I saw The Magdalene Sisters for the first time last night and was absolutely floored by it. The documentary Sex In A Cold Climate that was on the same DVD was even more shocking.
However, my question is this:
What did Margaret put in the priest’s laundry?
It was some kind of Sports Day at the laundries and on the way there Margaret saw something suspicious through a window. She sneaks out and goes to the garden shed where she carefully picks some linty, dusty stuff up from the floor.
A few scenes later you see her dumping the stuff into the dryer with the priest’s things. Then, during the feast day mass, Fr. Whatsisname starts itching so badly that he strips off and you see him covered in red welts/rash. Crispina starts crying and lifts up her skirt to show the same kind of rash on her thighs and legs.
Any ideas?
It’s been awhile since I saw the movie, but I thought that there was some kind of yucky plant growing out there that Margaret used. The sad thing was seeing Crispina, because even though I knew the priest was abusing her, seeing her raise her dress like that reinforced this knowledge.
IANABotanist (and haven’t even seen the movie/whatever-you’re-discussing in question), but my guess would be that it’s probably nettles. i believe they’re indigenous to England, Ireland, or wherever this happens to be set. they can cause rashes when coming in contact with bare skin.
i’m not sure poison ivy is found outside the Americas.
FWIW, commercial packaging of nettles, with some relevant info.
and for the more pervy amongst us: nettles and SM
also, FWIW, a certain amount of dramatic license might have been used in the script, playing up the effects of whatever caustic agent actually was used to forward the plot. (i’d be willing to say that’s probably a given.)
Thanks for posting everyone! I thought this thread had died.
Not terribly scientific but my FBI* husband and relatives didn’t know what that stuff was either. Some of them are kinda “country” so I figured they would have an idea. Nope. All they could come up with were thistles, itchyberries and the aforementioned nettles. (thanks for the links lachesis) According to the link, nettles lose their sting when dried or cooked. So putting them in the dryer ( like Margaret did) would not have worked. However, I’ve seen people get bad nettle stings and they can look as messed up as what the priest and Crispina had. They got rid of the sting by putting dockleaves on them. Oh well, artistic licence bites me again.
I can’t check to see if there was a Magdalene Sisters thread, so I’ll hijack my own.
To those who have seen the movie:
That movie was in my head for days afterward. I can’t get over the fact that shit really happened. The last Laundry closed in 1996? WTF? The town my husband grew up in had a Magdalene Laundry and he remembers the green laundry van and seeing the girls hanging clothes beyond the gates. From what I was told, being “sent to the laundries” was a threat used on girls to keep them in line. A couple of relatives of mine knew girls that went to the laundries. They said that when the girls got out after a few years they were real squirrelly and still are some 40 years later.
If you haven’t seen the movie. Please do so. Very powerful and moving. No wonder the Catholic Church condemned it.