227 – Birds nest, bird skulls and dish

Physical description:

A white and blue dish with a bird's nest on it, and in the nest 4 bird skulls of different bird species, one with black feathers. The white ceramic dish has blue leaf shapes on it.

Museum classification:

Curses

Size:

90 x 265 x 205

Information:

Text by Cecil Williamson reads In the world of magic, flying plays a vital role. Birds have the power of natural flight denied to man, with a few flaps of their wings they are up, off and away. Envied by early man birds became in his thinking the messengers between heaven, god's house in the sky above, and earth below. Here we have a blue and white decorated plate, the blue of sky and white of clouds. A bird's nest which equals an earth house and home, and four dead birds' skulls. What does it mean? Short answer: dead trouble for some local household and four persons who between them have a problem. Found in the sealed off roof section of an old cottage when being repaired in 1968. Location: Noss Mayo
In fact this is probably not a curse. Many strange objects are found sealed in roof spaces, and most are considered to be protective charms to ward off misfortune, witchcraft or even animal pests. Perhaps this charm was to prevent birds nesting in the roof or eating crops.

Possibly related to document 8172 which reads: "Spells and charms to cause men harm. This is a nasty one using buzz-buzz, being a deformity growth of a tree, a bird's nest, bird skull necklace, and the freshly severed head of a bird, placed in a cloth bag and set up to intoned rituals, while behind can be seen a glass jar with more severed birds' heads. The reason for all this - to work a black magic spell on a person. This came from Wiltshire and was obtained by direct purchase from a one time wise man in his declining years. 1933. "

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Grass, bone, china