Saturday

Novercaphobia: Fearsome phobias from A to Z




“Better a serpent than a stepmother!” said Euripides, the Fifth Century BC Classical Greek poet. Maybe times have changed a bit since then.



Novercaphobia is the fear of stepmothers.

Blame the fairy tales, if you want, for painting stepmothers as wicked, horrid, selfish, evil creatures. (Some of us aren’t really all that scary.)

Scores of stepmothers are actually the opposite of the fictional villainesses. These ladies willingly take on extra responsibilities, making room in their hearts and their homes for children who are not (at least initially) their own – all the while trying valiantly not to overstep basic boundaries.

Often, fine families are formed this way. And that’s a step in the right direction.

Still, some individuals are apparently still frightened of stepmothers. (See what I did there?)


Image:
A to Z Blogging Challenge promo logo – fair use
Graphic adapted from public domain image

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