Slovakia and the Inquisition; Cage of Shame. Postludes
The Inquisition, the hunting down of autonomous believers or nonbelievers, any whose mindsets or acts did not conform to the Roman Catholic teaching, was part of medieval Central and Western Europe for centuries. Following: repercussions. See http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Inquisition.html. It did not expand into the Scandinavian countries or Great Britain to the same degree, but individuals and movements followed suit in their way.
Levoca, Slovakia. History of women in Europe. Inquisition memorial, persecution, witchcraft, heresy. Statue: woman and child. Woman and child column. Church behind.
The Cage, one of the few remaining from the Inquisition era, is nearby. The influence of the Inquisition, now a book, see God’s Jury – the Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World by Cullen Murphy, NYT review by Samuel Freedman at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/books/review/gods-jury-the-inquisition-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world-by-cullen-murphy-book-review.html
Levoca, once part of Hungary, offers a glimpse into the social and religious control mechanisms for women. This, a 16th century cage for women.
See history of Levoca at http://www.tatry.sk/en/historic-sights/levoca. Social controls over autonomy. Looking at the ease with which western and other cultures exploit women and restrict their autonomy, including through trafficking, ask how selected interpretations of ambiguous or even missing texts, and dogma, foster social power goals. Connect?
