#bolline

Boline / Bolline / White Handle Knife

In Wicca the boline (also spelled bolline, pr: bow-leen) is a white-handled ritual knife, one of several magical tools used in Wicca, mainly for the cutting of herbs and inscribing candles

by admin/ May 12, 2015/ Boline or White-Handled Knife, Ritual Tools/ No Comments

The White-Handled Knife or Boline

Unlike the athame, which in most traditions is never used for actual physical cutting, the boline is used for cutting cords and herbs, carving candles, etc. It has a small, straight or crescent-shaped blade with, traditionally, a white handle.

The boline has been adopted by several other modern forms of witchcraft including Eclectic Wicca. Among these later traditions[specify] opinions vary as to whether the boline is truly a magical tool or is merely of utilitarian purpose. Similarly, sometimes a white-hilted knife called a kirfane (various spellings) is used, for roughly the same purposes as the boline.

The sickle from the Key of Solomon.

The reason it has a white handle is very simply that that color differentiates it from the athame very easily for most practitioners. Of course, it is quite possible that you have an athame that has a white handle too in which case a little care may be needed if they are very similar.

According to the Kitchen Witchcraft philosophy, the use of magical tools for mundane purposes like cooking is actively encouraged, and as such there is little or no need for a boline as a separate tool from the athame. Some traditions, such as that of Robert Cochrane, also prescribe the use of a single knife for both ritual and practical purposes.

Many of the bolines advertised in on-line "magick shops" have a characteristic crescent shape, and are described as being for harvesting herbs. This crescent shape is reminiscent of the sickle described in the Key of Solomon, a medieval grimoire and one of the sources for modern Wicca.[5] Confusingly, an Italian version of the Key of Solomon has a hook-shaped knife called an artauo (a possible root for athame) and a straight, needle-shaped blade called a bolino. When the name "boline" was first used to describe the crescent-shaped blade is not clear. In The Book of Ceremonial Magic published by Arthur Edward Waite in 1911, Waite references a number of early works on magic which mention the bolline or sickle

Although still used by some for herb harvesting, the boline is used more often nowadays for other cutting and carving. Typically this includes such activities cutting branches for wands, trimming the shaft of a besom, cutting cords for cord magic, and the carving of symbols. It is ideal (provided you’re careful – knives are sharp!) wherever carving is required such as symbols on candles, wands, besoms, or anything else that you need.

Boline or White-Handled Knife

Use the boline for any ritual function that requires the physical and ritual use of a knife. Cutting wood for wands, flowers for the altar, carving and so on. As long as it’s ritually involved it’s fine; so unless potatoes are part of one of your rituals, don’t use a boline to peel them!

Linoleum Knife as a White-handled Knife or BolineThe boline is more commonly called the white-handled knife. Sometimes spelled as boleen, bolleen or bolline, it was traditionally used for herb harvesting. It has a small curved blade and as you might expect from one of its names – a white handle.

Finding a White-Handled Knife

It is still possible to get a knife with a curved blade today from specialist sellers or even from major retailers such as Amazon. But it is not sacrosanct that it is purpose-made so there are alternatives. Fit for the purpose is much more important than “Made in China” and shiny!

Linoleum knives are nearly ideal for ritual use. I say “nearly” because it is not often that you will see one with a white handle. Red is common and so is plain wood, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. Painting it, wrapping it in white tape, just about any method with a resulting white handle will work!

A linoleum knife (also called a banana knife or hook axe)[1] is a small knife that has a short, stiff blade with a curved point and a handle and is used to cut linoleum[2] or other sheet materials such as wood panelling[3] and veneer[4] and sheet mica.[5]

The knife is similar in design to the sickle and billhook. Like most cutting tools with hooked blades, the purpose of this design is to cut by pulling. This helps to reduce the wasted effort of simultaneously pressing the blade into the item as one would with a straight blade. It also allows the user to reach out and cut an item with the arm fully extended, such as during plant trimming or harvesting, or making a long continuous cut into a surface.

This tool can also be used to jimmy doors open by bypassing the safety latch in the doorjamb.[6] Knives of a similar shape and design are commonly used by carpet fitters.

The white-handled knife (often called boleen, bolleen, boline or bolline) was traditionally used for herb harvesting and had a small curved blade.

Many do not use a curved blade at all but simply purchase a white handled knife with a straight edge instead of curved. As long as it still has a single cutting edge it will work.

Today the blade is rarely curved but it still has a single cutting edge. It has a white handle to differentiate it from the athame. Some witches will make do with a store bought white-handled knife while others will buy a purpose made tool.

The white-handled knife is used for cutting and carving. Branches for wands for instance, should be cut with one. The carving of symbols (into a candle for example) should likewise be done with a white-handled knife. It is also used for cutting cords for use in cord magick.

The white-handled knife can be used for any ritual function that requires the physical use of a knife. Cutting wood for wands, flowers for the altar, carving and so on. As long as it's ritually involved it's fine. So unless potatoes are part of one of your rituals, don't use this tool to peel them!

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On Bollines and Athames: Witch Knives

In Wicca, of which I am not a practitioner, knives play a huge part in ceremonial magic. You can read more about that here.

I’m more of an eclectic witch, and put a whole bunch of different things into my practice-- however, I do have a special knife, pictured above. I use this knife for cutting herbs, cooking, all kinds of stuff. It’s my favorite knife, and what I use any time a spell calls for a knife. It belonged to my great-grandmother, and was the only knife in my family for a rather long time-- as you can see, it’s been sharpened so much the blade no longer sticks out beyond the handle like most knives do. It’s this quality that draws me to it. It was passed down my matrilineal line for four generations and now belongs to me. I think that’s neat.

A knife can be important in magic. Whether you want one or several knives, or a sickle (which would be so rad, to be honest, and I’m keeping my eye out at thrift shops), or a straight-up hatchet to use for stuff, that’s cool. As with most ceremonial and everyday objects in magic, a knife can be a tool of intent. It can be a conductor of your feeling into a material you are cutting-- when I cut herbs, I use the knife to harvest with intent.