Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Dr Will Wyeth @willwyeth.bsky.social · 2h

Ah yes, Tudor letters. What choice words.

Photograph of a segment of a letter of c.1580. Two words are pronounced in the line: SHITTEN ARSE.

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Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice. @journalautism.bsky.social · 9h

‘I feel trapped in my safe clothes’: The impact of tactile hyper-sensitivity on autistic adults

‘I feel trapped in my safe clothes’: The impact of tactile hyper-sensitivity on autistic adults - Amanda Ferrer Knight, Deirdre Birtles, 2025

journals.sagepub.com

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Norfolk Record Office @norfolkro.bsky.social · 9h

🐟 Following the Fish has arrived! Come and explore the unsung stories of the herring girls, who followed the fishing fleets from Scotland to East Anglia, with this pop-up exhibition.

You can catch the online version here - suffolkarchives.shorthandstories.com/following.../

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IHR Society, Culture & Belief, 1500-1800 @ihrscb.bsky.social · 7h

If you would like to register for the event to attend in-person or via Zoom (and get a link), do sign-up here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Turbulence and the German Peasants’ War of 1524-6

Society, Culture and Belief, 1500-1800 Seminar- Session 1

www.history.ac.uk

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IHR Society, Culture & Belief, 1500-1800 @ihrscb.bsky.social · 7h

Just a final reminder that our first event of term is happening tomorrow at 5.30 pm! 🎉 Lyndal Roper will be speaking on ‘Turbulence and the German Peasants’ War of 1524-6’. All are welcome to join! www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Institute of Historical Research

The Institute of Historical Research is the UK's national centre for history

www.history.ac.uk

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Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 6h

In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.com · 9h

I think the idea of "cancel culture" persists mainly because it conveniently is some outside force acting on someone rather than them torching their reputation all on their own

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Natalie Sedacca @nataliesedacca.bsky.social · 15h

Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty adds: 'I observe a tendency to see the human rights of different groups as a zero-sum game. This has contributed to narratives which build on prejudice against trans people and portray upholding their human rights as a de facto threat to the rights of others.’

HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 15h

The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner has rebuked the UK over the arrests of individuals who express support for Palestine Action and the status of trans people following Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/strasbo...

Strasbourg warns UK on policing of demonstrations and trans rights

Human rights commissioner cites arrests of Palestine Action demonstrators and interpretation of Supreme Court's decision in For Women Scotland.

www.lawgazette.co.uk

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dgplacenames (now in Orkney) @dgplacenames.bsky.social · 15h

Warlock is a Scots development. Middle English used Warlowe. The Scots form spread to English around 1600.
The same sound change is seen in elbuck 'elbow' and winnock 'window'.
Warlock Knowe, Hutton and Corrie DMF is one of the 4 Warlock names on the 2nd ed Ordnance Survey.
#Scotstober

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 7h

“Before 1590, and again from 1720 onwards, witchcraft could be entertaining. Between, though, the anger, fear and hatred generated by witch-hunting took precedence. About two and a half thousand people died at the stake, and it wasn’t funny.”
#WyrdWednesday
www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2018/12/fant...

Fantasy and Humour in Scottish Witchcraft Literature - The Bottle Imp

Robert Burns’s Tam o’ Shanter, published in 1791, is the most famous Scottish poem about witches. In it, Burns narrates the drunken Tam’s comical encounter with a witches’ sabbat. The pacing is adroit...

www.thebottleimp.org.uk

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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 9h

OH!

Tom Cutterham @tomcutterham.bsky.social · 5d

In 1776, a Scottish housepainter called James Aitken set out on a secret mission to destroy the British navy and win the War of Independence for the United States. His story is the core of my book, EMPIRE ABLAZE: The American Revolution and the Atlantic Working Class, out next summer with Verso!

The cover of "Empire Ablaze: The American Revolution and the Atlantic Working Class," which features an image of an eighteenth-century building on fire, with small sailing boats visible on a river in the foreground.

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Adam Markham @adammarkham.bsky.social · 8h

Fantastic to see these together for the first time. 🏺

St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney @stmagnuscathedral.bsky.social · 8h

Earlier this year, an excavation in Rousay by @uhiarchaeology.bsky.social uncovered an expressive carved stone face. We have a similar fellow in the cathedral, so archaeologists visited today to examine them side by side!

