Stones and Spirits

Stone-throwing by demons and witches and the mischievous activities of kobolds in mines are reviewed as part of an investigation into the darker folklore history of geology. Lithobolia has a pedigree extending from classical times, but sixteenth-century and seventeenth-century reports are particularly common. The existence of kobolds, who tormented miners by episodes of stone-throwing and mineral-switching, was accepted by clergy, laity and scientists alike. [1] [1] This paper is one of a series dealing with the general topic of “geology and the dark side.” The papers investigate, for the first time, the connection between geology and the occult. Each of the papers is distinct in contents. Main threads include folklore association between fossils, rocks and minerals and various supernatural entities as expressed in colloquial nomenclature of geological specimens (Duffin and Davidson 2011 Duffin, Christopher John and Davidson, Jane P. 2011. Geology and the Dark Side. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 122(1): 7–15. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), geological materials used by supernatural entities such as the devils or witches, divination using geological materials, and the use of geological materials as protective agents against witchcraft (Duffin, 2011)

Archaeology · Art · Divination · Folklore · Literature · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Natural History · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Classics · Geology · History

• Herbert Toms (1874–1940), Witch Stones, and Porosphaera Beads

  Christopher J Duffin•Folklore•2011

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• Materials toward a History of Witchcraft

  Archer Taylor, Henry Charles Lea•Journal of American Folklore•1940

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