Witch ball
A witch ball is a hollow sphere of glass. Historically, witch balls were hung in cottage windows in 17th and 18th century
The witch ball is still today used extensively[citation needed] throughout Sussex, England, and continues to hold great superstition with regard to warding off evil spirits in the English counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. The tradition was also taken to overseas British colonies, such as the former British colonies of New England, and remains popular in coastal regions. Examples of the witch ball in use can be seen in the windows of houses throughout the counties anywhere from small rural villages to coastal towns and cities. Examples can also be seen in shop windows as well, often not for sale as they are so highly prized.
Origin
The witch ball originated among cultures where harmful magic and those who practiced it were feared. They are one of many folk practices involving objects for protecting the household. The word witch ball may be a corruption of watch ball because it was used to ward off, guard against, evil spirits. They may be hung in an eastern window, placed on top of a vase or suspended by a cord (as from the mantelpiece or rafters). They may also be placed on sticks in windows or hung in rooms where inhabitants wanted to ward off evil.[2]
Superstitious European sailors valued the talismanic powers of the witch balls in protecting their homes. Witch balls appeared in
Purpose
There are several variations relating to the purpose of witch balls. According to folk tales, witch balls would entice evil spirits with their bright colours; the strands inside the ball would then capture the spirit and prevent it from escaping. Another tradition holds that witch balls or spherical mirrors prevented a witch from being in a room, because witches supposedly did not have a reflection or could not bear seeing their own reflection.[1] Yet another variation contends that witch balls were used to avert the evil eye, by attracting the gaze of the eye and preventing harm to the house and its inhabitants.[3]
In the 17th century, witch balls and witch bottles were filled with holy water or salt.[4] Balls containing salt were hung up in the chimney to keep the salt dry. Salt was a precious commodity, and breaking the ball or bottle was considered bad luck.[5]
Types
Witch balls sometimes measure as large as seven inches (18 cm) in diameter. The witch ball is traditionally, but not always, green or blue in colour and made from glass (others, however, are made of wood, grass, or twigs instead of glass). Some are decorated in swirls and brilliant stripes of various colours. Witch balls normally have a hole in the top where a peg can be inserted; string is then attached to the peg so the ball can be hung in a chimney or over a window. Early witch balls often had a short neck sealed by a stopper.[5] The gazing balls found in many of today's gardens are derived from the silvered witch balls that acted as convex mirrors, warding off evil by reflecting it away.
In the
In the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, tradition holds that witch balls were made by rolling cow or horse hair into a small ball. A witch would draw a picture of the intended victim, then throw the ball at the part of the victim they wished to injure.[7]
Christmas ornament
See also
- Amulet
- Apotropaic magic
- Apotropaic mark
- Christmas ornament
- Concealed shoes
- Dreamcatcher
- Glass float
- Hoko (doll)
- Kitchen witch
- Mezuzah
- Namkha
- Nazar (amulet)
- Talisman
- Yard globe
References
- ^ S2CID 145158929.
- JSTOR 4116804.
- JSTOR 1257559.
- ^ Butterfield, Oliver (Jul 1978). "Bewitching Witchballs". Yankee. 42 (7): 172–175.
- ^ a b Willey, Roman R. (June 1970). "Witch Balls". Western Collector. 8 (6): 34–37.
- ISBN 9780486211817.
- JSTOR 534625.
- ^ ^ p65 A Time of Gifts Penguin Books. London 1933. "Standing on chairs, the pretty daughters... were helping their father decorate a Christmas tree; hanging witch-ballslooping tinsell, fixing candles, and crowning the tip with a wonderful star."