Why not both? That is, they thought they were marking the
location of wells (and building sandcastles), but functionally and
subconciously the healings (and rituals) were seen to be also happening;
-simultaneously.
Which came first, chicken or egg?
Phil David
<<I suspect that many of the users of such [cloutie] wells would have
been itinerant pedlars who would have had spare cloth fragments.
I would draw
an analogy with stone cairns which in many cases I suspect are a longer-lasting
version of beach sand castles and completely deficient in the 'ritual
significance' beloved of the bemused archaeologist.
But I'm open to
comment.
regards
john a w lock>>