Turtledove
Advertisement
Cicily Sellis
Fictional Character
Ruled Britannia
POD: July-August, 1588
Type of Appearance: Direct
Nationality: England
Date of Birth: c. 1557
Occupation: Fortune Teller

Cicily Sellis (b. c. 1557) was a self-proclaimed "cunning woman" who lived in London, England. In 1597 she rented an entire room for herself from Jane Kendall, who also rented a shared room to William Shakespeare and two other men.

Sellis earned money as a fortune teller, working out of her room in Kendall's boardinghouse. She seduced Lope de Vega when Vega was due at The Theatre to perform a role in King Philip, thus preventing Vega from interfering with the production of Boudicca.

Sellis may have been a witch, or she may merely have been an extremely cunning and subtle woman. Many incidents she was involved in would seem to have supernatural explanations, but most of these also had more ordinary explanations.

Sellis was often accompanied by a gray tabby cat named Mommet.

Literary Note[]

There was a historical Englishwoman named Cicily Sellis who was accused of witchcraft in the late 16th century. However, Harry Turtledove insists in Ruled Britannia's afterword that his Sellis is not the same person as the real one.

Advertisement