Ślady czarownic w Gainsborough Old Hall w Lincolnshire
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EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.
If you’re on the look out for some witchiness this Halloween then Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire is the place to be.
That’s because English Heritage staff, who oversee the property, have discovered a vast number of “witches marks” there.
Around 20 carvings were found etched into the walls, believed to have been intended to trap demons and invoke the Virgin Mary’s protection.
The carvings were mapped over a two-year period by English Heritage volunteer Rick Berry, who meticulously catalogued the engravings, revealing what the charity describes as "rare curse inscriptions."
Among these is a striking inscription where the name “Hickman” appears upside down, a reference to William Hickman, who owned the hall in the late 16th century.
According to English Heritage, defacing a name in this manner was widely believed to curse the individual named. This particular curse inscription is the first of its kind recorded across any of their sites.
Berry’s research extended into the hall’s servants’ wing, uncovering additional inscriptions that were likely meant to trap malevolent spirits, along with "Marian marks," symbols believed to call upon the Virgin Mary for protection. A pentangle was also found among the engravings.
As well as these ritual carvings, around 100 burn marks were found on the hall’s structure.
Historically, these marks were believed to provide protection against fire, a common practice in past centuries.
Gainsborough Old Hall, constructed by Sir Thomas Burgh between 1460 and 1480, stands as one of England’s best-preserved medieval manor houses, continuing to reveal new layers of its rich and complex past.
Where: Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
When: 28 Oct 2024
Credit: English Heritage/Cover Images
**EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.**
2024-10-28
Cover Images/East News
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