Witchcraft: curses and protection

A talk by Dr Peter Hewitt

There is a field in Cornwall which is said to have been cursed by a witch. Accounts date back to the sixteenth century and the legend of Mother Ivey. In the 20th century, the water company tried to dig into this field but were unable to through a series of unfortunate events. In this talk, Dr Hewitt will focus on places which are believed to have been cursed by witches, explore the origins of this particular ‘witch’s curse’. His talk will also feature on the methods people have taken to protect themselves from witchcraft. This might be carving protective symbols in the wall of their houses, hiding things in wall or roof spaces or creating elaborate witch bottles.

Dr Peter Hewitt is a Folklorist who completed a Masters and PhD exploring folklore, magic and ritual in Museum Collections. He now works for Dumfries and Galloway Museum Service and was previously employed by Museums Northumberland and worked for many years as Collections Researcher at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall. His work has been published in various books and articles, he has delivered talks to different organisations and groups including the Folklore Society and the Hidden Charms conference, he is a regular writer for Paranormal Review and a collaborator with Folklore Tapes. His current research focuses on Holy Wells in Northumberland.