Womanica

Juana Barraza (1957 - present) is a Mexican amateur wrestler turned serial killer, known as "La Mataviejitas" ("The Old Lady Killer"). She was convicted of murdering elderly women in Mexico City between the late 1990s and 2006. Barraza was arrested in 2006 and sentenced to 759 years in prison for her crimes. For Further Reading: Juana Barraza Was A Pro Wrestler By Day – And A Serial Killer By Nigh...

Giulia Tofana (c. 1620) was a 17th century Italian apothecary with a dark secret. Unhappily married women visited her shop in Rome to purchase her specially formulated, slow-acting poison. When their husbands mysteriously died of “sudden illnesses,” authorities struggled to trace the true cause of death—poison—back to Giulia.  For Further Reading: Aqua Tofana: slow-poisoning and husband-killing in...

 Freydis Eriksdotter was a Viking explorer and sister to Leif Erikson. She is mentioned in the two quasi-historical, Nordic texts: The Saga of the Greenlanders and Eirik the Red’s Saga . In both texts, Freydis set sail and explored the new land.  For Further Reading:  Women in the Viking World The Vinland Sagas The Greenland Saga This month we're talking about women who found themselves at the cen...

Ethel Rosenberg (1915-1953) was an American citizen executed for alleged Soviet espionage during the Cold War. She and her husband, Julius, were convicted of couriering top-secret information about American technology, including nuclear weapon designs, to the Soviets. Their case was hotly debated and the source of intense controversy. Many believed that they were innocent victims of Cold War paran...

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965) was an actress best known for the films Carmen Jones, Island in the Sun, and Bright Road. She was the first Black woman to be nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award. Her autobiography, Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy, is a testimonial to the psychological and physical abuse she endured trying to break the barriers of her time as a Black act...

Catherine de’ Medici (1519-1589) ruled France for decades, whether through her husband or her sons. Her attempts to create peace during the French wars of religion were futile– and, ultimately, undercut by her own reputation as the “Serpent Queen” and the possible conspirator behind the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. For Further Reading: Catherine de’ Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie...

Cass Elliot (1941-1974) was a Grammy award winning singer and, most notably, a member of the group the Mamas & the Papas. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her work with the band and was a progressive advocate in the music industry. Her legacy was marred after a rumor spread that her cause of death was choking on a ham sandwich.  For Further Reading: Cass El...

Bettie Page (1923-2008) was an early and iconic pin-up model. Working primarily with underground photographers and later featured in the earliest editions of Playboy magazine, Bettie, with her trademark bangs, became a sensation. After government anti-obscenity investigations, she largely retired from the public eye and became a devout Christian. Years later, she gained cult status in pop culture,...

Beatrice Sparks (1917-2012) was an American writer known for “Go Ask Alice,” “Jay’s Journal,” and “It Happened to Nancy.” The books were positioned as cautionary tales of “real” teens, but were almost entirely fictional. Her books stoked fears about drug use and the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s. For Further Reading:  The New Yorker: How a Mormon Housewife Turned a Fake Diary Into an Enormous Best-...

Ann Trow Lohman, known as Madame Restell (1812-1878), was a 19th-century abortionist and birth control provider in New York City. She gained notoriety for her practice, which included abortions and selling contraceptives. Despite numerous legal battles and public outcry, she continued her work for decades. For Further Reading: Life Story: Ann Trow Lohman, a.k.a. Madame Restell (1812 - 1878) How No...

Anaïs Nin (1903-1977) was a French-American writer best known for her diaries, which span several decades and offer a intimate insight into her personal life, relationships, and artistic community. In the seven installments of her diaries and her works of fiction, she explores sexuality, femininity, and psychoanalysis. For Further Reading: An Introduction to the World of Anaïs Nin Anais Nin, Autho...

Carmilla (1872) is a vampire novella written by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu. It tells the story of a lesbian romance between Carmilla, a 150 year old vampire, and Laura, a 19-year-old girl living with her widowed father in a castle in Austria. Through the concept of vampirism, Sheridan uses the character of Carmilla to explore queer relationships and female sexual expression in a time of strict...

Milicent Patrick (c.1915-1998) was an actress and special effects artist who created the iconic “Gill-man” from the classic film Creature of the Black Lagoon. Though her credits on many movies were lost due to being blacklisted, her effect on Universal Studios’ monster lineup is indelible. For Further Reading:  The Lady From the Black Lagoon The Fantastic Mystery of Millicent Patrick Famous Monste...

