And don't forget the eye of newt


witch bottleI thought this was pretty interesting.  Historians have unearthed a 17th century “witch bottle” in Greenwich, England.  Apparently, you were supposed to bury these things upside down in your yard to keep those pesky neighborhood witches from putting a curse on you, your family, or your cow.  Ingredients included urine, nail clippings, scraps of metal, hair, and other assorted tidbits.  Historians have known about them from tradition and the historical record, but this one is the first to have been found intact.  I love history, the odder the better, and this certainly fits that bill.


3 responses to “And don't forget the eye of newt”

  1. And what could I bury in my yard to keep the snail infestation at bay? In matter-of-fact, I’m going to search for proof that my particular colony of snails has wicken ties.

    This is very cool.

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