Sunday, October 7, 2012

Hag Stones-An Ozark Superstition


When I was a child, my mama told me many stories
 about what the old timers believed.  One such
story was the magic of the hag stone.  A hag stone
 is a stone that has a natural hole in it that has been
created by water boring through the stone over time.  
 As a child I spent many hours at the Swan creek
 looking for these illusive stones. 
A hag stone in your kitchen window will keep
the hags and evil spirits from entering your house.
 Putting a hag stone under your bed
 will cure rheumatism and cramps.
Hang a hag stone over a child's bed and it will
prevent nightmares.
If you look through the hole of a hag stone
during the witching hour you can see the fairies
and the wee folk.
  
The old timers would hang a hag stone on an
iron nail over the barn door to prevent their
horses from being hag- ridden at night.
 
I don't think my mother really believed these
stories, but there were always hag
stones in our kitchen window.

I have always had hag stones in
my kitchen window too,
just in case!

8 comments:

  1. That is so cool! I had never heard of hag stones!
    Louise

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  2. I had never heard of hag stones... will be on the lookout for one. Beautiful pictures of your kitchen window!

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  3. Sherri, Maybe I should get some hag stones. I think I need some. They are pretty too. They look beautiful in your windows.

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  4. I'd never heard of hag stones either. This was a very interesting post and I love your collection.

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  5. I have some of these stones...and collected them because I love the concept of water wearing away stone with persistence. Didn't know what they were called, though. Makes sense! :~)

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  6. Love the story Sherri, it would take one huge stone to keep this old Hag away :~)

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  7. Oh yes, Hag stones. They're called Adder Stones in Northumberland. It's a tradition that still holds in the north of England I keep one on my key ring. You can use them for wishing, too.

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  8. How deightful! I have one...........never knew the folklore with it!

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