The Mórrigan (also Morrighan, Môr-Riogain or Morrigu), usually referred to with the definite article, was a great warrior-queen goddess in Irish-Celtic mythology. She was most associated with inciting war, then stirring up the fury and frenzy of battle, and finally, as the bringer of death. The goddess was able to take any form of living creature she wished and she helped bring about the demise of the hero-warrior Cú Chulainn after he spurned her many attempts to seduce him as different animals. Her coupling with the Dagda, another major warrior-god, was an important part of the Samhain festival which the Celts celebrated to mark the beginning of a new year.
On this day, 11 February 1916, Lithuanian-born Jewish anarchist Emma Goldman was arrested in New York City for distributing information on birth control. She was technically charged with breaching the Comstock Act, which banned “obscene” material from the mail or from being transported across state lines.
Goldman’s arrest came as she was due to deliver a public lecture on family planning, which was a key concern for working class people. Radicals argued that family planning was essential for working class people to be able to have an acceptable standard of living, and believed that authorities opposed birth control so that there would be an oversupply of labour to keep down wages and fill the army.
Emma Goldman decided to defend herself in court, and used the trial to generate large amounts of publicity for her message. She was eventually convicted, and rather than pay a $100 fine she chose to serve 15 days in prison.
We have a collection of Goldman’s writings on sex and gender available here, as well as reproductions of this mugshot: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/all/emma-goldman
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The Id Monster attacking the crew of the United Planets Cruiser C-57D. The creature is normally invisible, but its interaction with the ship’s force field allows the crew to see it for the first time.
If you look very closely you’ll notice that the monster has a goatee, just like Walter Pidgeon’s character Dr. Morbius. Morbius’ enhanced unconscious mind is responsible for creating the monster.
Walt Disney Productions animator Joshua Meador was “loaned” to MGM specifically to create this scene. That was unusual move back in the day when nearly everyone was contracted to a specific studio.
