The Apotropaic "Witch posts" of Early Modern Yorkshire: A Contextualization
In houses in Yorkshire there remain carved posts of some antiquity, marked with a distinct X, whose provenance is unknown. These are known locally as "witch posts." Understanding these as examples of apotropaic folk-belief is recommended by contemporary accounts of the necessity of protect...
| Published in: | Material religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2018]
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| In: |
Material religion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
York (County)
/ Popular belief
/ House
/ Apotropaic object
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| RelBib Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion KBF British Isles |
| Further subjects: | B
Witchcraft
B Yorkshire B Apotropaic B saltire cross B witch posts B church magic B Early Modern |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | In houses in Yorkshire there remain carved posts of some antiquity, marked with a distinct X, whose provenance is unknown. These are known locally as "witch posts." Understanding these as examples of apotropaic folk-belief is recommended by contemporary accounts of the necessity of protection against evil by charms, images, and objects. Such beliefs were not only not marginal but actively encouraged by both traditional church practices and a Neoplatonic conception of the potency of words, incantations, and charms in physical and spiritual matters. That these ideas have resisted the pressure of the skeptical and rational discourses with which they have been approached is partly testament to the shifting signification of the posts themselves. |
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| ISSN: | 1751-8342 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Material religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/17432200.2017.1418477 |