God Forbid Women Have Hobbies

I have been researching gifts one person might give their friend and/or lover in the late 1800s, for Reasons.¹

Having plummeted down a rabbit hole, I discovered an 1830 catalogue of Mr. William Tassie’s “Extensive Collection of Impressions from Engraved Gems, Consisting of Devices and Emblems, with Mottos in Various Languages Made in Composition for Seals.” 

These would be designs, intaglios, on wax stamps, signet rings, and watch fobs (or anything else that could carry an image). Usually we think of coats of arms or initials for these designs, but in the 19th century your choice of design was extremely diverse and often these were used as expressions of love or friendship or even personality.

For example, on Etsy you can find this reproduction of a popular seal: a sailor/Cupid guiding his wave-tossed boat by the North Star with the motto: If I Lose You I Am Lost.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117682589/if-i-lose-you-i-am-lost-wax-seal

This one was also popular in the 1800s: a horse walking (like this reproduced example) or rearing with the motto: Fier Mais Sensible (which the 1830 book translates as High Spirited, But Docile).

https://www.etsy.com/listing/942970492/high-spirited-horse-wax-seal-necklace

Hold onto that information.

Now, you are probably familiar with the God Forbid Women Have Hobbies meme. 

There are many, many variations on this theme, but one of the popular ones is this—using witches as the subject: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1806745255/god-forbid-women-have-hobbies-sticker

Being somewhat of a Salem expert, I immediately linked this image with witch hunts in US history, and forward then to McCarthyism, etc. I thought about modern feminism, historical misogyny, and the reevaluation of accusations made by and against women both then and today.

It seemed to me to be a very modern expression. If I used this in an early Victorian story, it would be anachronistic, right?

Guess what. 

From the list of intaglios, published in 1830:

Is this seal supposed to mean even witches have hobbies? Or is it that being a witch is an acceptable hobby?

Either way, the past is a lot more ‘modern’ than we think. 

People have always been people. If you’ve thought of something or made a joke about something or worried about something, no matter how personal, chances are someone, sometime in the past, thought of it, too.

You’re not alone.

1. This. This is the reason. ↩︎