Hand of glory — the eerie exhibit of the British Museum Whitby

Parts of dead bodies had long been the attributes of witchcraft. The most famous occult object of this type in the Middle ages was the Hand of glory or the Hand of Glory. It severed a hanged criminal brush, treated in a special way and has mystical powers. The only true Hand of glory is kept in the Museum of Whitby and its mystery still not solved.

In the early 20th century bricklayer Joseph Ford repair attic of an old cottage in Castleton found in a secluded place mummified human hand attached to the wall of the building. Another master would have thrown a "surprise" away from sin, but Ford was not just a Builder, but also a local historian and enthusiast, so I decided to save the macabre subject.

Hand of glory, and this was the magical props, kept house at Ford until his death, and in 1935 the heirs of the men gave it to the city of Whitby Museum. Since then dried human hand has become the most popular Museum exhibit, repulsive, but at the same time incredibly attractive.

It is believed that this is the only in Europe, the original Hand of glory. This magic item was very popular among criminals until the end of the 19th century, because of the superstitious thieves believed in his supernatural powers. It was believed that in the house where you will make or throw your hand in this all fall asleep into a deep slumber and attackers can wield it without fear of exposure.

But to the Hand of glory was a it was necessary to extract, and then prepare in accordance with a complex instruction. The occult book "Little albert", published in 1722, said that the hand must be cut off certainly the body still hanging on the rope. Followed to do this:

In this same book was described and the way to counter the hand. Spell to not act, it was necessary to RUB the threshold of the house with a mixture of bile of a black cat, the fat of a white hen, and the blood of the owl. It is doubtful that the Hand of glory actually worked, but the thieves were willing to believe any nonsense, just give yourself the illusion of security.

Until the mid-19th century trespassing in someone else's home, even without the fact of theft, a crime that was punishable by hanging. So that the thief took the risk to be pinched and thus provide both your brush to experiment more successful colleagues.

Descriptions of how the Hand of glory and many of these can vary greatly in different places and time periods. Most often it was proposed to use the limb of a gallows as a candlestick. While inserted in the arm candle was burning, everything had to sleep soundly sleeping, of course, except for its owner. Yes, the candle had to make one just out of human fat, and on the other — of a fat person baby.

According to other sources, the Hand of glory would burn candles instead of all five fingers. If one of them goes out, it will mean that witchcraft does not work in the house someone is not sleeping. In any case, neither the candle nor the fingers can never be extinguished nor water, nor improvised means — fits only human blood or "blue," that is skim milk.

Some believed that around the hand of glory opened all the locks and bolts, and its owner becomes invisible. Sometimes mysterious book argued that the candle in your hand, if to light it correctly, with all the conspiracies, can burn forever. In many parts of Europe in the middle Ages believed that the hand of a hanged or drowned able to cure the most serious illnesses.

It was enough just to hold a Hand of glory over the sick to be healed. In this regard, to catch a body on the gallows, with two whole hand in England, Germany or France, 14-19 centuries was problematic, but in the Arsenal of every doctor attended this "physiotherapeutische" device.