Folklore expert and Tanners Events Manager Alix Chidley-Uttley guides you through the remarkable Apotropaic marks at Tanners HQ.
These taper marks are not the remnants of long burnt-out candles, though you’d be forgiven for thinking so. They are, in fact, what’s now known as apotropaic marks; in essence, they are the burglar alarm of their time, to ward off the supernatural and to prevent less than salubrious presences from entering your home. Often found above windows, hearths and doors in old buildings, these burn marks are made by a controlled application of a candle flame to walls, beams, door frames and ceilings.
Some believe they were applied in the prevention of fire, quite literally fighting fire with fire, the logic being that if you applied the flame and extinguished it, then it would be a supernatural preventive against fire. In an age when most buildings were wooden-framed, it doesn’t seem like a stretch that you’d try almost anything to prevent a house fire or a malevolent spirit from bothering your home! They’re a very tangible glimpse into a practical belief that was expressed through routine domesticated acts rather than formal ceremony, as much as we still throw spilt salt over our shoulder today.
