331 – Flints: Arrowheads
- Physical description:
- 11 flint arrow heads. Neolithic ?
- Museum classification:
- Divination
- Size:
- 20 - 35mm
- Information:
Original Cecil Williamson text: "Eleven old flint arrow heads. The treasured store of old Hannah of Moretonhampstead, who called them her fairy stones of elf shot. They had been passed down to her through the family and were held in high regard. They were used for divination and predictions. In general they were cast upon the ground in various ways, such as flicking them one at a time from thumb and finger, so as to fall within a marked circle set out on the ground in a variety of designs. Then with the aid of her spirit "Jack" she gave a reading from the fairy stones."
Scarborough Museum has a Neolithic flint arrow head from County Antrim (1909) which was used to cure cattle by boiling it in water and then giving the cattle the water to drink; also a pale coloured flint arrow head from Brittany (1912) carried as a good luck charm (originally in Edward Lovett's collection) (information provided by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library). The Horniman Museum also has an arrowhead from County Antrim, with the same information as the one mentioned above. It was collected by Edward Lovett, and the museum website also mentions that it was known as an 'elf dart'.
A beautifully mounted example, in the collection of the National Museum of Scotland, was worn on a watch chain by a farmer in Ayrshire as a good luck charm. There is a photograph of it in the chapter by Hugh Cheape in 'Witchcraft and Belief in Early Modern Scotland' (ed. Julian Goodare et al.) (there is a copy in the museum library).This was 1 of the objects on loan to York Archaeological Trust for exhibition at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall from July 18th 2018 - to October 2021 .
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Flint
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
Original Cecil Williamson text: "Eleven old flint arrow heads. The treasured store of old Hannah of Moretonhampstead, who called them her fairy stones of elf shot. They had been passed down to her through the family and were held in high regard. They were used for divination and predictions. In general they were cast upon the ground in various ways, such as flicking them one at a time from thumb and finger, so as to fall within a marked circle set out on the ground in a variety of designs. Then with the aid of her spirit "Jack" she gave a reading from the fairy stones."
Scarborough Museum has a Neolithic flint arrow head from County Antrim (1909) which was used to cure cattle by boiling it in water and then giving the cattle the water to drink; also a pale coloured flint arrow head from Brittany (1912) carried as a good luck charm (originally in Edward Lovett's collection) (information provided by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library). The Horniman Museum also has an arrowhead from County Antrim, with the same information as the one mentioned above. It was collected by Edward Lovett, and the museum website also mentions that it was known as an 'elf dart'.
A beautifully mounted example, in the collection of the National Museum of Scotland, was worn on a watch chain by a farmer in Ayrshire as a good luck charm. There is a photograph of it in the chapter by Hugh Cheape in 'Witchcraft and Belief in Early Modern Scotland' (ed. Julian Goodare et al.) (there is a copy in the museum library).
This was 1 of the objects on loan to York Archaeological Trust for exhibition at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall from July 18th 2018 - to October 2021 .