330-year-old 'witch bottle' unearthed in Newark

[Blackleaf]

A perfectly preserved glass ‘witch bottle’ has been unearthed in Newark, Nottinghamshire - three centuries after it was buried in the ground.

The green vessel is believed to have been used during the 18th century to ward off witches and evil spirits, and survived for so long because it was placed so carefully on the site of the Old Magnus Buildings in the town.

Archaeologists said such bottles were filled with hair, fingernails and even urine to stop spells and curses entering homes.

Many people at the time believed that by placing items that linked a homeowner to the property, it would successfully stop evil forces penetrating the walls.

The witch bottle was found during restoration work on the site of the Old Magnus Buildings and Tudor Hall, Appleton Gate, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.


'Witch bottle' unearthed in Newark: 330-year-old vessel was filled with hair and urine to ward off evil spirits

Witch bottle was found during restoration of Old Magnus Building, Newark
It is 6-inches tall (15cm), and experts have dated it to around 1680
It was found placed carefully in the ground and is perfectly preserved
Green vessel is believed to have been used to ward off evil spirits
Archaeologists said such bottles were filled with hair, fingernails and urine
Suspicious people believed that by placing items that linked a homeowner to the property, it would successfully stop evil forces penetrating the walls
British folklore tradition dates back to the 15th century​

By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline
21 October 2014
Daily Mail


A perfectly preserved glass ‘witch bottle’ has been unearthed in Newark - three centuries after it was buried in the ground.

The green vessel is believed to have been used during the 18th century to ward off witches and evil spirits, and survived for so long because it was placed so carefully on the site of the Old Magnus Buildings in the town.

Archaeologists said such bottles were filled with hair, fingernails and even urine to stop spells and curses entering homes.

The green ‘witch bottle’ (pictured) is 6-inches tall and experts have dated the bottle to around 1680. It is believed to have have been used during the 1700s to ward off evil spirits. Suspicious people believed that by placing items that linked a homeowner to the property, it would successfully stop evil forces entering the home

Many people at the time believed that by placing items that linked a homeowner to the property, it would successfully stop evil forces penetrating the walls.

The witch bottle was found during restoration work on the site of the Old Magnus Buildings and Tudor Hall, Appleton Gate, Newark-on-Trent.

It is 6-inches tall, and was found placed carefully in the ground, so not to disrupt what would have been stored inside.

Experts have dated the bottle to around 1680, although the site dates back to 1529 when Reverend Thomas Magnus provided funds to build a grammar school in the town.

The witch bottle was found during restoration work on the site of the Old Magnus Building and Tudor Hall, Appelton Gate, Newark-on-Trent (marked). The grade II-listed structure will house the UK's first National Civil War Centre when it opens in spring next year, backed by £3.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund

The Old Magnus Buildings site (pictured) dates back to 1529 when Reverend Thomas Magnus decided to provide funds to build a grammar school in the town. The Tudor Hall survives and was later joined by a Georgian town house extension and Victorian school hall

The Tudor Hall survives and was later joined by a Georgian town house extension and Victorian school hall.

Will Munford, of Pre-construct Archaeological Services, said: ‘We often forget that people were very superstitious - it was part of their everyday lives.

‘They thought that secreting such personal objects would offer protection from malign forces.’

In addition to personal items, bent iron nails, small bones, thorns, needles and cloth were also traditionally placed in witch bottles to ward off evil.

Kevin Winter, collections assistant at the National Civil War Centre is pictured holding the bottle on the Newark site. Newark and Sherwood District Council is working with Woodhead Heritage to turn the Old Magnus Buildings into a museum and visitor centre. It is hoped the bottle will go on display when the centre opens

Newark and Sherwood District Council is working with Woodhead Heritage and architects Purcell to turn the Old Magnus Buildings into a museum and visitor centre.

The grade II-listed structure will house the UK's first National Civil War Centre when it opens in spring next year, backed by £3.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

And it is hoped the bottle will go on display when the centre opens.

WHAT WAS THE MYSTERIOUS VESSEL USED FOR?

Archaeologists said witch bottles were filled with hair, fingernails and even urine to stop spells and curses entering homes. In addition to personal items, bent iron nails, small bones, thorns, needles and cloth were also traditionally placed in witch bottles to ward off evil. A witch hunt is illustrated

The green 'witch bottle' found in Newark is believed to have been used during the 1700s to ward off witches and evil spirits.