Yuki-onna is an ancient Japanese yokai , a category of ghosts, spirits, and monsters derived from folklore. The first account of the mysterious woman was written centuries ago, during Japan’s Muromachi period. The legend is popular in the north of Japan and in other places with harsh winters and heavy snowfalls, and it likely appeared in response to missing locals during storms.  For Further Readi...

Ida Lupino (1918-1995) was a British-American actress, producer, writer, and director. She acted in over 50 movies, wrote and directed several of her own films, and directed many popular TV shows. She was only the second woman to be admitted to the Directors Guild of America and explored taboo topics through her work.  For Further Reading   Ida Lupino, Hollywood Renaissance Woman How Ida Lupino li...

Judy A. Smith (1958 - present) is an American crisis manager, lawyer, author and television producer. Her work in crisis management over the years has earned the title of “professional fixer” and is seen as the inspiration for the ABC television series “Scandal.” This bonus episode is brought to you by the CBS Original ELSBETH. For Further Reading Elle – Meet The Woman Celebrities And CEOs Call In...

Isobel Gowdie (fl. 1662) was a Scottish woman who confessed to witchcraft during a period historians now call “The Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661-1662.” She told elaborate, extensive, and often subversive, stories about being a witch. For Further Reading:  Go in the Devil’s Name The Subversive Fantasy of Isobel Gowdie Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials The Visions...

Enriqueta Martí (c. 1868-1913) was a Spanish woman infamously known as the "Vampire of Barcelona" due to her alleged involvement in child abduction, exploitation, and murder in the early 20th century. According to legend, she led a double life, posing as a healer and beggar while secretly preying on vulnerable children, using them for black magic rituals, and possibly selling their remains. Her ar...

Emily Gerard (1849-1905) was a Scottish writer whose collection of Transylvanian folklore served as direct inspiration for Bram Stoker as he was penning his famous and beloved novel Dracula.  For Further Reading:  Mystery of the Scottish woman who inspired Dracula   The Scottish Anthropologist Who Inspired Dracula ‹ CrimeReads   Bram Stoker’s Dracula inspired by writings of maverick Scotswoman | S...

La Sayona is a myth from Venezuelan folklore who wanders the country, seducing and killing men who dare to be unfaithful to their wives. For Further Reading:  Column: La Sayona, a legend about revenge, treason and motherhood Relatos Orales de Latinoamérica Dos venezolanos le ponen rostro a la leyenda de La Sayona de HBO World must confront Maduro’s ‘campaign of terror’, Venezuelan opposition leade...

Maila Nurmi (1922-2008) was a Finnish-American actress who made her mark as television’s first horror host, playing Vampira on The Vampira Show.  For Further Reading:  Vampira: An Appreciation of the Undersung Proto-Goth Goddess How Maila Nurmi’s Niece Unearthed the Hidden History of Goth Icon Vampira Maila Nurmi, TV’s Vampira, dies at 85 October is the perfect time to delve into all things spooky...

Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008) was an American mathematician and human computer who worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and then NASA. She made waves in the industry at a time when racial and gender discrimination prevented women of color from gaining recognition for their work. Her life and contributions were honored in the 2016 film, Hidden Figures . This bonus episod...

Isabella Tomasi, a.k.a. Maria Crocifissa della Concezione (1645-1699) was a Benedictine nun who lived in a convent in Sicily, Italy and claimed she was possessed by the Devil. In 1676, she wrote a cryptic letter that no one was able to decipher until 2017. Scientists theorize that rather than being 'possessed by the devil', Maria suffered from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. For Further Reading...

Lamia is a demon from Greek mythology famous for her penchant for devouring children. Sometimes she’s depicted as a fearsome and hideous demon, other times she appears beautiful yet vampiric, seducing young men before drinking their blood.  For Further Reading: Men Have Feared Women for Millennia. Just Look at the Monsters of Greek Mythology | Smithsonian Lamia - World History Encyclopedia    Octo...

Fay Wray (1907-2004) was an actress best known for her role as Ann Darrow in the iconic 1933 film King Kong . Fay became a symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age and is remembered for her contributions to the horror and adventure genres. For Further Reading:  Fay Wray, Beauty to Kong's Beast, Dies at 96 - The New York Times   From the Archives: Fay Wray, 96; Actress, Object of Ape's Desire in 'King Kong...