Artefact recalls witches' shadow
By Greig Watson
BBC News Online, Nottingham
A chilling reminder of our
superstitious past has been
unearthed from a rural
farmhouse.
The "witch bottle" was
discovered buried in old
foundations in the Lincolnshire
village of Navenby.
Containing bent pins, human
hair and perhaps urine, the
bottles were supposed to
protect a household against
evil spells.
The bottle contained pins, hair and a leather strap
Dated to about 1830, it is
evidence the fear of dark forces persisted far longer than
previously thought.
Discovered by accident during building work, the artefact
initially sat unrecognised in a cupboard. Jo Butler, the
house's owner, described what they found.
She said: "The builder was breaking up foundations with a
pick and he came across the bottle.
"We saw it contained metal bits and this kind of strap but
had never heard of witch bottles and put it under the stairs."
It was only recognised when taken to a open evening held by
the archaeology department of Lincolnshire County Council.
Finds Liaison Officer Adam
Daubney first identified the
artefact.
How to spot a witch
He said: "It was an incredible
moment. It was the first one I
had physically seen and they
are really quite rare artefacts,
so to have that handed in was
quite something."
The "bottle", in this case more
likely to have been a glass
inkwell or candlestick, had
been damaged during
discovery but still had its
contents.
Mr Daubney said: "It seems a
Disease endemic among crops, cattle and
people
Animal companion or 'familiar', most often a
toad or cat
A squint, being the mark of the evil eye
Floats when thrown, bound, into water
"Devil's marks" which do not feel pain or
bleed
Confession after prolonged torture
bit like voodoo, using human hair and pins but it's not
entirely clear why these items where used.
"One theory is that the pins were put in urine so when the
witch went to the toilet, it felt like they were passing the
sharp metal.
"What the bottles were intended to do was bounce back
spells on the sender.
"Even if you did not know who the witch was, you would
make one of these and sit back to see who died, then that
person was the witch."
Death sentence
Britain in the late 1500's, and for 100 years after, was gripped by the
"Witchcraze".
This saw hundreds of women persecuted and sometimes executed, for alleged
involvement in black magic.
The most famous British trials were at North Berwick, in Scotland, in 1591 and
Pendle, Lancashire in 1612.
Most "witches" were hanged, rather than the
burning at the stake of popular imagination.
Rural Echoes
Protecting hearth and home from such malignant
forces took various forms, including putting shoes
beneath the floorboards and walling up cats.
Witch bottles, often made from stoneware, were
most common in the 1600's, at the height of the
witchcraft scares.
The Navenby example, however, has been dated
at 1830, a time when such beliefs were thought to
have been dying out.
Such traditions do tend to linger in
more rural areas like Lincolnshire
and Norfolk but this is very rare
Adam Daubney, Finds Liaison Officer
"This late date is really incredible," said Mr Daubney. "Such traditions do tend to
linger in more rural areas like Lincolnshire and Norfolk but this is very rare."
He added: "It could be either that the people who made this really believed in
witches or it could be a kind of harmless tradition, a little like throwing salt over
your shoulder.
"But the care with which this has put together, with a leather strap to hold it,
could suggest the former."
The bottle is being conserved and will go on display at the Museum of Lincolnshire
Life in Lincoln later this year.