1071 – Hagstones
- Physical description:
- 9 hagstones strung on brown cord.
- Museum classification:
- Protection
- Size:
- 450 mm long
- Information:
According to a visitor to the museum, no fishing boat will set out from the south coast without a hagstone (known as a "lucky stone") strung on copper wire in the bows.
Scarborough Museum has numerous hagstones collected throughout Britain in the early 20th century; mainly hung in houses or stables to keep out witches; though two from Antrim, N. Ireland were hung on the horns of cows to prevent fairies stealing the milk; one from Exmouth was hung on a bedstead to prevent nightmares; one from Whitby was hung over the mantelpiece in a fisherman's cottage for general good luck. (Information supplied by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library).
A visitor to the museum from Germany has told us that her parents, who used to live in an old farmhouse in Bavaria, had a hagstone ring hanging up in the house and also a hagstone attached to their house keys.- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Stone, cord
According to a visitor to the museum, no fishing boat will set out from the south coast without a hagstone (known as a "lucky stone") strung on copper wire in the bows.
Scarborough Museum has numerous hagstones collected throughout Britain in the early 20th century; mainly hung in houses or stables to keep out witches; though two from Antrim, N. Ireland were hung on the horns of cows to prevent fairies stealing the milk; one from Exmouth was hung on a bedstead to prevent nightmares; one from Whitby was hung over the mantelpiece in a fisherman's cottage for general good luck. (Information supplied by Tabitha Cadbury - see her report 'The Clarke Collection of Charms and Amulets' in the museum library).
A visitor to the museum from Germany has told us that her parents, who used to live in an old farmhouse in Bavaria, had a hagstone ring hanging up in the house and also a hagstone attached to their house keys.