Historian Explores Six Magical Methods Used to Protect Homes, From Witch Bottles to Mystical Symbols
Historian Thomas Waters from Imperial College London delves into how magic was historically used to protect buildings and gardens in his new book, *Magick: Decoding the Visual Culture of Spells, Illusions and Psychic Powers*. He highlights six main protective methods. For instance, plants like bay trees, rosemary, betony, and chile peppers were believed to ward off evil. He also notes that symbols such as five- and six-pointed stars were carved on structures for protection, as recorded in the 1622 *Booke of Experiments* at the Bodleian Library. Additionally, magical elements like demon tiles in East Asia and witch bottles in Europe were significant. These practices show that magic still serves as a subtle defense against modern worries. This summary was originally in *The Conversation* and later shared by *Smithsonian* magazine.
Key facts
- Thomas Waters is a historian at Imperial College London and author of the forthcoming book Magick: Decoding the Visual Culture of Spells, Illusions and Psychic Powers.
- The book explores six ways people historically used magic to protect their homes: protective plants, mystical symbols, magical architecture, witch bottles, special stones, and religious objects.
- Witch bottles, popular from the early modern era to the early 20th century, typically contained fingernails, hair, or urine of a bewitched person, along with bent pins and cloth hearts.
- About 250 witch bottles have been discovered in England, while fewer than a dozen have been found in the United States.
- The 1622 Booke of Experiments, a grimoire held at the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library, describes star symbols used to overcome enemies.
- In Schiltach, Germany, in 1533, an act of arson was reportedly caused by incendiary witchcraft, leading to magical protection focused on chimneys and hearths.
- Hag stones, naturally holed stones, saw a renaissance among modern witches in recent years.
- In the Ottoman Empire, calligraphers created evil-repelling hilyas, scrolls extolling the Prophet Muhammad, used as amulets or wall hangings.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Waters
- Nicholas Culpeper
- Prophet Muhammad
Institutions
- Imperial College London
- University of Oxford
- Bodleian Library
- The Conversation
- Smithsonian magazine
Locations
- Schiltach
- Germany
- North Yorkshire
- England
- British Isles
- Britain
- Europe
- Americas
- East Asia
- Aragon
- Spain
- Jersey
- United States
- China
- Shandong Province
- Mount Tai
- Ireland
- Ottoman Empire