A curious custom which seems to solely belong to North Yorkshire in Northern England is that of the witch posts.
There are less than 20 of these known to be in existence, and they only seem to come from this one area of England.
They’re all from around the 1600s, and are usually made from solid oak.
The one in the picture below is from Ryedale Museum, but similar have been found in neighbouring Whitby, and one in Lancashire.
The posts were erected by the hearth within peoples houses, and then carved with various shapes, and in particular crosses. These were thought to protect against witches entering the home via the chimney.
According to the King James’s 'Daemonologie' - the King’s treatise on necromancy, magic and the occult written in 1597 - it was important to protect the home and hearth from witches or their familiars from entering.
There’s a passage in this book which reads: “they will come and pierce through, whatever house or church, though all ordinary passages be closed", specifically gaining access through any opening, "the air may enter in at."
The fear of witches or their familiars was very real and taken incredibly serious, so great efforts were made to protect the home, person and property.
The St Andrews cross was the usual protective symbol carved onto these posts. It’s also used on other things we still see today too, hot cross buns being one of them! It’s also why we cross our fingers, as it was used as a gesture of protection.
Often there are also holes made in these posts too, and various other amulets and protective items are inserted into them. Found in these holes have been all kinds of things, from three penny pieces, to a coil of sheep’s wool and even sprigs of horse hair.
It seems each post was customised to the individual home.
If a priest visited the home, they could bless the post and another cross was carved for added protection.
These strange customs are a fascinating glimpse into the firmly rooted beliefs of real people who once walked the cobbles of these old towns.
It also highlights the fear and superstition which surrounds witchcraft, and reminds me of why Silvercrow exists: to help educate and distinguish fact from fiction, in order to remove the stigma attached to our practice.
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