Latest news with #Puritan
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Incredible sacrifice of tiny English village that's become a haven for dark tourism 359 years later
A LOT of historic sites are shrouded in suffering and death, but one UK town is known entirely for its tragic past. Eyam in 4 Eyam in Derbyshire has become a popular tourist destination due to its tragic past Credit: Alamy 4 The small village lost 75% of its residents to the Black Plague in the 1660s, with 'plague cottages' still standing today Credit: Alamy The Given the town at the time only housed 350 residents, this loss was felt all the more by those in the area. After the spread of the The bubonic plague first wreaked havoc worldwide in the 1300s before another outbreak in England during the 1660s. Read More On Dark Tourism It claimed over 68,000 lives in London alone during this period. The deadly disease eventually made its way north, reaching Eyam in the summer of 1665. In a bid to shield neighbouring villages, Eyam's inhabitants bravely chose to isolate themselves after symptoms of the plague were reported within its borders. A boundary stone, which remains to this day, was erected between plague-ridden Eyam and the nearby unaffected town of Stoney Middleton. Most read in The Sun Eyam's residents would make their way to this stone to deposit vinegar-soaked money in exchange for food and medical supplies, left by Stoney Middleton's inhabitants. Today, visitors to Eyam can witness the lasting impact of the plague outbreak on the village. English seaside town to transform abandoned beach shelters into new attraction There are numerous graves scattered throughout the village and surrounding fields as families were urged to bury their deceased near their homes instead of in the church graveyard. These stringent rules were established by Reverend William Mompesson and Puritan minister Thomas Stanley. They also opted to move all church services outdoors and ensured no one could enter or leave the village. A recent visitor to Eyam shared a heartbreaking love story that has become part of the folklore surrounding the plague-stricken village. "In 1665, the plague hit Eyam and they locked down the village, separating Emmott Sydall from her fiancé Rowland Torre," the tourist said in an Instagram post. Eyam during the plague The Black Death is thought to have first arrived to the village in September 1665. Historians have hypothesised the disease was brought to Eyam via a parcel of cloth delivered from London to a local tailor. The cloth is believed to have been infested with plague-carrying fleas. During the 14-month voluntary quarantine, 75% of the town's residents passed away. One resident, Elizabeth Hancock, buried her husband and six children with her own hands within eight days. Plague cottages, where victims lived and died, still stand in the town today. "Emmott and Rowland would meet at the village boundary once a week, keeping their distance so he wouldn't contract the disease. "One day, Emmott didn't show up, when the lockdown was lifted, Rowland was among the first to enter the village in search of Emmott." A plaque indicates that Emmott was one of the village's many victims of the black death. The romantic rendezvous of the two at the village boundary has been immortalised in a stained glass image visible in Eyam's St Lawrence's Church. More on dark tourism Plus, the And the Dark tourism has reached all corners of the globe, with many visiting Some thrillseekers even risk death in the 4 Residents were encouraged to bury their loved ones away from the church grounds Credit: Getty 4 The Riley Graves contain the resting place of a man and his six children, all buried by hand by the only surviving member of the family Credit: Alamy
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Heartwarming, hilarious and hot, this Toronto performance series celebrates sex and death
On a cool summer night in July, dozens of people bathed in red neon light filled rows of chairs and perched on benches along the wall and listened, rapt, to six people talk about sex and death. They'd piled into It's Ok* Studios in the heart of Queen St. W. for the free performance series Little Deaths salon. Toronto can feel a bit cold sometimes, and frank discussions about sex can feel fraught in our increasingly Puritan era, but there, in that room, everyone burned the same shade of crimson, faces aglow not just from the neon, but with laughter, with desire. Performers and listeners alike experienced the rush of release: taboo transformed into triumph, shame into sacred bliss.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Epstein working undercover as a spy is nothing more than another conspiracy theory
