On the walls of the entrance to a Tithe barn - what are these circles ? A friend said may be witch marks - ThreadSky

robinince.bsky.social • 1 day ago

On the walls of the entrance to a Tithe barn - what are these circles ? A friend said may be witch marks

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richardhesketh.bsky.social•1 day ago

Doodles made with a nail and a handy circular jar or lid. #OccamsRazor

darkoutside.co.uk•1 day ago

they look a lot like witches marks.
Or at least the ones I've seen

valouriousknight.bsky.social•1 day ago

Depending on the age of the building they look like common Mediavel graffiti this book might help!: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Medieval_Graffiti.html?id=2B3zCQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&ovdme=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

hayleyisaghost.bsky.social•1 day ago

Are you in Bradford on Avon?!

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

I was - is that your place of stomping ??

hayleyisaghost.bsky.social•1 day ago

The Tithe Barn is 5 minutes from my house. I recognised those markings in an instant 😄

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

I am back in about a month

hayleyisaghost.bsky.social•1 day ago

If you get a chance, it’s worth visiting the Saxon Church (bonus: the cottages next to it had a Poltergeist in the 60s 👻)

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

Will do that next time for sure

rhapsodyangel.bsky.social•1 day ago

@jpwarchaeology.bsky.social might be able to give you some information on them.

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you

jpwarchaeology.bsky.social•1 day ago

Hi Robin! They are probably apotropaic marks intended to bring good luck and / or deter evil and bad luck. Very common imagery in both mediaeval & post-med graffiti. Based on the idea of the power of the endless line, noted in the Gawain poem. I've surveyed them in all types of older buildings 🙂

lenhampson.bsky.social•1 day ago

Check out James Wright's article on this. His book "Medieval Mythbusting" is an excellent read.
https://triskeleheritage.triskelepublishing.com/mediaeval-mythbusting-blog-2-the-problem-of-witchmarks/

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you

judisutherland.bsky.social•1 day ago

Apotropaic marks - to fend off evil.

suecollis.bsky.social•1 day ago

Searched image in google:

archangel54.bsky.social•1 day ago

They look like Spirograph designs to me.

melissasindengray.bsky.social•18 hours ago

They are a protection against witchcraft. We have one on a beam in a bedroom. Our house is about 400 years old. I think you usually find them near a chimney or opening for a fireplace, but not always. I think the circle is God and the different lines within, the Apostles - very loosely! Fascinating!

rock-rex.bsky.social•1 day ago

https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/features/discovering-witches-marks/what-are-witches-marks/

champierth.bsky.social•1 day ago

Are you sure he wasn’t just asking “Which marks?”

billymills.bsky.social•1 day ago

Pretty sure your friend is right.

squirrely9.bsky.social•18 hours ago

I'm jealous of all the history you get to see... Have a good day

widgett.bsky.social•1 day ago

Wait. These look like Venn diagrams and pie charts. Is this a proto-PowerPoint presentation?

widgett.bsky.social•1 day ago

I initially read that as “the entrance to a Time barn.”

Sigh. Evidence I need new glasses keeps piling up.

And I keep tripping over it because I don’t see it in time.

valkyriekaren.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'd say so - they look similar to some I've seen from folklore accounts on here.

robinince.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you

saccharinequeen.bsky.social•1 day ago

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/warding-off-evil-with-witch-marks

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