Pagan Eye: Birth, Belief & Protection Exhibition

The Wellcome Collection in London currently has an exhibtion called Expecting, about protective practices and beliefs around pregnancy from medieval times. I took the photo above of a painting called The Birth of a Baby, done in the 15th or 16th century. It shows the mother surrounded by attendants including both a nun and an astrologer, revealing that the community worked together to offer the new mum and her child many forms of help.

Also on display is a parchment scroll created about 1500 CE. It's covered in prayers. These could be recited, but the scroll itself was worn by women  during childbirth and at other moments of danger, believing that it had amuletic properties. 

Expecting: Birth, Belief and Protection is on until 19 April at the Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Entry is free and you can just turn up to see it. 

On each Pagan Eye post, I show a photo that I find interesting, with a few words about it. I'm not quite sure what I'll be including - it could be a seasonal image, a pagan site, an event, or just a pretty picture. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to badwitch1234@gmail.com Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself and you must confirm that you are submitting it for A Bad Witch's Blog.

Previous Related Posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/08/exhibition-thirst-our-vital-connection.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/01/pagan-eye-predicting-future-map-of-world.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/charmed-photos-wellcome-collections.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/01/event-wild-ones-at-wellcome-collection.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/04/the-occult-in-exhibition-cult-of-beauty.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/07/smoke-mirrors-psychic-games-magic.html