Stories of domestic violence and coercion from a Maltese village during the sixteenth century : implications for the present

Abstract

The paper traces two historical narratives that took place within the space of two years in the village of Ħal Luqa in sixteenth-century Malta. The first presents an account of thirteen-year-old Imperia Mallia, who sought refuge in a nunnery in 1533 because of a man who chased her incessantly, in order to marry her. The second story is about Agata Briffa, who in 1535 took legal action against her husband because of domestic violence. Both stories, based on court proceedings, are documented by Micallef (1975). The study of the two narratives reveals the association of gender with the legal procedure of court trials. It examines women’s representations that demonstrate acts of defiance towards the social limits imposed on womanhood. The study discusses the relevance of the two stories in the context of a wider dialogue on gender-based coercion and domestic violence by providing insights into gender relations that resonate with contemporary situations.