Silent Woman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silent Woman, The Silent Woman, or less commonly The Good Woman is a name given to various pubs, taverns, restaurant/bars, and inns in the United Kingdom (primarily England), the United States, and possibly in other predominantly English speaking countries. Most, if not all of these feature a picture of a decapitated woman prominently displayed on sign on the establishment's exterior with a caption of the establishment's name. The origin of this name/meme/logo is uncertain, but the most plausible explanation seems to be that "The Silent Woman" was a martyred saint.[1]
While the origin may never be known for certain, the popularity and spread of this icon, which has inspired pop art that some people display in their homes, has been said to be rooted in misogyny.[2] Though, this explanation would seem to conflict with the idea of "The Silent Woman" as a saint being honored, it would explain why such a macabre symbol was chosen for places of recreation and merriment. This would seem even more likely in the case of establishments called "The Good Woman" as this resembles the genocidal quote about Native Americans paraphrased form General Phillip Sheridan, "The only good Indian's a dead Indian."[3]
The nightmarish images of "The Silent Woman" standing, and even serving food and drinks, as if she was still alive, have caused some to perceive her as a monster akin to The Headless Horseman. This association may have partly inspired Led Zeppelin's "The Wanton Song", about a heartbreaking seductress which begins with the words "Silent woman in the night, you came, took my seed from my shaking frame."
