#adder stone

ADDER STONE

The name 'adder stone' is commonly applied either to a small stone with a natural perforation in it, or to a certain type of coloured, glass-like pebble which is fairly uncommon and consequently has all the virtues of the strange and unusual.

Prehistoric spindle-whorls turned up by the plough are also frequently so called by those who do not recognize them for what they really are.

Such stones were formerly prized as charms against evil and were used in cures for various human and animal diseases. According to tradition, they were generated by snakes who, at certain times of the year, congregated in large numbers, coiled themselves into a living ball and, while so united, emitted saliva which hardened into a stone. Because of their serpentine origin, they were widely used to heal adder-bites. Many stories are told of their efficacy for this purpose. One such tale, related by William Henderson in Notes on the Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties (1879) records how a nineteenth-century Scottish labourer near Pitlochry was badly bitten by an adder. 'Severe pains came on,’ said Henderson's informant, 'and a terrible swelling, which grew worse and worse, till a wise woman was summoned with her adder's stone. On her rubbing the place with the stone, the swelling began to subside.' They also cured ague and whooping-cough, kept away nightmares if hung over the bed, and when carried about in the pocket, prevented eye-troubles.

Although their healing properties are not now much regarded, their use as luck-bringers and protective charms is not yet entirely extinct, and in some parts of Great Britain and Ireland such stones, especially those accidentally found, are still preserved and handed down as amulets.

We just restocked our natural hag stones and they are a big bigger than the ones had before. Get yourself a hag stone for peering at faeries or making charms, or whatever creative thing you can come up with.

The Future AU was another concept I wanted to push onto, starting with a wholly new character for the timeline!

Adder Witch With Enigma as the new archmage of Kaboom City, he now has a new student. Kid Kazoom is now Captain Kazoom, and off leading the SuperThings. With the magic side of his abilities taking full priority, he has now found another citizen who has an eye for magic...in this case, literally! Adder Witch is a rookie magician that's been having weird visions lately. While she always had a magic eye, it's only now been starting to act up, and she has no idea how to control it, so she went to Enigma to figure out her abilities.

While this also settles Enigma's next choice in successor for the archmage position, it has also provided surprising struggles. Turns out, Adder Witch is the opposite of him as a child: she might be an avid magic fan, but she absolutely hates the concept of science, thinking it's pointless to the world when you have magic on your side. She's also entirely baffled at the fact that he's been consulting a crystal ball more and more lately. It looks like his former master, but that doesn't make sense, his master passed away not long before Enigma took up the mantle, so what's the point of consulting a crystal ball here?

When it is finals week, the lucky charm comes out. An adder stone/hag stone my mom found on the beach and gave to me years ago!

If you have not heard of adder stones, they are rocks in which a hole naturally occurs. In many different regions of the world, folklore describes them to be lucky, to ward off evil spirits, protect the wearer, and even to allow those who look through the hole to see past the human veil, and into that of the spirt world.

I’ve really always loved the lore surrounding adder stones, so they definitely do appear in my book, The Luster of Life.

Gemuary 2023 Day 25: Serpentine