It Could Be Witches': Witchmarks and Protection Magic in Medieval England

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A talk by F. Crawford
This talk will discuss the use of 'witch marks' - protective markings used to ward against hostile forces - and similar apotropeia, during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, and their continuities within the present day. It will look at the protection marks, including hexafoils and burn marks, which have been found in St Nicholas Priory, while recognising the challenges that arise in identifying such marks.
In the Middle Ages, protective symbols and other practices later classed as superstition were far more commonplace than they are today (when they are still far from uncommon) and there was nothing unusual about a religious building incorporating such defences into its physical space. Perhaps particularly prior to the Reformation, there was little distinction between the so-called 'supernatural' and the natural world, and magic itself was not seen as anti-scientific, but rather as a form of science. This talk will examine how beliefs about magic were an intrinsic, accepted part of an everyday world which has gradually become less enchanted since then.
The talk will look at the ways in which protective magic has continued to be used in living spaces over the centuries since - for example in the form of witch bottles, written charms and concealed shoes - up until the present, when teddy bears and gnomes were scrambled to strengthen the ranks in the battle against Covid-19.