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In a Medieval English House, Etchings Raise Creepy Questions
Rick Berry had seen the burn marks for years, dozens of them in neat rows, singed into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire, England. Perhaps they were from a candle or stray flame, he thought — small, unintentional arsons in the aged …
Rick Berry had seen the burn marks for years, dozens of them in neat rows, singed into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire, England. Perhaps they were from a candle or stray flame, he thought — small, unintentional arsons in the aged oak.
“It was my cynicism really, thinking they were accidental,” said Mr. Berry, a volunteer guide at the centuries-old manor house.
Now, however, the house’s caretakers say they have determined the marks indeed had meaning. English Heritage, the charity that manages the site, said this week that the burns and other markings were believed to be medieval protective symbols, meant to guard the home and its residents from fire, witchcraft, and one particularly mercurial landowner.
Mr. Berry first discovered some of the symbols two years ago, and through his own research, he became convinced that the markings had greater meaning. He has since combed through the facility, uncovering medieval graffiti, curses, and symbols etched into the hall’s structures.
Rick Berry, a volunteer guide at Gainsborough Old Hall, said he had found a host of etchings throughout the centuries-old manor house. Credit…English Heritage
