This is an email sent via the SHCG List. If you reply to this message, your message will be sent to all the people on the list, not just the author of this message.
---------------
That’s great Jen, thanks so much!
Best wishes
Crispin
> On 21 Mar 2018, at 10:16, Jen Gordon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> This is an email sent via the SHCG List. If you reply to this message, your message will be sent to all the people on the list, not just the author of this message.
> ---------------
>
> Hi Crispin,
>
> We do have some Bibles in our collection belonging to fisher families though not documented as having any "magical" associations though I know some people drew family trees inside the front pages which perhaps was an act believed to have some protective properties over the family? However, we have a local contact who found a "Spiritual Midden" in his house (which is on the same street as the museum) which comprised of various items including a page from the Bible showing psalm CXIX and another containing hymns II to V.
>
> The owner of the house Andrew M Sherriff wrote, along with late local historian Alex Darwood, an interesting article called 'Apotropaic Markings and spiritual middens found in a house at 21 Shore Street, Anstruther, Fife' published in this journal - https://www.parishchest.com/tayside_fife_archaeological_journal_volume_9__P87311
>
> My parents also live on this street and found a glass witch bottle in one of their door frames - obviously a very superstitious locality ( in our collections we have other items found hidden in houses including a small child's shoe - apparently left as a decoy to distract the invading witch from the actual child?) !! But then the fishing community was superstitious for obvious reasons and some of the last and most infamous witch trials Scotland were held in the neighbouring village of Pittenweem.
>
> I hope that is of interest, best of luck with your research.
>
> Jen Gordon
> Assistant Curator (Usual Office Days: Monday, Tues a.m, Wednesday)
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Scottish Fisheries Museum
> At Ayles, Anstruther
> 01333 310628
> www.scotfishmuseum.org
> https://www.facebook.com/scotfishmuseum/
> https://twitter.com/scotfishmuseum
> https://www.instagram.com/scotfishmuseum/
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Social History Curators Group email list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Crispin Paine
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2018 5:29 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Bibles as magical objects
>
> This is an email sent via the SHCG List. If you reply to this message, your message will be sent to all the people on the list, not just the author of this message.
> ---------------
>
> Dear all
>
> Has anyone got in their collection any Bible known to have been used for “superstitious” purposes, e.g. to protect house, person, horse etc from harm, to effect a cure, or foretell the future? In other words, its the book itself that works, rather than the meaning of the text.
>
> There’s a very good paper by Brian Malley on ‘The Bible in British Folklore’, but it’s entirely based on the literature, not on collections.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Crispin Paine
> The SHCG list is provided for members of Social History Curators Group to discuss subjects relevant to social history in museums. To join SHCG visit www.shcg.org.uk . Opinions expressed in this email are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily shared by SHCG. To leave the list do not reply to this message but send an email to [log in to unmask] with a blank subject line and these words as the body of the email: SIGNOFF SHCG-LIST
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> http://www.avg.com
>
> The SHCG list is provided for members of Social History Curators Group to discuss subjects relevant to social history in museums. To join SHCG visit www.shcg.org.uk . Opinions expressed in this email are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily shared by SHCG. To leave the list do not reply to this message but send an email to [log in to unmask] with a blank subject line and these words as the body of the email: SIGNOFF SHCG-LIST
The SHCG list is provided for members of Social History Curators Group to discuss subjects relevant to social history in museums. To join SHCG visit www.shcg.org.uk . Opinions expressed in this email are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily shared by SHCG. To leave the list do not reply to this message but send an email to [log in to unmask] with a blank subject line and these words as the body of the email: SIGNOFF SHCG-LIST