2 weeks Ago
Halloween probably has its roots in the pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrating the end of harvests and the beginning of those dark winter months. Although given our ancient history and those pre-Celtic monuments such as Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire, the Rollright stones in the Cotswolds and Callanish in Lewis, and indeed many many others, all predating the pyramids, it likely has its roots in the Neolithic, around 5000+ years ago. Whilst Pagans celebrate Samhain today, Christians celebrate All Hallows Day, All Hallows Eve and the Feast of All Saints.
Britain has undoubtedly had its religious traditions change significantly over the last 4000 years. From the Celts usurping the ancient inhabitants of Britain’s beliefs to the Romans suppressing the Druids. Not to mention, Christianity's attempts to eliminate Paganism, and by association with Witchcraft, and Protestantism's persecution of Catholicism during the 16th and 17th centuries.
In 1542, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which stated that witchcraft was a crime punishable by death. Indeed, King James VI and I (He was King of Scotland) wrote a book Daemonologie to give it its short title that was published in 1597. It was about as fire and brimstone as it gets.
A copy published in 1603 sold with a hammer price of £3200 in 2020. During the English Civil War and the Puritan years of Oliver Cromwell, hundreds of people were accused of Witchcraft and many were put to death. The last execution of someone charged with witchcraft happened in Scotland in 1727 when Janet Horne was burnt at the stake.
Within a decade, laws against witchcraft were reduced to imposing fines or imprisonment of people thought to be using magical powers. However in rural parts, the persecution of “witches” continued with the last known murder occurring in 1945 in Lower Quinton, Warwickshire when Charles Walton was murdered, it is believed, due to rumours he committed witchcraft. After the Second World War, there was a lull in interest in ancient sites partly due to the Nazis' obsession with perverting the past into a Germanic image.
Himmler, the notorious head of the SS, had ordered the construction of stone circles for SS rituals. In effect, he wanted to rewrite the past. It’s likely that both he and Hitler had an interest verging on obsession with the occult and Himmler used the persecution of witches as an excuse to persecute those he blamed.
By the 1960s it was all 'Peace and Love' and a renaissance of interest in Witchcraft and Paganism occurred along. The decade saw a fascination for Eastern religions and Madam Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley. The former followed Esotericism whilst the latter was a British occultist.
Despite the fact that Blavatsky had died in 1898 and Crowley in 1947 their books sold well which signified a change in attitudes generally. With this brief overview of witchcraft, it has to be said that many people were terrified of witches and any associated 'evil' doings. As recently as the 19th Century rural furniture often has witch marks scratched into it which manifested itself as anything from daisy wheels to three lines and V shapes.
These were often found on doors and windows to ward off evil. I currently have a Welsh spoon rack for sale that has just such a mark. From personal experience, a historical interest in Britain’s heritage saw me ask for directions to the burial mound at Enstone in the late 1980s.
I simply asked a chap out walking his dog for directions and a torrent of anger and abuse towards anyone visiting such an evil place poured out. Even today it’s a touchy subject to some. Yet if we look at Halloween and children dressed as ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizards Trick or Treating, its roots actually lay in medieval English traditions.
People would go door to door on All Saint's Day, offering prayers or songs in exchange for food and this was known as “Souling". Antique items related to witchcraft occasionally occur in the trade. Other items with a curse or a ghost story attached come up too.
Two that caught my eye this week are a “witches heart” bracelet, Rock Crystal and Diamond 15ct Gold at Mitaine Antiques for £2655 and a “devil head” walking stick by Krave Antiques for £450. The walking stick is certainly a conversation piece and the witch's heart is a good luck charm to ward off evil. Whatever your beliefs, I hope if anything you’ve enjoyed this week's column.
Folk law is such a fascinating subject and whilst the horrors of persecution still trouble our world, just be kind and leave evil behind!.
