Monday, November 4, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Archaeology & History > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Archaeology & History

Creepy 'witch marks' found on cave walls

By T.K. Randall
February 25, 2019 · Comment icon 1 comment

Who left these marks and what were they afraid of ? Image Credit: YouTube / Craswell Crags
Strange etchings on the walls of Creswell Crags in England were created to trap or repel evil forces.
Dating back as far as medieval times, the symbols had been seen before in the caves but had, until now, been dismissed as mere graffiti left by relatively recent explorers.

It wasn't until a group from the Subterranea Britannica organization visited the caves that the true significance of the symbols and marks was actually realized.

The etchings are believed to be apotropaic marks - protective symbols scrawled on the walls in an effort to repel or contain the 'evil' forces that their creators had believed resided within.
"It could be fairies, witches, whatever you were fearful of, it was going to be down there," said Alison Fearn from the University of Leicester.

The caves, which were thought to have been occupied by Neanderthals as far back as 50,000 years ago, remain a popular - and eerie - place for research and investigation.

"Death and disease were everyday companions and evil forces could readily be imagined in the dark," said Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England. "We can only speculate on what it was the people of Creswell feared might emerge from the underworld into these caves."



Source: Huffington Post | Comments (1)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by jaylemurph 6 years ago
I wrote a paper a few years ago about witch marks found in an early 17th Century stately home, and how they related to the king's interest in witch-hunting. --Jaylemurph


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles