A witch bottle is a magical item used as protection against witchcraft. They are described in historical sources from England and the United States, with the earliest surviving mention from 17th-century England. The purpose of a witch bottle is to protect against evil spirits and magical attack, and counteract spells cast by witches. They are countermagical devices, the purpose of which is to draw in and trap harmful intentions directed at their owners.
A white witch or folk healer would prepare the witchs bottle. Historically, the witchs bottle contained the victims (the person who believed they had a spell put on them, for example) urine, hair or nail clippings, or red thread from sprite traps. Later witch bottles were filled with rosemary, needles and pins, and red wine. The bottle is then buried at the farthest corner of the property, beneath the house hearth, or placed in an inconspicuous spot in the house.
The most common contents of a witch-bottle are bent pins and urine, although a range of other objects were also used, such as iron nails, hair, thorns, and other sharp materials, all selected to conjure a physical charm for protection. Sometimes the bottles were glass, but others were ceramic or had designs with human faces. The idea was that a witch would be attracted to the bottle by the scent of urine, and once the witch was there, she’d become trapped by the sharp objects.
Witch bottles were embedded in buildings across the British Isles and later the United States at entry points such as windows, doors, fireplaces, and other entrances to homes. They have often been found in Europe and homes in the colonial United States during either excavation or renovations. People still use witch bottles today.
