1930 – Sea coal
- Physical description:
- Roughly heart-shaped piece of matt black sea coal.
- Museum classification:
- Sea witchcraft
- Size:
- 70 x 50 x 35
- Information:
A visitor to the museum, a fisherman from South Devon, told us that, according to a tradition handed on to him by his father, they carry a piece of sea coal on their fishing boats to ensure good fortune.
Sea coal is coal that has washed ashore after being in the sea for centuries. In the South West it usually comes from wrecked ships that were carrying coal as fuel or cargo.
Thomas Nicols, in his 'Lapidary' (1652) describes a hard form of coal (now known as indurated bitumen) being used as an amulet against evil spirits.
Another visitor to the museum also described finding several pieces of coal placed under the floorboards of her house.
Scarborough Museum has a charm consisting of an ordinary piece of coal which was apparently spat on and then carried in the pocket as a good luck charm; and also a piece of coal carried on a fish-seller's barrow for good luck (Scarborough, 1914) (information provided by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library).- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Coal
- Copyright ownership:
- Treetrunk Ltd
A visitor to the museum, a fisherman from South Devon, told us that, according to a tradition handed on to him by his father, they carry a piece of sea coal on their fishing boats to ensure good fortune.
Sea coal is coal that has washed ashore after being in the sea for centuries. In the South West it usually comes from wrecked ships that were carrying coal as fuel or cargo.
Thomas Nicols, in his 'Lapidary' (1652) describes a hard form of coal (now known as indurated bitumen) being used as an amulet against evil spirits.
Another visitor to the museum also described finding several pieces of coal placed under the floorboards of her house.
Scarborough Museum has a charm consisting of an ordinary piece of coal which was apparently spat on and then carried in the pocket as a good luck charm; and also a piece of coal carried on a fish-seller's barrow for good luck (Scarborough, 1914) (information provided by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library).