Vergine. The National Gallery, London. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACoro_di_angeli_-_Francesco_Botticini.jpg

In Tudor and Stuart England, angels were believed to deliver messages, protect the godly, carry souls to heaven, punish sinners, and carry out God’s will.

The Fairy Midwife and the Magic Ointment

© Melanie Warren

An old woman in the cottage gave the midwife a box of ointment and asked her to anoint the baby all over, but to not get any of the ointment in her own eyes.

Tower of London Legends: Ravens, Ghosts and Cursed Jewellery

Tower of London

In 1078, William the Conqueror built a white tower on the north bank of the River Thames that would become the most prominent part of the Tower of London. But there is more to the tower than just a tourist attraction. From the ghosts that are said to haunt its walls, to the ravens protecting both the castle and the city itself, there are many stories and superstitions surrounding the Tower of London.

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