Witch defense instead of a sundial?

Scratch symbol

Incised symbol on one of the church stones. (Image: HS2)

Excavations on the remains of a medieval church in England have uncovered several graffiti carved into stone. At first glance, these look like a sundial, but they were positioned so that the sun never reached them. The archaeologists conclude from this that these incised motifs were more a variant of well-known symbols for warding off witches than sundials.

In some medieval ruins there are strange incised symbols in the stone. They consist of a central hole from which radiate lines emanate. Because these incised marks were often found on the south facade of houses or churches, archaeologists previously assumed that they were simple sundials. For example, it could have indicated the times of prayer to the people of the Middle Ages.

Ritz symbol 2
The central point with radially extending lines is typical. (Image: HS2)

Chapel of a Norman squire

But now a find in the English city of Stoke Mandeville sheds new light on these incised motifs. There, archaeologists are working on a project to excavate the ruins of the medieval church of St Mary. This church was built around 1070 – shortly after the Normans conquered England – as a chapel of a manor house. It is possible that the church initially served as a private chapel for the landlord. In the 1340s, the church building was expanded and, among other things, a central aisle was added.

In 1866, however, the medieval chapel was destroyed and replaced by a new church closer to the town center. The stones of the old building, some of which were intentionally removed, remained in ruins. Archaeologists around Michael Court from the British transport company HS2 have now examined these remains in more detail as part of planned construction work for a new railway line. To their surprise, they discovered that the foundation walls and the floor of the old church had been preserved under the disorganized rubble.

Incised symbols in unusual places

On some stones in the western part of the medieval masonry, the archaeologists came across a series of incisions – partly letters, partly graffiti and symbols. The sundial-like motifs known from other buildings were found on two of these stones – a central point with lines radiating from it. According to archaeologists, the position of the stones close to the church floor and far away from direct sunlight precludes their function as a sundial. “Discoveries like these unusual markings open up discussions about their purpose and their former use – and they provide fascinating insights into the past,” says Court.

The archaeologists suspect that these symbols were perhaps a variant of other, already known motifs for warding off witches. Such defense markers, often marked by labyrinth-like line patterns, were installed in the Middle Ages to keep evil spirits and witches away. According to the beliefs of the time, the spirits caught themselves in the labyrinths and endless lines. Court and his team believe that the incised symbols in St. Mary’s Church may have served this purpose as well. However, they also do not rule out the possibility that these stones were originally attached to another building and then reused for the construction of the church – then they could be sundials.

The scientists hope that further excavation work will provide more information. These will continue until next year and should bring more layers to light. The archaeologists want to find out, among other things, whether there is perhaps an even older Anglo-Saxon church under the Norman chapel.

Source: HS2

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