Definitions by Lorelili
peasantry
From French "paysannerie", meaning "place of the country dwellers".
The class consisting of peasants and serfs (country people, mostly farm workers) in an agricultural society, in which peasants are the most common type of people (can be anywhere from fifty to ninety-five percent of the people).
Peasants are usually poor and live in villages and work farmland which practically belongs to them but is owned by lords.
The class consisting of peasants and serfs (country people, mostly farm workers) in an agricultural society, in which peasants are the most common type of people (can be anywhere from fifty to ninety-five percent of the people).
Peasants are usually poor and live in villages and work farmland which practically belongs to them but is owned by lords.
Thanks to the incompetence of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the peasantry were losing their land and suffered from inflated prices for bread.
The peasantry worked hard, but at least they knew their place and their allies. Appearances were minimal for farm workers, their operations were small scale; they had nothing to lose. The nobility had everything to lose.
The peasantry worked hard, but at least they knew their place and their allies. Appearances were minimal for farm workers, their operations were small scale; they had nothing to lose. The nobility had everything to lose.
Enriqueta Martí
(1868-1913) A Spanish serial killer, aka "The Vampire of Barcelona": a sociopath with a business plan.
She arrived in Barcelona in 1888 and began working as a maid, but found that she could earn more working as a prostitute. A quick learner, she took the chance to overhear the perverse secrets of the wealthy. Soon she opened a brothel, prostituting children ages 5 through 14 to the city's rich pedophiles. Always adept at capturing children, she would dress in rags and visit the destitute Raval district, where the children looked the most abandoned. She could then go to the galas at the opera house in all of her finery, meeting with her clients. In 1909, her brothel was discovered by police, but her wealthy contacts intervened, saving her from prison.
Enriqueta's next move was the cosmetic needs of the wives and mistresses of her clientele; she began procuring children ages twelve and under, killing them and using their bone marrow, blood, and fat as face creams, love potions, charms, and cures for typhoid, tuberculosis, syphilis, and other diseases. In February, 1912, the reports of six-year-old Teresita Guitart's abduction and a suspicious neighbor's sighting of the missing girl led to Enriqueta Martí's downfall. Her list of contacts was discovered among bloody clothes of children, knives, scalps of blond hair, jars of blood and fat, various scorched bones, and an old book of potions.
She arrived in Barcelona in 1888 and began working as a maid, but found that she could earn more working as a prostitute. A quick learner, she took the chance to overhear the perverse secrets of the wealthy. Soon she opened a brothel, prostituting children ages 5 through 14 to the city's rich pedophiles. Always adept at capturing children, she would dress in rags and visit the destitute Raval district, where the children looked the most abandoned. She could then go to the galas at the opera house in all of her finery, meeting with her clients. In 1909, her brothel was discovered by police, but her wealthy contacts intervened, saving her from prison.
Enriqueta's next move was the cosmetic needs of the wives and mistresses of her clientele; she began procuring children ages twelve and under, killing them and using their bone marrow, blood, and fat as face creams, love potions, charms, and cures for typhoid, tuberculosis, syphilis, and other diseases. In February, 1912, the reports of six-year-old Teresita Guitart's abduction and a suspicious neighbor's sighting of the missing girl led to Enriqueta Martí's downfall. Her list of contacts was discovered among bloody clothes of children, knives, scalps of blond hair, jars of blood and fat, various scorched bones, and an old book of potions.
Enriqueta Martí adamantly stated that her clients were the monsters, but not her; it was just her business. Child prostitutes for the gentlemen, elixirs and face creams for the ladies.
The high-class women who brought Enriqueta's "face creams" knew where these products came from, but a street child was little more than a piece of trash to them.
The police arrived in time to save Teresita and another six-year-old, Angelita, but too late to save Pepito, a boy of the same age; Angelita saw Martí kill him and serve his flesh as a meal.
Enriqueta Martí was killed in 1913 by her fellow inmates, but none of her clients was ever brought to justice.
The high-class women who brought Enriqueta's "face creams" knew where these products came from, but a street child was little more than a piece of trash to them.
The police arrived in time to save Teresita and another six-year-old, Angelita, but too late to save Pepito, a boy of the same age; Angelita saw Martí kill him and serve his flesh as a meal.