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 10h

The witch-proof plaits on cows’ tails are known as “St Mungo’s knots”:

“Robin Oig is no the lad to leave any of them without tying Saint Mungo’s knot on their tails, & that will put to her speed the best witch that ever flew over Dimayet upon a broomstick”

—Sir Walter Scott, “The Two Drovers”
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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 10h

“Highland cattle are peculiarly liable to be taken, or infected, by spells and witchcraft, which judicious people guard against by knitting knots of peculiar complexity on the tuft of hair which terminates the animal’s tail.”

—Sir Walter Scott, “The Two Drovers”
#WyrdWednesday
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A windswept and interesting Highland cow, standing on a ridge of coarse grassy tussocks against a blue sky with white clouds. The cow has a coat of long, shaggy, reddish-brown hair, and two long upswept horns. The cow's hairy coat is being blown to the side by a stiff breeze, and its long hairy tail looks as if it's being blown that way too.

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dgplacenames (now in Orkney) @dgplacenames.bsky.social · 11h

More insane news from Scotland's People. You can't select and copy from the transcripts!
Hitting F12 and pasting this into the console disables whatever is blocking it:
document.querySelectorAll('*').forEach(el => el.style.userSelect = "text");

@tagishsimon.bsky.social

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Rachel @rachelneedsanap.bsky.social · 22h

I can’t emphasize enough how useful being autistic is for academic research. In particular, the ability to make connections & spot patterns across large quantities of data. I feel like this is what my brain was made to do. #Autistic

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Dr Aimee Grant @draimeegrant.bsky.social · 1d

🌟New piece out today in @theconversation.com on Autistic people who are non-speaking or semi-speaking (they can speak some times)

theconversation.com/why-some-aut...

Why some autistic people don’t speak

For around a third of autistic people, speaking is hard.

theconversation.com

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Scottish Church History Society @scotchurchhist.bsky.social · 1d

Church and Society conference - 15 November, central Edinburgh. For full programme and to book ------> www.eventbrite.com/e/schs-autum... #churchhist #history #scothist

SCHS Autumn Conference - The Church and Society

Join us at the SCHS Autumn Conference to explore the historic role of the church in society in Scotland.

www.eventbrite.com

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John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 1d

14 Oct 1318: Edward Bruce of Scotland ‘King of Ireland’ - the brother of Robert I, dies at the battle of Faughart Co. #Louth #otd (CMcGrath)

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

Day 14 of #31DaysOfGraves - Inside

Here are just two monuments from the extraordinary assemblage of 14th-15th century graveslabs that are now housed within the reroofed former Prior's house within the ruins of the Augustinian priory on the island of Oronsay.

These were most likely MacDuffie chiefs

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Leadhills Miners' Library @lhminerslibrary.bsky.social · 1d

Sun 19 Oct, 2-6pm
Fancy a Sunday drive?
Leadhills Miners' Library open afternoon:
find out more about this wee social history treasure & ways you could support it.
On behalf of my fellow Trustees, we'd be delighted to see you.
Please feel free to share this post/poster.
Thanks!
#LibraryWithAltitude

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 1d

Zachary Boyd’s Books: Recovering a 17th-Century Scottish Library
21 Oct @uofglasgow.bsky.social & online – free

@profastreete.bsky.social has worked to reconstruct Boyd’s library, bequeathed to UofG – a new & substantial archive
#C17 #earlymodern #bookhistory
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adrian-str...

Adrian Streete | Zachary Boyd's Books

Zachary Boyd’s Books: Recovering a Seventeenth Century Scottish Library

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Michael Pearce @michaelpearce.bsky.social · 2d

June 1560, Mary of Guise 'was very weak; she had eaten nothing for the last seven or eight days but had taken drinks constantly; her mind began to wander.' Extracts from the household book

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Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 2d

“Almost a year of working from home had given me a really clear sense, for the first time, of what it actually was that I found so challenging and exhausting about my job (and it wasn’t the work). It was the ongoing sensory challenges.”

www.theguardian.com/society/2025... #autism #neurodiversity

After 40 years as an autistic person in the workplace, I realised it was OK to ask for changes | Sandra Thom-Jones

Many autistic people face barriers due to stereotypes and ableist assumptions, including the belief that the neurotypical way of working is the only right way

www.theguardian.com

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MEMRN @memrn.bsky.social · 14d

Our full conference schedule is now available to view on our website! Check it out here: memrnchase.wordpress.com/memrn-winter...

And if you'd like to register to join us virtually, registrations for virtual attendance are now open via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1559240072...

MEMRN Winter Conference 2025

MEMRN Winter Conference 2025 The MEMRN Committee are delighted to announce the return of the Winter Conference after the huge success of last year’s inaugural in-person event in Norwich. The …

memrnchase.wordpress.com

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