Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/697149
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JUNE 2016 16 WOMEN in Malta have been cast as the stereotypical, well-behaved loving mother or wife. In many cases they have been ex- actly not that. For the past 20 years I have published a number of papers on women in Malta in the 18th centu- ry and I have now reached a stage where I think I can look back and share some conclusions: hundreds of these women got into all sorts of trouble, almost equally to the number of men at the time. At the start of my research I had suspected that there was truth be- hind the stereotypes of Maltese women past and present: the good, well-behaved religious wife and mother who did not venture far from home. If anything, some history sources coming from the 18th century con- firm this image of Maltese women living in Malta 300 years ago. An- toine Favray, the 18th century French painter living at the time in Malta, displayed in his painting 'The Visit' beautiful gentle ladies in a domestic setting, their lives cen- tred solely on being mothers and wives, meeting occasionally to chat amicably with other women in a loving and caring environment. But this is a painting, not a pho- tograph. We will never know how much artistic licence Favray used. Sources like Agius De Soldanis reported conversations between high-class women and conversa- tions by peasant and village wom- en and these also display quite en- dearing female chats on husbands and children. But were they real or a figment of De Soldanis's imagi- nation? When men exit the scene the women's conversation can be quite different than when they are around – where was this librarian cleric hiding when these conversa- tions supposedly took place? After several publications based on hours of work on 18th cen- tury manuscripts and documents, I have come to know hundreds of women quite intimately and – to quote Bette Davis in the classic All about Eve – fasten your seat belts, we're in for a bumpy ride. Criminal reports and court pro- ceedings of the 18th century con- tain a large number of women, al- most equal to the number of men getting into all sorts of trouble. Although their own legal rights were limited, women, regardless of marital status, could be sued in the same way as men. Court records show that women were sued in civil law in such mat- ters as the non-payment of debts and illicit gambling in their tav- erns. Accusations against women both from Valletta and the villages included those of abusive and blas- phemous conduct, drunkenness, theft offences, molesting, fight- ing and beating up people. Pun- ishments took the form of fines, warnings as well as imprisonment, incarceration in a conservatorio and even exile to Gozo. A frequent charge brought against these women was theft. Women were charged not only with petty thefts, mainly foodstuffs, household goods and clothing but also with stealing gold, silver and jewellery. Many women worked as servants and this provided a good opportunity to steal in an unper- ceived way. When it came to rob- bing and stealing women at times worked with accomplices. In 1794 Joannes Mamo of Val- letta found the doors of his house open and on entering his dining room found various silverware missing. A neighbour told how she had seen a man dressed in white and two women open and enter Mamo's house. Later on, Caruana, a Valletta jeweller recalled how two women had tried to sell him two silver posate. Some women, like Maria Schem- bri, behaved in a disorderly way after drinking too heavily. In 1793 she was accused of punching Fidele Giordomaina in the face while in a drunken stupor. Juliano Tarchi, an Italian buonavoglia, was stabbed with a knife by Rosa Bugeja in 1715, after he had touched her face and arms in a joking manner. She was detained in prison for 20 days. One particularly vicious fight occurred in 1738 between Teresa Borg and Maria Guliermo. It all started when Teresa remarked that Maria's six-year-old son was a bastard. Teresa went shout- ing and banging on Maria's door. Maria and her mother came out and a vicious fight occurred, with the mother being pushed to the ground and Teresa being bitten by Maria. Some women disturbed the neighbourhood so much that they were evicted from their house. This happened to Liberata Vassallo from Valletta in 1781. She lived in Strada Stretta and her house faced one of the windows of a hall of the Sacra Infermeria. The Principal of the hospital complained that Liberata and her women friends were disturbing the sick with their noise, singing, shouting, dances and scandals. Victims of crime Of course women were not just troublemakers but also victims of crime, especially violent crime. Some women were appallingly in- jured; they suffered broken bones, knife wounds and severe bruising; some were hit on the head with furniture, others were whipped, thrown to the floor or bashed against the wall. Women were at- tacked by relatives, neighbours and sometimes by strangers, the attackers tended to be male but at times women could also fall vic- tim to physical attacks by other women. There is an uncomfortable feel- ing of familiarity in these 300-year- old cases, unfortunately not too dissimilar cases that still make the headlines today. It is not difficult to recognise similar women vic- tims in our own societies and other societies around the world. How- ever, these women showed they were definitely not passive victims, but women who took their aggres- sors to court, and were willing to risk social stigma and seek justice. I'm left in awe with their actions and their heroic everyday struggles are inspiring. Women like Maria Ottaviano in 1798 and the jewel- lery shop owner Maria Caruana who started the legal proceedings against the thieves who had sto- len their money or goods. It cer- tainly took courage for women like Felicita Zammit in 1792 and Catharina Bonare in 1714 to ac- cuse their husbands – or in Rosa Pierri's case in 1745 her lover – of beating them. And one especially appreciates the risk that prostitute Maria Mizzi took in 1715 when she started a court case against a dan- gerous man, Albimo Vassallo, who solicited clients for sex. It was also brave of several raped women who reported their attackers and one cannot not admire the audacity of Gratia Psaila (1705) who refused the option of marrying her assail- ant. Women in business Another myth I think needs shat- tering is that about women not working outside the home. One News Women of valour, women of mischief Historian YOSANNE VELLA says the women she finds in 18th century registers and documents are not just the gentle women Favray portrays in The Visit but women engaged in paid labour, self-employment, and often falling foul of the law Maltese gentildonne as portrayed by French artist Antoine de Favray There are various incidents where women were brought in front of the Inquisitor's tribunal accused of dabbling in the occult