Lunchtime Talk: Deliver Us from Evil: Traditional Protections for Home and Household in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire

Join folklorist Dr David Clarke for this lunchtime talk delving into the history of traditional protective marks and symbols.  

Folk traditions about ghosts, witches and evil spirits have always been a major part of the festival of Halloween. Today, many of us might regard such stories as harmless fun, but in medieval times evil spirits were blamed for all manner of misfortune: fire, storms, disease and the malign influence of witches.  

In the past, to protect themselves against perceived harm, people created and used a range of traditional charms including what are popularly known as ‘witch marks’. Until recently these protective marks and symbols have been overlooked by archaeologists and historians. But in the last twenty years many hundreds have been identified in farm buildings, churches, caves and stately homes across the UK – including a number in Derbyshire and Yorkshire.  

In this talk Dr Clarke will examine the origin and function of such marks and discuss some recent discoveries in the local area. 

Dr David Clarke is Associate Professor at the Creative Industries Institute at Sheffield Hallam University. He has a PhD in folklore and in 2018 co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at the university. Website: www.drdavidclarke.co.uk