A myth is a story that expresses the collective dreamworld of a culture: its fears, its wishes, its self-conception. Some myths refine themselves over generations. Others spring into consciousness in an instant. Advertisement A bit of story or news captures the imagination so thoroughly that the entire culture suddenly projects its hope or terror onto a single hero — or, more often, a villain. Jeffrey Epstein is one of these myths. Since his arrest and jailhouse death, the disgraced financier, socialite and pedophile has become America's most famous villain, an archetype who offers virtually all factions something to hate. Advertisement To some, he represents the hidden sexual depravity of elites. To others, a global conspiracy established through blackmail, espionage and intrigue. To still others, he is a weapon to be wielded against his onetime friend, President Trump. The omni-conspiracy Epstein embodies the omni-conspiracy. Advertisement To some critics, his connections to the world's most powerful people suggest membership in a cabal that runs elite institutions. And his houses, airplanes and islands — paired with the uncertain provenance of his wealth — all stand as proof that he profited from his corruption. The game, then, is to assign the blame and establish the meaning of his crimes. Epstein has captured the public mind, and the question is whether he will be cast as the Marquis de Sade or as Charles Ponzi. Advertisement A number of theories circulate: that Epstein was an intelligence asset who orchestrated sexual blackmail against the super-elite; that Epstein was a Rasputin figure who seduced the rich out of their fortunes; that he had enough kompromat on world leaders that he had to be secretly murdered in his prison cell. There is enough documentary evidence to raise suspicion, at least: the snapshots of Bill Clinton getting a massage in a private airport hangar; the bizarre contracts and transactions between Epstein and billionaire Les Wexner; the seeming disappearance of the 'tens of thousands of videos' of Epstein 'with children or child porn.' In each case, Epstein seems to transgress America's most deeply maintained taboos. He is a pedophile who abused scores of young girls. He is a criminal who defrauded others of billions. He is a serpent who twisted his way into high society through manipulation and deceit. He represents a complete repudiation of the virtues of America's Puritan culture — modesty, honesty, humility — and symbolizes all that is rotten with America's elite in a period of decadence and anxiety. Beware projections Thus, the intense public reaction. Advertisement Epstein allows us to project our hatreds and fears onto a single man. His biography contains sufficient mystery to allow us to fill in the blanks with our pet obsessions. Some, or all, of the conspiracy theories might be true. But the facts will never be enough. Advertisement On one side, it appears that many powerful people have a vested interest in burying Epstein's secrets; on the other, the public has grown so distrustful of officialdom that no report or accounting will ever be transparent enough. I've watched the Epstein case percolate through right-wing and left-wing media for years, without forming strong judgments. My sense is that the most elaborate fantasies — that Epstein was part of a cabal of pedophile cannibals, or that he was running world governments on behalf of the Mossad — are a deflection from a more banal, but perhaps even more disturbing, reality. Jeffrey Epstein was not a cannibal or foreign subversive but a depraved twist on an all-American archetype: the Jay Gatsby character. Advertisement Like Gatsby, Epstein was an arriviste who sought to dissociate himself from his humble origins, gained his wealth through fraud and artifice, and showered money onto others in the hopes of being accepted into high society. He amassed astounding wealth and cultivated an elite network. But the money, the parties, the islands, the brokerage accounts, and the snapshots with the rich were all empty symbols, bribes that temporarily masked the horror of a badly lived life. When it all came crashing down, no one attended Epstein's funeral — as no one attended Gatsby's. Stick to the facts Advertisement We should seek to uncover all the facts, but we do not need an omni-conspiracy, or an elaborate espionage plot, to identify the deepest lessons of the Epstein myth. Our elites are easily seduced by material wealth and, at a minimum, willing to turn a blind eye to a man who surrounds himself with teenaged girls. Epstein produced nothing of value, built his status only on perceptions and, for anyone who cared to look, bore all of the marks of a predator. But even America's wealthiest and most powerful could not resist a private plane or a few nights in the Virgin Islands. Epstein was a monster, but the people who helped him maintain his status were guilty of a very American style of nihilism. Epstein was just the dead man's switch, who, when his life blew up, sprayed the others in shrapnel.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
The New American Scarlet Letter: Andy Byron becomes Hester Prynne in the court of public opinion
Hester Prynne and Andy Byron being publically shamed In the heart of 17th-century Puritan Boston, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter immortalized Hester Prynne's public shaming for her personal life. Nearly 400 years later, in the digital glare of 21st-century New York, Andy Byron , CEO of a tech firm, was thrust into notoriety after a viral moment at a Coldplay concert exposed his private indiscretions. Both stories, though centuries apart, reveal a consistent American tradition: the ruthless spectacle of public shaming and how society polices morality, regardless of era. Hester Prynne: Bearing the mark of sin The society forced Hester Prynne to wear a scarlet 'A' for adultery. It was a punishment designed both to shame her and to warn the community against individuals like 'her'. Over time, Hester's dignity and resilience transformed the meaning of that letter from 'adulteress' to 'able,' but what was the compensation for the untold agony she suffered due to this moral policing? Hester's punishment was a blend of legal and moral judgment, intended to isolate her and reinforce the community's moral code. The ritual