The Digital Ark :: Human horn

The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

In Print: A Myraculous, and Monstrous, but yet Most True, and Certayne Discourse, of a Woman (Now to Be Seene in London) of the Age of Threescore Yeares, or There Abouts, in the Midst of Whose Fore-Head (by the Wonderfull Worke of God) There Groweth out a Crooked Horne, of Foure Ynches Long., title page Attached People: Source of object(s) - Gryffith, Margaret (c. 1528-fl. 1588)
Recipient of object(s) - Cope, Walter (c.1553-30 Jul 1614)
Location(s): No Locations Attached To This Object
Annotation:Jan Bondeson suggests that the horn that grew out of Gryffith's head "was probably kept for posterity" (many such horns were) and speculates it might be the horn that ended up in Cope's collection (The Two-Headed Boy, 123). Platter mentions seeing "A round horn which had grown on an English woman’s forehead," and could have very easily confused "English" for "Welsh." Given that (according to the 1588 pamphlet) members of the Queen's privy council visited Gryffith while she was on display in London, and Cope's involvement employment with Lord Burghley, Bondeson's speculation is not far-fetched.