#bottletrees

in which I do research and am excited about future ghost hunting

11/10/2020

Welcome back once again, it’s been the longest week, but thankfully with at least a somewhat positive outcome. Hopefully this helps us to build speed toward a better future- not slow us down to complacency. 

As for Ghost Blogger news- this week I ended up doing a little research actually! The tree with bottles on it at Old Linda’s place has caught my eye a couple times. I ended up looking into it a bit more- “Bottle Trees” are a curious thing to find around New England, or at least not all that common. They tend to be found in southern parts of the US, though they have morphed into an almost common garden decoration, so they can be found throughout the US as well as other parts of the world now. Today, they can be used purely for decoration, but can also hold almost magic or spiritual properties. The intent is to either ward off, or trap, evil spirits or Imps inside the bottle at night. They become lost and can’t get out of the (often colored or painted) bottle, and so perish in the morning sunlight. 

It seems as though this modern interpretation isn’t too far off from some of its possible origins. Most seem to attribute bottle trees as originating around the 9th century in the Kingdom of Kongo in central Africa. They held a similar belief that bad or evil spirits could be trapped in bottles placed near or around one's house at night, and then destroyed the following day when the sun rose. One could also then cork the bottle and throw it into a river to wash away the evil spirit. They also held a tradition of honoring those who have passed away by surrounding the grave with sticks that had plates attached to them. Some combination of these things seems to have mixed with like minded traditions involving glass bottles across Europe, and then traveled to the Americas with enslaved peoples. So, like so much of American culture, this again seems to be a tradition that was re-created among enslaved peoples, before morphing, being appropriated, and being watered down into what it is today. I’ll put some links at the bottom of this post for where I found some of my reading in case any of you are curious. It was interesting, and I always enjoy learning things. This subject would probably be better researched utilizing your local library if it’s safe to do so where you live.

But regardless, it seems safe to say that the bottle tree in Old Linda’s yard is probably meant for protection in some way? Though it is possible she just thought it was pretty. I guess maybe the cat is drawn to it? Or it’s doing a bad job of keeping things away… Perhaps she would listen if I tried to tell her what I’ve seen? Not sure.

My buddy from work did end up lending me a bit of ghost hunting stuff. Including these like, sick night vision goggles. I guess him and his brother used to go exploring in woods and graveyards and stuff so he has a bit of stuff that they had pooled money to get. He says I can use it, with the pandemic and it getting colder he probably won’t be needing it too soon. I have to be careful with this stuff though. Some of it looks really expensive. 

Him and his brother even have some footage of like, what could be a UFO, something that could be a Bigfoot (from around here!) and something he says could be a ghost or orb or something. (The last one honestly looks like dust or like a weird light thing. And the UFO honestly looks like…. a plane… but hopefully he isn’t reading this.) The Bigfoot one is definitely a weird “Something In The Woods” though. 

Tim, and I were checking out all the stuff in the living room, talking about things we could do, and maybe how to plan a short camping trip to catch something on footage. My gf wanders through and rolls her eyes. She doesn’t really believe in this stuff the way my roommate, my co-workers, and I do. She sometimes comes along, but I think she just likes getting outside. My roommate's partner, who got laid off because of the whole Pandemic thing, has been staying with us too. Which is obviously fine, shit’s tough. Honestly he is super chill and a great cook, BUT he sides with my gf. He really isn’t into ghosts and shit. He does like horror movies a ton though. I mean, He met my roommate because Tim works at the same horror themed pizza shop I do. Both of them will tag along sometimes but, again, they both just like hanging out and being outside anyway. Tim’s Partner, Andrew, has recently been trying to “be a streamer”? Like with video games online. I actually don’t see him around that much because I think he made his sleep schedule weird. 

So- more of a research and ‘what could come’ update but you know the drill. Stay Haunted!

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/06/bottle-trees.html

https://www.route66news.com/2011/01/29/a-history-of-bottle-trees/

https://smithsoniangardens.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/the-american-bottle-tree/

NYT article

(I also used Wikipedia, unfortunately this seems to have been classed as an ‘academic’ subject. A lot is speculation or behind paywalls.)

It is said that bad spirits that roam at night are attracted to the colors of the bottle and hide in them.  There they will get trapped, and in the morning the sunshine will kill them.

Most popular are the “blue bottles” which represents water and sky.

  The bottles can be placed on a twisted or formed piece of metal or placed directly on the limbs of a tree. I have seen them even placed on a fence post.

Sleep peaceful

Bottle Trees – Beacons to Positivity

EMPTY BOTTLES!!!!

Several years ago I received a “wine” catalog.  Not sure why I was part of that “target-market”, but whatever the reason I found something in it that would change my life. It jumped off the page at me! It was a metal “stick” with pegs that you place in your garden and you hang your empty wine bottles upside down on it. The ultimate in recycled art for your garden-a BOTTLE TREE!