Jack-o’-lanterns hang high above a town on Halloween. AFP Photo
LONDON: As Halloween cast its spooky shadow over England, the public was asked Monday to help document the strange “witches’ marks” carved on buildings hundreds of years ago as protection against sorcery.
Found in mediaeval houses, churches, barns and caves, so-called apotropaic marks date chiefly from around 1550 to 1750.
They were etched onto stone or woodwork near entrances such as doorways, windows and fireplaces to protect inhabitants from witches and evil spirits.
Historic England, the government body which preserves significant monuments, has asked people to send in information and pictures of the mysterious markings.
“Witches’ marks are a physical reminder of how our ancestors saw the world,” said Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson.
“They really fire the imagination and can teach us about previously-held beliefs and common rituals.”
The protection marks adorn the Tower of London and the house where playwright William Shakespeare was born.
The most common type is the daisy wheel, a six-petal flower shape drawn with compasses. The hexafoil comprises a single, endless line which supposedly confused and entrapped evil spirits.
There are also five-pointed stars, or pentagrams, scratched into walls, or letters such as AM for Ave Maria, M for Mary or VV, for Virgin of Virgins, to evoke the protective power of the Virgin Mary.
“Ritual marks were cut, scratched or carved into our ancestors’ homes and churches in the hope of making the world a safer, less hostile place,” said Wilson.
“They were such a common part of everyday life that they were unremarkable and because they are easy to overlook, the recorded evidence we hold about where they appear and what form they take is thin,” he explained.
“We now need the public’s help to create a fuller record of them and better understand them.” – AFP