Belief in the supernatural and witchcraft is as old as history itself, and people of different civilizations and in different centuries have tried to find all kinds of, sometimes even very strange, ways to protect themselves from the invasion of demons and witches into their lives. Here are the most incredible ones.
Hide your shoes
In the 13th century, a parish priest in England claimed that he caught the devil in a boot, and from that time on, people who believe in the supernatural have become suspicious of their shoes. Some hid their shoes under floorboards, between walls, or in the attic. Sometimes, special means were placed next to the shoes to scare away witches and demons, for example, dead cats and horse skulls.
Mummies of cats
Apparently, it was not enough just to hide the shoes somewhere in a secluded place, so the cat's mummy was also placed nearby. These mummies are found in old houses and hotels under anything - under beams, under floorboards, etc. In fact, it is unclear whether the cats were planted there on purpose, or whether they climbed there to end their lives there naturally, that is, to die, but popular rumor claims that it was all the same on purpose. According to all the same beliefs, it was believed that since cats were created to serve their owners and protect the house from mice, then they should, with the help of their sixth sense, protect the house from witchcraft and in their afterlife.
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Hardware
It is curious that in folk beliefs, metal objects are one of the best means of protection against many evil influences, including witches, demons and witchcraft. In Europe, people believed that witches could not enter or leave a house or village protected by the action of these items. In Scotland and Ireland, people also believed that iron products scared away evil fairies and ghosts. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Aztecs sacredly believed that iron was a gift from heaven and used it in sacred rituals.
Flint Arrowhead Amulets
Such amulets were not just a talisman that could protect you from the evil eye, witchcraft, and demons; it was believed that these items came to us from the world of fairies or elves. These amulets are supposed to fall from the sky, then they are found by fairies and elves and used as weapons in order to destroy livestock and people. However, as soon as the amulets fell into the hands of a person, they begin to serve him, protecting him from any evil spirits.
Witch's bottles of human urine
These bottles were extremely popular in the 16th and 17th centuries and were used as protection against witches and evil spells. Most often they were glass or ceramic, their contents were very varied and sometimes strange. Inside, they usually put a mixture of herbs and poured infusions, as it was believed, this was a powerful tool that could ward off evil spirits. Sometimes bottles were filled with human urine - this was considered a reliable means of turning the spell back on the witch. Some people even put pins and needles in a bottle to send sickness and distress to the witch. After filling the bottle, they buried it in the ground and expected that it would crack or burst - then this meant that the witch had died.
Witch's place
On some old houses in England, you can still see large blocks sticking out of chimneys. Initially, they served as protection from the penetration of rainwater inside, but over time they became associated with witches. According to legend, on Friday night witches leave their homes and fly around the city, landing on the chimneys. If someone on the chimney does not have a special place where the witch could sit and rest, they risk incurring her anger and curses.
Balls of witches
According to ancient legends, nothing attracts a witch like brightly colored glass balls. These balls, which have been known since the Middle Ages, were blown by hand and hung from a window to attract witches. It was believed that the ball was able to lure the witch into itself, where she was destined to remain forever. Thus, both the house and the whole world in general were protected from witchcraft evil. In the 18th century, there was a surge in the popularity of these balloons, but the Victorians made them more graceful and beautiful.
Witch's stone
This was considered a natural stone with a hole in it; supernatural properties were attributed to it. They believed that he could protect people from black magic. In addition, it was said that such pebbles are portals through which one can get to the kingdom of fairies, one has only to look through the hole. Pebbles were usually hung over doorways, or worn on a chain to protect against witches and demons while sleeping.
Add salt
Anyone who believes in the supernatural considers salt to be the best purifier and uses it both to attract good luck and as a defense against evil. According to legend, salt is what witches shy away from, so they cannot eat anything salty. The same applies to animals, in which they could transform. During the witch trials, many "demonologists" wore salt amulets to protect themselves from witch curses.
Healing scrolls
Although ancient scrolls of healing prayers were not necessarily used to protect against evil spells and people, they were used to exorcise demons from the body if they were possessed. The scrolls contained written incantations, prayers, images of amulets and had excellent protective power.
Rowan
In some parts of the world, protection against witchcraft has even penetrated the garden. According to popular rumor, planting a mountain ash means protecting your family and home from sent spells. The rumor is based on the fact that the lower side of the rowan berry is shaped like an equilateral five-pointed star, and this is one of the most important ancient protective symbols. In addition, rowan berries are red, and red has always been considered protective.
Security labels
During the Middle Ages, houses and churches, most often on floorboards or doors, were carved with special symbols to keep evil spirits at bay. Although, of course, the people themselves felt fear, from ordinary poor people to the crowned nobility, among whom there were also many superstitious.
"Dirty" women and "magic" wands
The ancient Egyptians were extremely superstitious, so it is not surprising that the Egyptian priests knew different ways that helped ward off evil spirits. The main thing in the priest's activity was to be in a state of spiritual purity. This meant that he had to abstain from sex and not come into contact with "unclean" - mainly women during menstruation. During the rituals, the priest used a metal or ivory wand, decorated with images of terrible deities that scared away evil spirits scurrying everywhere.
Svetlana Bodrik