Francis (Buster) Whitfill
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fwhitfill.bsky.social
Francis (Buster) Whitfill
@fwhitfill.bsky.social
Recovering teacher & PhD student in Spanish at the University of Virginia. Interested in #medieval & #earlymodern content. I am interested in literary depictions of #Satan and #evil and what they tell us about society
Reading up on the mester de clerecia poetry and looking out the window. I've got a lot to catch up on this weekend
August 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
In 8 weeks of intensive #Latin, you have to learn the most essential terms, like "interficio," which means "to kill." Or "neco," "to kill." Or "occido," "to kill." Or "caedo," "to cut down" or "to kill." Or "deleo," "to blot out" or "to destroy." This has been such an enriching opportunity
August 7, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Greetings #earlymodern friends, the deadline for submissions for this #cfp on #satan, #sin, #demonicpacts has been extended to August 3! Come join us at @rsaorg.bsky.social's 2026 conference in San Francisco! #rensa26 More details on flyer or at tinyurl.com/76rw4cz7. Please spread the word!
July 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
How it feels to be a student at #UVA right now:
'There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle', said Hermione grimly. [...]
'How about: "progress for progress's sake must be discouraged [...] 'It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts.'
June 30, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Moving day just so happened to be the first day of Intensive Latin. Valeo bene, sed langueo. 😴
June 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
#earlymodern scholars who work on #satan, I'm organizing a panel for @rsaorg.bsky.social's 2026 conference. The topic is "Satan the Seductor: Willful and Unwitting Damnation in Early Modern Europe." @fatricky.bsky.social will be the chair. For #cfp info: tinyurl.com/76rw4cz7 See you there? #RenSA26
June 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
This mural depicting Hell, painted in the Templo San Juan Bautista de Huaro, came up in conversation recently. Its attention to individual interactions make Hell personal and, thus, more threatening. The words of regret drive the warning home. #earlymodern #satan #hell #demons
May 7, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I'm looking over the "Compendium Maleficarum" (Francesco Maria Guazzo) to talk about the representation of the demon in "El Diablo Cojuelo" (Luis Velez de Guevara). In Book I, Chapter 12, Guazzo writes that they "kiss him upon the buttocks in sign of homage." Are we in a witch's sabbath? #america
May 2, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Does anyone work with #escriptorium for #earlymodern or #medieval #transcription projects? I had a hard time setting it up, but I finally managed to get a transcription model and I think I'm finally able to train it. I'm curious what successes or failures others have had 🤔 #digitalhumanities
April 16, 2025 at 10:55 PM
My new book embosser. The coonhound references my upbringing, the dogs I had & my first real read "Where the Red Fern Grows." Sometimes intellectually I feel like I follow smell the wrong trail, but it references my curiosity for learning. I used my nickname because it's what feels like me. #books
March 26, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Sunday evening literature review and inadvisably late coffee #academicsky #spain #earlymodern
March 23, 2025 at 11:56 PM
There's a monster living under my bed. #dogsky
March 20, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Cleofás telling those in the academy to stop using just "8 or 10 words" to describe everything so that God is the only one to understand them blahaha 😂😆😂 *cough* heuristic*cough* (finishing up Diablo Cojuelo) #academicsky #earlymodern #spain
March 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
So, in Tranco IV of "El Diablo Cojuelo," the necromancer-astrologer enclosed the demon "mozo de retrete" ( #Satan 's toilet boy) in a topaz ring. Now I'm wondering if anyone has any insights on #medieval or #earlymodern #magic beliefs? Anything about placing #demons inside flasks or jewelry?
March 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Spring break just means now I can read the other stuff I need to read but isn't supposed to be read two days from now.

Today's dive into the image of the #Devil in literature is El Diablo Cojuelo, Guevara's 1641 novel that takes us on a tour of the sins of Madrid. #earlymodern #academicsky
March 9, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I always love to visit Special Collections @rareuva.bsky.social here at UVA. When was the last time you got to touch a priceless piece of human history? #books #academicsky #earlymodern
March 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Chip loves the smell of library books. If I don't watch him, he starts licking them. Luckily there's been no damage ... yet 😅
#dogsky #dogsofbluesky
February 28, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Just got my presenter goodies for #arconexiones at @idahostateucose.bsky.social. Thanks to @marinlaufenberg.bsky.social and students for all the hard work put into this. I'm looking forward to watercolor painting 😁🎨
February 3, 2025 at 11:56 PM
"Meditations," by Chipperton Nillawafer, is an upcoming philosophical treatise that examines existential questions, such as, "are all squirrels evil?"or "why is the bone that the other dog chews more interesting than my own?" Coming to the #philosophy section of your nearest bookstore #dogsky
January 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Reading "Introduction to Manuscript Studies" (Clemens and Graham) and noticed that the backbone line in figure 1-16 looks like a modern sheet of notebook paper. Is that just a coincidence, #medievalsky?
January 19, 2025 at 7:22 PM
This is something I picked up last semester to skim through for a paper. It's got a lot about convents as well.
January 19, 2025 at 3:51 PM
This is the face that distracts me when I'm working. Right now, he demands a walk. #dogsky #dogsofbluesky
January 13, 2025 at 11:28 PM
"But Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

#snowday #dogs #dogsky
January 6, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Small update to what I asked on #academicsky recently. I downloaded @obsidian.md, linked it to @zotero.org & started importing annotations & bibliographies. Then, I tried to come up with important points-maybe not true #zettelkasten, but I've noticed cool connections. My #medieval & #earlymodern...
January 3, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Let me tell ya 'bout my best friend 🎵 #dogs
December 22, 2024 at 5:37 PM