129 – Candle holder
- Physical description:
- Golden spherical candle holder, made of a light, wood-like material, possibly papier mache. From Charles Wade's collection at Snowshill Manor. With thick black candle.
- Museum classification:
- Working Tools
- Size:
- 170 x 140 x 140
- Information:
CWOLC 7360 describes an assemblage of objects that Williamson displayed in the Museum in the 1970s, including this golden candle stand:
"The items shown here came from a person who worked on the dark side of witchcraft. The black candle set in the golden ball representing the sun bathed world of mankind dominated by the black candle of the satanic force and its steadily burning light for all to see and to be tempted by. Flanked by the black phallic candles which represent the burning lust of man. In the foreground the black satanic goat and the warlocks goat headed black wand, both symbols of Satans control and binding force over man and woman. The plaque is Satan's seal of sexual gratification, the greatest trap ever set and the one in which the majority of mankind get caught at one time or another. To either side are seen the bronze spirit horned headed incense burners. The perfumed smoke issues from the lips of the mouth in these heads set upon a cocks clawed leg.
Now try to get this and it is not easy. The magician witch holds that to combat and destroy evil, one has to confront evil with evil, by so doing one arrives at complete destruction which leaves one with nothing. No good, no evil, all gone. The zero of God, the restored virginity of a nucular sic explosion washed world. The great fresh start. Well not so whacky as it sounds. All around the world today revolutionaries are trying to do just that. Destroy and wipe out the old regime or state system and start again and everything will be perfect. Well man has been doing just that for centuries."
As mentioned above, this description relates to a display in the Museum, which was photographed c. 1979, see Photographs File 1, Museum Exhibits. Text mentions the following, Object 117 now lost a seal or plaque depicting satyrs, Object 129, a candle holder, objects 118 a lamp with claw leg, object 995 a lamp with claw leg, object 119 pair of phallic candles, object 120 a goat, and object 130 a Warlock's goat-headed wand. Although not mentioned in this text, the c. 1979 photograph shows Object 115 a ram's head rhyton and a colourful painting of Baphomet (not catalogued) hanging above the display.
Additional information:
According to a visitor to the museum from Germany, there was a Bavarian custom active in her parents generation (c. 1950s), in which black candles (known as weather candles) were lit during thunder storms as protection from lightning.
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Papier mache (?)
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
CWOLC 7360 describes an assemblage of objects that Williamson displayed in the Museum in the 1970s, including this golden candle stand:
"The items shown here came from a person who worked on the dark side of witchcraft. The black candle set in the golden ball representing the sun bathed world of mankind dominated by the black candle of the satanic force and its steadily burning light for all to see and to be tempted by. Flanked by the black phallic candles which represent the burning lust of man. In the foreground the black satanic goat and the warlocks goat headed black wand, both symbols of Satans control and binding force over man and woman. The plaque is Satan's seal of sexual gratification, the greatest trap ever set and the one in which the majority of mankind get caught at one time or another. To either side are seen the bronze spirit horned headed incense burners. The perfumed smoke issues from the lips of the mouth in these heads set upon a cocks clawed leg.
Now try to get this and it is not easy. The magician witch holds that to combat and destroy evil, one has to confront evil with evil, by so doing one arrives at complete destruction which leaves one with nothing. No good, no evil, all gone. The zero of God, the restored virginity of a nucular sic explosion washed world. The great fresh start. Well not so whacky as it sounds. All around the world today revolutionaries are trying to do just that. Destroy and wipe out the old regime or state system and start again and everything will be perfect. Well man has been doing just that for centuries."
As mentioned above, this description relates to a display in the Museum, which was photographed c. 1979, see Photographs File 1, Museum Exhibits. Text mentions the following, Object 117 now lost a seal or plaque depicting satyrs, Object 129, a candle holder, objects 118 a lamp with claw leg, object 995 a lamp with claw leg, object 119 pair of phallic candles, object 120 a goat, and object 130 a Warlock's goat-headed wand. Although not mentioned in this text, the c. 1979 photograph shows Object 115 a ram's head rhyton and a colourful painting of Baphomet (not catalogued) hanging above the display.
Additional information:
According to a visitor to the museum from Germany, there was a Bavarian custom active in her parents generation (c. 1950s), in which black candles (known as weather candles) were lit during thunder storms as protection from lightning.