Introduction	Group of finds from Pershore, Worcs.
to folk magic

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The hyperlinks on the right link to brief summaries of the different categories of folk magic objects - for more information some recommended reading has been provided at the bottom of each page. There is much new information which I have but a combination of space and the fact that it is 'work in progress' prevent me from publishing it here. There are many more objects which are frequently found in buildings which are not detailed here including knives, dolls, garments, worked pieces of wood and other miscellany - if you have details of any, please let me know.

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A Brief Introduction.

It seems that when people concealed things like witch-bottles and dried cats, they were hoping to protect themselves and their families from some form of invisible menace. Whether it was the witch or his/her familiar spirit or some other kind of menace like ghosts, imps, or maybe even fairies is not yet fully clear. There is direct evidence that witch-bottles were used for counter-witchcraft and written charms seem to have protected against all manner of supernatural dangers, but the evidence for concealed shoes, horse skulls, dried cats and ritual marks is not quite so clear.

What is known is that all of these things were installed in houses during the period of the witch-trials (broadly the 16th and 17th centuries) and for a significant period afterwards - in some cases until the mid-twentieth century. Witch-bottles in particular show a distinct peak in use during the period of the witch-trials - perhaps not surprisingly. Assessing the little evidence that exists prior to this period is difficult because not as many buildings are still upstanding, and those that are have often been altered and re-altered many times.

Perhaps the most important clue to the nature of these practices comes from the secrecy which accompanied their installation into a building. Secrecy is often a key ingredient in magic practices and it can be inferred by the very existence of these finds that magic of one kind or another was a significant component in the lives of those who concealed these items. There appear to be very few written documents which account for these practices yet there is a very large amount of physical evidence that they occurred. A thorough documentary search in the light of these finds would probably reveal one or two references which, although few in number, would contribute greatly to understanding the nature of these practices.

Have any of you seen any written documents that might help with this project? - if you have I'd appreciate it if you could let me know about it.

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