this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2023
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A bit searching confirms this. Turns out brewing beer was considered women's work originally, something done between taking care of the kids and making dinner.
Women were in general accused of being a witch because they did most of the child care, sick care and other jobs concerning people. If somebody died, and lots of people died of disease, bad hygiene and so on, they sometime blamed the nanny or nurse and called her a witch that cursed them. Men usually worked with inanimate things or animals where chances of being called a witch were much lower.
People are fucking idiots
History of the world condensed in one statement.
"Alewife" was the term for a female brewer, a common enough term that there's still a subway stop in metro Boston named Alewife.
If I had to guess, I'd say that the name in Boston comes from the fish, given the area's maritime heritage. But the name of the fish probably came from their resemblance to the brewing ale-wives.
Did not know that, thanks.
Now do Braintree. 😄
If only I knew! 😀 I'm from Wisconsin, and know about alewives (the fish) because they're invasive in the Great Lakes, where they die off seasonally and wash ashore in large, stinky masses.