52 – Copper pan and lead pieces

Physical description:

Copper shallow pan and melted lead used for divination.

Museum classification:

Divination

Size:

415 x 330 x 100 mm

Information:

Original text by Cecil Williamson: 'Witches in the south west make use of their cauldrons and copper preserving pans for divination of things and events to come by the practice of the age-old custom of dripping molten lead into cold water from a height. The hot lead hits the water and instantly solidifies into all manner of shapes and forms from which a witch then makes her reading and draws her deductions. The lead bibs and bobs seen here at the bottom of the pan were made by the pouring of lead allowed to fall from a height into cold water. Sad to relate the witch's reading from these bits were to the effect that the person in question would be seriously injured in a car crash, he was, but pulled through after an anxious period.'

CWOLC 10244 (document 8071) reads:

"Old Beliefs Do They Ever Die?

From the days of ancient Rome and earlier, Sorcerers were working magic by dropping molten lead into [Crossed out letters, Indiscernible] bowls of cold water. Sorcerers today still carry on the art of reading the shapes formed by the lead formed on the base of the bowl.

The example shown here were made at a reading after Bethnal Green London in 1950. Actually this reading turned out to be remarkably accurate."

 

Another form of divination dating from ancient times involved dropping molten lead into a container of cold water from a height. The hot lead hit the water and instantly solidified into all manner of shapes and forms from which the wise woman would make her readings. Sometimes egg white was used instead of lead - safer and cheaper but less impressive. (Adapted from text by Cecil Williamson).
In Austria it is still a widespread custom to use molten lead divination around midnight on New Year's Eve to predict your future for the coming year. A shape resembling a pig is considered particularly lucky.
In Finland small lead horseshoes are used - they are heated on a shovel over the fire (again on New Year's Eve), and then tipped into water, and a prediction made either from the shape of the lead or the shape of its shadow.

(Information provided by visitors to the Museum.)

A programme in the BBC Two series 'Tribal Wives' (broadcast on 8th June 2010) showed lead divination being used by members of the Turkish Yoruk tribe.

 

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Copper and lead

Copyright ownership:

Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.

Original text by Cecil Williamson: 'Witches in the south west make use of their cauldrons and copper preserving pans for divination of things and events to come by the practice of the age-old custom of dripping molten lead into cold water from a height. The hot lead hits the water and instantly solidifies into all manner of shapes and forms from which a witch then makes her reading and draws her deductions. The lead bibs and bobs seen here at the bottom of the pan were made by the pouring of lead allowed to fall from a height into cold water. Sad to relate the witch's reading from these bits were to the effect that the person in question would be seriously injured in a car crash, he was, but pulled through after an anxious period.'

CWOLC 10244 (document 8071) reads:

"Old Beliefs Do They Ever Die?

From the days of ancient Rome and earlier, Sorcerers were working magic by dropping molten lead into [Crossed out letters, Indiscernible] bowls of cold water. Sorcerers today still carry on the art of reading the shapes formed by the lead formed on the base of the bowl.

The example shown here were made at a reading after Bethnal Green London in 1950. Actually this reading turned out to be remarkably accurate."

 

Another form of divination dating from ancient times involved dropping molten lead into a container of cold water from a height. The hot lead hit the water and instantly solidified into all manner of shapes and forms from which the wise woman would make her readings. Sometimes egg white was used instead of lead - safer and cheaper but less impressive. (Adapted from text by Cecil Williamson).
In Austria it is still a widespread custom to use molten lead divination around midnight on New Year's Eve to predict your future for the coming year. A shape resembling a pig is considered particularly lucky.
In Finland small lead horseshoes are used - they are heated on a shovel over the fire (again on New Year's Eve), and then tipped into water, and a prediction made either from the shape of the lead or the shape of its shadow.

(Information provided by visitors to the Museum.)

A programme in the BBC Two series 'Tribal Wives' (broadcast on 8th June 2010) showed lead divination being used by members of the Turkish Yoruk tribe.