Witches’ Marks Found on Walls of Tudor Manor in England

In England, several dozen magical signs were found on the walls of a house owned by the Tudor royal dynasty. Researchers suggest that the symbols could be used for ritual protection against evil.

This was reported by the charity English Heritage, which takes care of the Gainsborough Old Hal estate in the eastern county of Lincolnshire, CNN reports. 

This house was once visited by King Henry VIII and his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.

The magical symbols, which were previously carved on the walls of the building, were discovered by volunteer Rick Berry, who has been documenting carvings in the estate for the past 20 years. The man admitted that he was surprised when he noticed the previously unrecorded symbols a few years ago.

‘I decided to see if I could spot more, and I just keep finding them...’ says Rick Berry.

In total, about 20 images carved into the walls of the Tudor manor were found. Among them were the signs of Mary - the crossed-out letters V, which were used as a call for protection by the Virgin Mary.

There were also pentagrams and pentagons in the house - a symbol of protection from evil.

In addition, Rick Berry came across simple circles. It is assumed that they used to have six petals inside, which created the sign of the six-leaf clover. Previously, it was believed that this image was capable of capturing demons.

The charity said that someone had tried to ‘put a curse’ on one of the owners of the house. This is evidenced by the name of William Hickman, who owned the manor since 1596, carved upside down.

English Heritage says that in the 16th century, it was a common belief that such an inscription was a way to curse a person.

Also, about 100 traces of fire were found in the house, which is probably how the former owners tried to get additional magical protection.

‘It's amazing that these amazing old buildings that we take care of have been keeping secrets for centuries, waiting to be discovered.

There is no doubt that Old Hall has had a turbulent past, not least during the time of the apparently unpopular William Hickman, but why it has such a high concentration of protective carvings remains a mystery,’ added Kevin Booth, Head of Collection at English Heritage.