of her shaming was not private. She endured the collective scorn and voyeurism of her neighbors. Andy Byron: A victim of public verdict A few days ago, a New York CEO's brief, intimate moment with his company's HR head at a Coldplay concert went viral. With the world watching, Andy Byron was removed from his position, not by a judge, but by social media verdict. The video led to instant public scrutiny, speculation about his marriage, and ultimately his resignation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Purpose of Shame: Byron's actions infringed upon organizational standards, but the swift escalation from workplace investigation to public vilification mirrors the same zeal for moral enforcement. Instead of the town square, the internet became the trial box, amplifying every frame and encouraging worldwide judgment Did Andy Byron deserve to resign? In a trust-driven industry, CEOs are often held to higher standards, even in private matters, because personal choices can affect a company's image, investor confidence, and workplace morale. Was the punishment fair? Arguments vary: Byron's actions risked undermining Astronomer's ethical code and could raise questions about favoritism or workplace boundaries. However, critics argue that one's private life shouldn't destroy a career unless it directly affects job performance. The rapid responsiveness felt less like justice and more like an attempt to preempt public outrage. Was Andy Byron a victim? (Image via X @PopBase & @MAGAgeddon) Byron was 'outed' before he had an opportunity to explain or defend himself; the instantaneous nature of viral media allows no shelter, similar to Hester's public display of penance. Much like the Puritans' need for spectacle, today's public continually demands confessions and consequences—often before all facts surface, and regardless of the line separating personal from professional. Was someone out to get him? There's no evidence that Byron was intentionally 'set up' by Coldplay or others—rather, circumstance, technology, and an eager public did the work. In both cases, individual transgressions were magnified into community drama. Hashtag is the new Scarlet Letter Centuries after Hester Prynne's ordeal, the machinery of public shaming in America shows few signs of evolution. The symbols change-from embroidered letters to trending hashtags, but the collective appetite to watch, judge, and punish remains. Whether in colonial Boston or digital New York, the boundaries of personal responsibility and public condemnation remain perilously blurred. What Andy Byron or Hester Prynne did-whether right or wrong, is far from black and white. Their actions live in a vast, complicated gray area where human flaws, desires, and mistakes often cross paths. Hester's so-called 'sin' was a deeply personal act of love and survival in a rigid, unforgiving society. Andy's moment, caught on a kiss cam, was a private lapse amplified by modern technology and public fascination. Neither act alone should define the entirety of their lives. But what society did to them? That's where the story sharpens into something darker, clearer, and infinitely more troubling. Society didn't just judge Andy or Hester, it weaponized their personal moments as public spectacle. It turned human vulnerability into a form of entertainment, a collective verdict uttered without mercy or context.
Mint
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Who are Boston Brahmins? Kristin Cabot's powerful family ties resurface amid scandal at Coldplay concert
Amid a scandal that has everyone talking, Astronomer's HR chief Kristin Cabot, who was recently seen cuddling with now-ex CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert, is now drawing attention not just for her workplace conduct but also for her elite family background. Kristin is married to Andrew Cabot, owner of Privateer Rum, and a descendant of the prestigious Cabot family, one of Boston's oldest and wealthiest lineages. The Cabots are part of the so-called Boston Brahmins, a term historically used to describe the city's most elite Anglo-American families. The phrase was coined by author Oliver Wendell Holmes in his 1861 novel Elsie Venner, likening Boston's elite to India's Brahmins, the highest priestly caste, to describe their social standing, exclusivity, and cultural influence. According to a PBS report, Boston Brahmins were descendants of early Puritan settlers who amassed their fortunes through trade and industry. Over time, they became synonymous with American aristocracy, known for their wealth, philanthropy, and rigid social circles, but also for resisting social integration and immigration. Their values were rooted in discipline, education, refinement, and civic duty, as documented by the New England Historical Society. Yet, they were also seen as aloof, with a strong sense of inherited privilege. The Cabots were among Boston's most influential families, with wealth tied to shipping, manufacturing, and regional enterprises. Their social status was so exclusive that even the powerful Kennedy family was once seen as outsiders. A popular Boston rhyme sums it up: 'And this is good old Boston, the home of the bean and the cod, Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God.' Kristin Cabot's link to this elite lineage has resurfaced in the wake of the Coldplay concert controversy, adding another layer of public fascination to the scandal that led to the resignation of Astronomer's CEO and an ongoing internal probe involving its HR head.
