The Seventeenth century

The Noctambuli: tales of sleepwalkers and secrets of the body in seventeenth-century England.

The Seventeenth century December 17, 2020 Elizabeth Hunter

Seventeenth-century readers were fascinated by marvellous tales of people known as the noctambuli who rose up in their sleep, performed daily chores and attempted dangerous feats, such as clambering onto rooftops. On account of their uncanny nature, commentators noted that sleepers could be mistaken for spectres or those who had been bewitched. Depictions of the noctamubli were also influenced...