| Witch Ball |
Article Index for Witch |
Website Links For Witch |
Information AboutWitch Ball |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT WITCH BALL | |
| superstitions | |
| witchcraft | |
|
According to folk tales, witch balls would entice evil spirits with their bright colours; the strands inside the ball would then capture the spirit and prevent it from escaping. Witch balls sometimes measure as large as 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter. The witch ball is traditionally, but not always, green or blue in color and made from glass (others, however, are made of wood, grass, or twigs instead of glass). Some are decorated in enameled swirls and brilliant stripes of various colors. The gazing balls found in many of today's gardens are derived from the silvered witch balls that acted as convex mirrors, warding off evil by reflecting it away. Because they look similar to the glass balls used on fishing nets, witch balls are often associated with sea Superstitions and legends. In the Ozark Mountains , a witch ball is made from black hair that is rolled with Beeswax into a hard round pellet about the size of a marble and is used in Curse s. In Ozark Folklore , a witch that wants to kill someone will take this hair ball and throw it at the intended victim; it is said that when someone in the Ozarks is killed by a witch's curse, this witch ball is found near the body. The modern Christmas Ornament Ball is descended from the witch ball. According to an ancient tale, the ornament was originally placed on the tree to dispel a visitor’s envy at the presents left beneath the tree. The word ''witch ball'' was probably a corruption of ''watch ball'' because it was used as a guard of evil spirits. |
|
|