When I was a child, my grandfather had an old farmhouse that had been built onto in sections over a period of 175 years. My aunts always believed that the back chambers of the oldest part were haunted by a long-dead young woman named Charlotte.
I don’t know the details of the ghost story, but I do know the spooky back chamber’s attic was where, years before I was born, they found — as well as the Cupid oil lamp that I’ve told you about — a variety of very peculiar objects, much older, hidden in the wall and beneath the floorboards.
(My mother still has an old leather boot that her brother found when he replaced the plaster of a closet wall, stuffed in with the mouse-droppings and old newspapers that served as insulation. We couldn’t imagine how it came to be inside the wall!)
Nothing as odd as a mummified cat carcass, however… or “witch bottles” filled with urine… or even a mysterious pagan symbol drawn in candle-smoke…
Ian Stapleton, who specializes in renovating and restoring old houses, sheds light on such strange discoveries as these. Apparently, they were intended as ritual objects placed in old houses and other buildings to protect the occupants from witches and evil spirits.
These objects have been found in the UK, Continental Europe, Australia and North America. The majority of such objects are found in buildings constructed before 1800 but they have been discovered in buildings dating from as late as the early 20th century.
Ian suggests that ritual objects are more common than one might think, but not always recognized for what they are — even by some professional people who really should know about such things.
It’s important to document your find with notes and photographs, he says, and details some of the most types of common ritual objects to look for when you’re working in an old house. After all, that’s a piece of cultural history that tells more about the lives of our (quite recent!) ancestors than any public monument ever could.
Related posts:
- Irish Dried Cat First, let me give you a little background on “Lucky” — the mummified cat that one...
- Renovate Your Home With Old-World Style Woodwork Here’s a professional tip for do-it-yourself home renovators, especially if you’re looking at renovating a kitchen,...
- Danish Soap Holders I love looking at the products and designs coming out of Europe, but it does...
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
wow! our house is only 10 years old, so all we had was bad decorating, lack of maintenance and filth to deal with when we bought it – nothing as weird as a dead cat carcass (would have been easier and cheaper to get rid of)
I have only just found out about dried cats. Foolishly I brought the one that dropped out of the roof in my old cottage in Ireland back to England. Now I really think I should take it back – what on earth will Ryanair make of it?
Jules, the idea of your dead Irish cat travelling about the UK rather intrigues me – any chance you have a photograph of it?
This is why I am a dog person.
After reading the linked article at oldhouses.com, I’m thinking this all ties in with Halloween, somehow, what with the cat and the witch and warding off evil spirits.
That’s Halloween, alright: the one night a year when the dearly departed undesirables return to their “old” homes.
The fly in the Cupid’s Oil Lamp is the prevalence of those old shoes in the chimney. Sounds like Christmas, to me
Cheers,
Mitch
I’m so excited — Jules has kindly sent me a photograph of the dead cat “Lucky” found in Ireland, and given permission to share it with you.
I’ll be posting it later today.
No worries, though, if you’re a bit on the squeamish side about such things — discreet thumbnail versions of the photograph will protect the finer sensibilities… and the curious types can click through to take a closer look.