It survived for so long because it was placed so carefully in the ground, on the site of the Old Magnus Buildings in the northern town.

Archaeologists said such bottles were filled with hair, fingernails and even urine to stop spells and curses entering homes.

In addition to personal items, bent iron nails, small bones, thorns, needles and cloth were also traditionally placed in witch bottles to ward off evil.

The bottles were most often found buried under a fireplace, although other known sites include under the floor, or inside walls.

The fireplace is traditionally said to have a direct connection to the sky above, making it a good entry point for a witch to enter a home.

Many people also believed doors could let witches and evil spirits into a home, so bottles were often found in doorways and entrances.

The tradition dates to British folklore, travelling with British immigrants to America and beyond.




Read more: 'Witch bottle' unearthed in Newark filled with hair and urine to ward off evil spirits | Daily Mail Online
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[Walter]

Lotta history in the UK.

 

[DaSleeper]

Lotta history in the UK.

And you can count on Blackie to post it whether people read it ......or not....

 

[taxslave]

Lotta history in the UK.

The problem with so much history is that it is so hard to build anything new without protests from those that don't want change.

 

[Walter]

The problem with so much history is that it is so hard to build anything new without protests from those that don't want change.

We've always had to deal with Luddites on both sides of the pond.

 

[Trex]

The only reason it is a "witch" bottle is because somebody stuck some hair in it.
The bottle itself is pretty much the equivalent of a modern day beer bottle.
It is a commonly styled 17th century booze bottle and it is said the flat bottomed shape was to prevent the bottle from rolling off heaving ships tables or counters.
They are available on the retail antique market, highly collectable and can be fairly pricey to purchase.
I own one a little larger than the one in the article.
Google " 17 century english onion bottle" to see dozens of pics and discriptions as well as prices.

 

[Blackleaf]

The first mention of a witch bottle appears in the 17th century. One of the earliest descriptions of a witch bottle in Suffolk, England appears in 1681 in Joseph Glanvill's Saducismus triumphatus:

"For an old Man that Travelled up and down the Country, and had some acquaintance at that house, calling in and asking the Man of the house how he did and his Wife; He told him that himself was well, but his Wife had been a long time in a languishing condition, and that she was haunted with a thing in the shape of a Bird that would flurr [sic] near to her face, and that she could not enjoy her natural rest well. The Old Man bid him and his Wife be of good courage. It was but a dead Spright, he said, and he would put him in a course to rid his Wife of this languishment and trouble, He therefore advised him to take a Bottle, and put his Wives Urine into it, together with Pins and Needles and Nails, and Cork them up and set the Bottle to the Fire well corkt, which when it had felt a while the heat of the Fire began to move and joggle a little, but he for sureness took the Fire shovel, and held it hard upon the Cork, And as he thought, he felt something one while on this side, another while on that, shove the Fire shovel off, which he still quickly put on Again, but at last at one shoving the Cork bounced out, and the Urine, Pins, Nails and Needles all flew up, and gave a report like a Pistol, and his Wife continued in the same trouble and languishment still.

Not long after, the Old Man came to the house again, and inquired of the Man of the house how his Wife did. Who answered, as ill as ever, if not worse. He askt him if he had followed his direction. Yes, says he, and told him the event as is above said. Ha, quoth he, it seems it was too nimble for you. But now I will put you in a way that will make the business sure. Take your Wive’s Urine as before, and Cork, it in a Bottle with Nails, Pins and Needles, and bury it in the Earth; and that will do the feat. The Man did accordingly. And his Wife began to mend sensibly and in a competent time was finely well recovered; But there came a Woman from a Town some miles off to their house, with a lamentable Out-cry, that they had killed her Husband. They askt her what she meant and thought her distracted, telling her they knew neither her nor her Husband. Yes, saith she, you have killed my Husband, he told me so on his Death-bed. But at last they understood by her, that her Husband was a Wizard, and had bewitched this Mans Wife and that this Counter-practice prescribed by the Old Man, which saved the Mans Wife from languishment, was the death of that Wizard that had bewitched her."

The problem with so much history is that it is so hard to build anything new without protests from those that don't want change.

Our ancient buildings need to be preserved as national treasures. No beautiful old building should have to make way for one of those ugly modern buildings, which Prince Charles calls "carbuncles."

The Anglophile American writer Bill Bryson noticed in his 1995 book Notes From A Small Island, in which he told of his travels around Britain, that his own small village in North Yorkshire has more 16th century buildings in it than the whole of North America.