Watch face markings refer to the various patterns, designs, and symbols that can be found on the dial or face of a wristwatch. These markings are often used to enhance the aesthetics of the watch and provide additional information or functionality to the wearer. One of the most common types of watch face markings is the hour markers. These markings are typically located around the perimeter of the dial and indicate the hours of the day. Hour markers can vary in design, ranging from simple lines or dots to more intricate numerals or symbols. Another common type of watch face marking is the minute markers.
Among the Ancient Greeks the doorways and windows of buildings were felt to be particularly vulnerable to evil. On churches and castles, gargoyles or other grotesque faces and figures would be carved to frighten away witches and other malign influences. Those other openings, fireplaces or chimneys, may also have been carved. Rather than figural carvings, these seem to have been random simple geometric or letter carvings.
That way the marks would be unseen by the casual observer, presumed witch or evil spirit, but still provide protection for the family at the same time. Last February, graffiti in a Cambridgeshire church revealed a memorial for three sisters from a tenant farmer family who died in a 1515 plague, a history not remembered anywhere now aside from the family s writing on a church wall.
Another common type of watch face marking is the minute markers. Similar to hour markers, minute markers are used to indicate the minutes of the hour. These markings are typically located closer to the center of the dial and can be in the form of lines, dots, or numerals.
Witches' marks: public asked to seek ancient scratchings in buildings
The public is being encouraged to help map Britain’s historic obsession with the paranormal by searching for ancient scratchings in old buildings, used as charms against witchcraft and evil spirits.
Witch marks fit for a king beguile archaeologists at Knole Read moreHistoric England would like help to find more of the marks, typically concentrated around entry points seen as vulnerable such as windows, chimneys and doorways.
Faint symbols have been recorded in buildings and sites across England, including Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Tower of London, and Wookey Hole caves in Somerset – where a tall stalagmite has been shown to tourists for centuries as the petrified body of a witch.
The patterns include flower-like designs made with compasses and dividers, pentangles, intertwined Vs and Ms for the Virgin Mary, and tangles of lines which it was believed confused spirits who attempted to follow them. Tadpole-shaped scorch marks made with a candle flame have also been found.
Witches’ marks on a barn door in Laxfield, Suffolk. Photograph: Conceal Reveal
Historic England’s historic buildings inspector, Nick Molyneux, said: “More efficient oil lamps in the 19th century seem finally to have banished witches. We see them from the 16th century on, often in buildings already centuries old, but there could well be earlier and later marks that just haven’t been recorded.”
Molyneux, who spotted a mass of marks on the mantelpiece of an old timber-framed house in Warwickshire this week, recorded witches’ marks at Shakespeare’s birthplace several years ago, on timbers of the staircase leading to the cellar. He said: “They possibly date from the period when the house became a pub, and the beer would have been stored there. You certainly wouldn’t have wanted witches turning your beer sour: that really would have been a disaster.
“Basically the marks have been recorded where people have taken the trouble to go and look for them. They are well recorded in many churches, but much less well so in secular buildings. We just don’t have enough data to say whether they are more concentrated in certain parts of the country, or whether patterns are regional, so these are questions we would really like help in answering.”
Confusingly, carpenters’ marks indicating how the timbers should be assembled, masons’ marks, and doodles by bored apprentices are often found in the same buildings or even on the same timbers and stone.
Archaeologists examine the markings at Knole in Kent. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
The marks coincide with a period when most interiors lit by rush lights or tallow candles would have been extremely dark once night fell, and when belief in witchcraft and trials of unfortunates accused of it were at their height. The first specific law against witchcraft was only introduced under Henry VIII in 1542, and in the 17th century, James I was preoccupied with witchcraft and wrote a treatise on the subject. Recent conservation work revealed a mass of witches’ marks carved into the timbers of rooms which were prepared for his visit at Knole, a palatial house in Kent now owned by the National Trust.
The last woman jailed for witchcraft in England was Scottish-born Helen Duncan, a medium arrested while holding a seance in 1944, and accused of betraying war secrets. She was prosecuted for fraud and witchcraft, and served nine months in Holloway prison.
The witches’ marks are properly known as apotropaic marks, from the Greek word for avoiding evil.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “They really fire the imagination and can teach us about previously held beliefs and common rituals. Ritual marks were cut, scratched or carved into our ancestors’ homes and churches in the hope of making the world a safer, less hostile place.”
Champion writes that “the medieval church was a far more interactive space than we may once have believed.” So while looking back on the graffiti, it can appear like a desecration, the spirit behind it was one of devotion. Rarely were these marks and messages removed or written over by other parish members, showing a sign of respect and acceptance. Curiously, many of the graffiti traces discovered by Champion relate to curses, magic, and more pagan practices than are often connected with Christianity.
Some watch face markings also include additional features such as date windows or subdials. Date windows are small cutouts on the dial that display the current date. Subdials, on the other hand, are small dials within the main dial that display additional information such as chronograph functions (stopwatch), 24-hour time, or moon-phase complications. Watch face markings can also include decorative elements such as patterns or textures. These can range from simple sunburst or guilloché patterns to more intricate engravings or embossing. These decorative markings add visual interest and can elevate the overall design of the watch. In addition to the functional and decorative markings, watch faces often feature the brand logo or name. This serves as a form of branding and allows wearers to easily identify the watch's manufacturer. Overall, watch face markings play a vital role in the design and functionality of a wristwatch. They not only provide information but also contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal of the timepiece. Whether it is the hour markers, minute markers, additional features, or decorative elements, these markings contribute to the beauty and functionality of the watch..
Reviews for "Interpretation and Personalization: Creating Your Own Witch Face Markings"
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