219 – Knotted rope
- Physical description:
- Modern rope, white with three knots in it, as used for selling the wind. (Discoloured in 2004 flood.)
- Museum classification:
- Sea Witchcraft
- Size:
- 600 long
- Information:
In Devon and Cornwall the witches living along the north facing coasts did a good trade in selling the wind to sea faring men. The sale took the form of exchanging a white rope with three knots tied in it for money. The idea being that when one required a certain wind the sailor unleashed one of the knots and so on. (Text by Cecil Williamson)
CWOLC 8991 reads:
A PURE WHITE ROPE WITH THREE KNOTS. THIS IS A WITCH'S CHARM OF ANCIENT ORIGIN. IN BYGONE TMES THE WITCHES 'SOLD THE WIND' TO THE MARINERS. CONTROL OF THE WIND BEING OBTAINED BY THE CEREMONIAL UNTIEING (sic) OF EACH KNOT. BOSCASTLE IN NORMAN TIMES WAS RENOWNED FOR ITS THREE WITCHES, THE BEACON LIGHT AND ITS FINE PIGS. AMONG OTHER THINGS SUCH AS THE EXPORT TO NORMANDY OF PREPARED MEDICINAL HERBS THE BOSCASTLE WITCHES WERE RENOWNED FOR THEIR MAGICAL WHITE ROPES, WITH WHICH ONE COULD CONJURE UP THE WIND. TODAY THE TRADITION OF THESE ROPES IS KEPT ALIVE BY THEIR SYMBOLIC USE AT LOCAL WITCH GATHERINGS.
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Nylon
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
In Devon and Cornwall the witches living along the north facing coasts did a good trade in selling the wind to sea faring men. The sale took the form of exchanging a white rope with three knots tied in it for money. The idea being that when one required a certain wind the sailor unleashed one of the knots and so on. (Text by Cecil Williamson)
CWOLC 8991 reads:
A PURE WHITE ROPE WITH THREE KNOTS. THIS IS A WITCH'S CHARM OF ANCIENT ORIGIN. IN BYGONE TMES THE WITCHES 'SOLD THE WIND' TO THE MARINERS. CONTROL OF THE WIND BEING OBTAINED BY THE CEREMONIAL UNTIEING (sic) OF EACH KNOT. BOSCASTLE IN NORMAN TIMES WAS RENOWNED FOR ITS THREE WITCHES, THE BEACON LIGHT AND ITS FINE PIGS. AMONG OTHER THINGS SUCH AS THE EXPORT TO NORMANDY OF PREPARED MEDICINAL HERBS THE BOSCASTLE WITCHES WERE RENOWNED FOR THEIR MAGICAL WHITE ROPES, WITH WHICH ONE COULD CONJURE UP THE WIND. TODAY THE TRADITION OF THESE ROPES IS KEPT ALIVE BY THEIR SYMBOLIC USE AT LOCAL WITCH GATHERINGS.