Enriqueta Martí was killed in 1913 by her fellow inmates, but none of her clients was ever brought to justice.
Enriqueta Martí by Lorelili November 27, 2010
peasant
A farm worker, usually poor. The most common type of person in a pre-industrial society (usually 66 to 95%), and of the lowest class.
Peasants were/are typically small farmers, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, farmhands, and laborers and invariably rural, living in villages and tending land which is practically theirs but officially belongs to the wealthy.
Usually an insult for dirty, uncouth, unsophisticated people of low status.
Peasants stereotypically have virtually no education, nonexistent hygiene, are conservative, and have almost no rights, despite that their work requires careful planning and that they are not averse to protests.
Peasants were/are typically small farmers, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, farmhands, and laborers and invariably rural, living in villages and tending land which is practically theirs but officially belongs to the wealthy.
Usually an insult for dirty, uncouth, unsophisticated people of low status.
Peasants stereotypically have virtually no education, nonexistent hygiene, are conservative, and have almost no rights, despite that their work requires careful planning and that they are not averse to protests.
The peasant woman, her three daughters, and her husband's many kinswomen tended the garden and the livestock while their menfolk toiled in the fields. They had little option but either work until their backs gave out or starve, plus they had to pay heavy taxes for the rich.
matriarch
1. The oldest woman in a family (a grandmother or great-grandmother) who thus has the most seniority.
2. The head of a family in a matrilineal society
3. The ruler in a matriarchy.
2. The head of a family in a matrilineal society
3. The ruler in a matriarchy.
The matriarch looked proudly over her great progeny, from her eldest daughter to her newest heir, her month-old great-granddaughter.
maid
1. A girl or unmarried young woman. A maiden.
2. An abbreviation of maidservant or handmaiden: a female servant who cleans the house and waits on you.
2. An abbreviation of maidservant or handmaiden: a female servant who cleans the house and waits on you.
wench
1. (archaic) A girl or woman of the peasant class, especially one who works as a servant.
2. (archaic) An easy woman.
Verb: To chase women, to womanize
2. (archaic) An easy woman.
Verb: To chase women, to womanize
The serving wench, all of eighteen years, glanced slyly at the lord of the manor, knowing that he was given to wenching when his wife was absent.
famine
When there is not enough food to feed everybody. Usually used for humans, but other animals also suffer.
Famine can be caused by naturally (by drought or excessive rain, by diseases or other factors) or can be man-made (by war or political matters) or even a mix of both (those in power take advantage of the food shortage for their own gain).
Famine can be caused by naturally (by drought or excessive rain, by diseases or other factors) or can be man-made (by war or political matters) or even a mix of both (those in power take advantage of the food shortage for their own gain).
Natural case point: Europe's Great Famine of 1315-1317, when a spell of cold weather and heavy rains ruined crops, driving people to infanticide, child abandonment, and cannibalism.
Man-made case point: the Holodomor in 1932 Ukraine, when Stalin's policies of collectivism starved up to ten million Ukrainians, driving some to cannibalism to survive. Most of the victims were peasants who had their crops, livestock, and food stolen from them pointblank by "activist" soldiers.
Mixture case-point: Irish potato famine (An Gorta Mor) of 1845-1849, when a blight ruined potato crops and excess grain exports on the part of British authorities starved over a million Irish peasants and caused a similar number of people to flee from Ireland.
The Donner Party, whose poor choice of shortcuts cost them many resources and precious days before winter, suffered their own famine in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Man-made case point: the Holodomor in 1932 Ukraine, when Stalin's policies of collectivism starved up to ten million Ukrainians, driving some to cannibalism to survive. Most of the victims were peasants who had their crops, livestock, and food stolen from them pointblank by "activist" soldiers.
Mixture case-point: Irish potato famine (An Gorta Mor) of 1845-1849, when a blight ruined potato crops and excess grain exports on the part of British authorities starved over a million Irish peasants and caused a similar number of people to flee from Ireland.
The Donner Party, whose poor choice of shortcuts cost them many resources and precious days before winter, suffered their own famine in the Sierra Nevada mountains.