Why do Witches have Cauldrons?
Black Pointy Hat? Check.
Black Cat? Check.
Cauldron? This is the next thing on the list of quintessential witchcraft items and the first of the tools in this section of the Defining My Craft blog project.
Overview.
Once upon a time the Cauldron was a technical marvel. In a time where water could only be heated by throwing fire heated rocks into waterproof containers such as pottery bowls or animal hide bags the Cauldron was brought into being through the wonders of metal working. Though born of fire and shaped by the hand of man they were strongly associated with womanhood and particularly with the senior woman of the household and their mundane, and not so mundane tasks.
The origins of the physical object lies within metal working and began to emerge in the British Isles with the Bronze Age, remaining the preserve of the higher classes, before spreading in use during the Iorn Age. Even then highly decorated cauldrons were the prized possessions of the ruling elite as evidenced by the ornate and cultural significance of the Gundestrup Cauldron.
Gundrrsrup Cauldron
The word ‘cauldron’ has evolved from the Vulgar Latin caldario and the Classical Latin caldārium which literally means “hot bath”. The word has evolved through the Anglo-Norman word caudron into the Middle English word caudroun that we recognise today. It is interesting to note that thr Anglo-Norman word would have replaced the Old English ċetel (Middle English chetel). These words, from which we derive the word kettle, would have originated from the Old Norse. Both words were used during the same time frame and highlights the language difference between Us (the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants of Britain) and Them (the Norman rulers) as do words like Pig and Pork, Cow and Beef, Sheep and Mutton. The animal in the field is called by the word derived from the Anglo-Saxon origins whilst the meat on the table is referred to by the Norman word. The separation in word origin highlights the separation in estate when it comes to dinner so too in the implements used to prepare it.
That’s enough of that diversion.
The occult origins of the cauldron in the the prehistoric past, for what could be more magical than the taming of dragonfire and transformation of dull rocks into keen bright metal? Thid means that the Cauldron appears in many mythologies in the Isles of Avalon. Whilst these were recorded during the early medieval periods their origins likely extend back into the Iron Age and beyond, times when cauldrons were the items of authorities belonging to Kings and Goddesses, Giants and their kin.
Black Pointy Hat? Check.
Black Cat? Check.
Cauldron? This is the next thing on the list of quintessential witchcraft items and the first of the tools in this section of the Defining My Craft blog project.
Overview.
Once upon a time the Cauldron was a technical marvel. In a time where water could only be heated by throwing fire heated rocks into waterproof containers such as pottery bowls or animal hide bags the Cauldron was brought into being through the wonders of metal working. Though born of fire and shaped by the hand of man they were strongly associated with womanhood and particularly with the senior woman of the household and their mundane, and not so mundane tasks.
The origins of the physical object lies within metal working and began to emerge in the British Isles with the Bronze Age, remaining the preserve of the higher classes, before spreading in use during the Iorn Age. Even then highly decorated cauldrons were the prized possessions of the ruling elite as evidenced by the ornate and cultural significance of the Gundestrup Cauldron.
Gundrrsrup Cauldron
The word ‘cauldron’ has evolved from the Vulgar Latin caldario and the Classical Latin caldārium which literally means “hot bath”. The word has evolved through the Anglo-Norman word caudron into the Middle English word caudroun that we recognise today. It is interesting to note that thr Anglo-Norman word would have replaced the Old English ċetel (Middle English chetel). These words, from which we derive the word kettle, would have originated from the Old Norse. Both words were used during the same time frame and highlights the language difference between Us (the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants of Britain) and Them (the Norman rulers) as do words like Pig and Pork, Cow and Beef, Sheep and Mutton. The animal in the field is called by the word derived from the Anglo-Saxon origins whilst the meat on the table is referred to by the Norman word. The separation in word origin highlights the separation in estate when it comes to dinner so too in the implements used to prepare it.
That’s enough of that diversion.
The occult origins of the cauldron in the the prehistoric past, for what could be more magical than the taming of dragonfire and transformation of dull rocks into keen bright metal? Thid means that the Cauldron appears in many mythologies in the Isles of Avalon. Whilst these were recorded during the early medieval periods their origins likely extend back into the Iron Age and beyond, times when cauldrons were the items of authorities belonging to Kings and Goddesses, Giants and their kin.