Yay, fun! Very summarised summary of the stuff on Victorian spiritualism I'm looking at now says that it's a way for women (most mediums being female) to have quite a lot of power through embodying the Victorian feminine ideal of passivity. (Since the spirits would be quite open about speaking on political, social and religious issues, for one thing, but also because they weren't bound by Victorian society's constraints on physical contact and relationships - the second one might be more useful in regards to Mina's relationship with Dracula, I think. When spirits were actually materalised through the medium, they would quite often touch and kiss the sitters at the seance, or show a bare leg (omg!) to show they were real and solid. There's one mentioned in something I read where a male sitter noted that he the spirit wasn't wearing any underclothes under her dress, and he knew this for sure because he'd felt himself. Uh, all in the spirit of scientific enquiry, of course.)
Does that vaguely sound like it might be of some use? I'll get you references for papers and such, if it does.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-11 12:19 pm (UTC)Does that vaguely sound like it might be of some use? I'll get you references for papers and such, if it does.