Medieval Graffiti

When we first moved to our farm, we discovered witches’ marks carved into the walls of our granary. Hundreds of years old, these ancient scribblings are absolutely everywhere–churches, grand homes, cottages, and farm buildings. These are not mindless doodles, however, but prayers for a good harvest or desperate protections against harm.

Matthew Champion’s well-researched book is a highly readable summary of this secretive and surprisingly common practice.

This was the first book I read when I started doing research on protective marks. The topic is absolutely fascinating and after reading this book, I have never looked at an old building in the same way.

As academic research into these mysterious marks is still relatively new, researchers do not always agree on the meaning and original purpose of the marks, which makes the topic even more interesting as it certainly sets readers’ imaginations flying.