Justine's Story

"Justine's Story" was the tale of "Justine", a Hauserkinder in late 18th century Somerset. It was recorded by Foucault in his book Madness and Civilisation.

She was adopted by a family in a small farming village near Taunton, but she spoke in tongues, and she frequently tried escaping by bewitching her adopted family with "heresy" and a "pagan spirit". Nonetheless, they forced her to attend church.

Foucalt suggested that, had she been born a century earlier, Justine would have certainly been burned as a witch. At one instance she was even displayed as entertainment to a gullible businessman from Bristol. Observers described guiltlessly how, despite the frequent sexual assaults on Justine by her owners, they always kept her virginity intact, as if it were a holy obligation.

Justine began carving strange symbols into her forearm, which Foucault explained as an attempt at a Creole alphabet. Perhaps summoned by the symbols, a mysterious visitor arrived in the town. She was described by a local schoolmaster as a "fine lady of noble birth", though the town drunk noticed that she had "the head of a skeleton". The next morning, Justine had disappeared. (PROSE: The Book of the War)