History of Wishing Wells

I need some documentation on period wells such as for water or wishing.
Does anyone know of any sources online that might be of some assistance?  I
have done some searching but this seems to be an elusive topic at best.

In loyal service!

Alastair
shaneb@icubed.net
http://www.icubed.net/usr/shaneb

I bet it's on line, but in libraries for sure.   Stith Thompson "Type and
Motif Index" and Ernest Boughman [forget what his is called, but would be
found under folklore/morif]

These would list all mentions of wells as elements in fairy tales.   Offhand I
can only think of The Frog Prince, and that's sometimes told as a fountain or
a pool.

In Tam Lin there's "then throw me into well water, and throw me in with speed"
(for the end of the transformation from enchantment by the fairies), so there
should be commentary on that in the Child Ballads (might be online as well).
ed. Child, F.J., _The English and Scottish Popular Ballads_--there might be
other wells as well!  (Well?)

AElflaed

not really elusive .... you're just looking in the wrong places.  

"wishing wells" are simply the remanant (and changed) idea of the
sacred springs and wells of pagan europe ... look in good sources on
celtic culture under "well's", "springs", "water" ... roman and 
christian sources (who often built temples and later churches and 
cathedrals ... not to mention "bath house's" (as in Bath in England) 
on these sacred sites) ... any good anthropology source (try Joseph 
Campbell as a start) ... archaeology (many digs come to mine ... the 
northen Bog's for example ... check out the back issues of Archeology 
magazine - remmeber seeing a couple articles over last few years)

even the modern neo-pagan sources would be a good start for the 
necessary keywords and concepts that would ease more in-depth 
research into the origional sources.   

pay particular note of their role as "gateways" to the lands below 
... hence when you toss an offering (a coin, a cup, a weapon, a 
war-captive, ...) you are making an offering to the "gods" in their 
native realm, and in return you are hoping for some reciprocal 
benefit ... concept later "sanitized" by the christian movements to a 
point where it is today a custom often divorced from understanding of 
the origions behind the actions. 

'wolf

This is a good start. I would add "saints" to your list.  I remember reading
about more than one saint associated with healing wells.  One in particular
was a man (the town drunk) who fell down a well and drowned.  Later, people
who drank from it had miraculous cures, so the man was canonized.  The title
of the book I cannot recall, but I think it was a translation of Gregory of
Tours works.

And don't forget Mimir's well, from who's waters Odin drank to gain wisdom.
The price? One eye...

Ulf

Wouldn't you know it?!? (I'm afraid I can't help the shameless plug today
since the timing is so perfect).  I just got in a shipment of books today from
overseas and one of the titles is The Holy Wells of Wales, by Francis Jones.
Originally published in 1954, this is a modern reprint.  Chapter headings
include:  The Well Cult in Medieval Wales, Belief and Ritual, Wells in
Antiquity.  226pp.  softcover.  This is considered one of the classics in the
field and has an extensive bibliography that would help point you to other
sources.  If you're interested, I can ship for $24.50 (this includes shipping
and florida taxes).

Serwyl

Black Sheep Books
9850-3 San Jose Blvd
Jacksonville FL 32257
904-880-1895
(we accept visa and mastercard)

> This is a good start. I would add "saints" to your list.  I remember
> reading about more than one saint associated with healing wells. 

actually, most of those well's had pagan dieties associated with 
them prior to the spread of christianity ... was a case of "out the 
with old, in with the new".  much more difficult to destroy a place 
of power in the hearts and minds of a people, but then can be 
re-defined to your puposes by your organizations propaganda office.

> And don't forget Mimir's well, from who's waters Odin drank to gain
> wisdom. The price? One eye...

not to mention hanging in a tree for nine days ... (there's that 3x3 
thing again ...).  pay particular attention to the connection with 
"suspension" and "transformation" (Odin, Jesus, Elusian Mysteries, 
the Sun Dance, ...)

or in a similar story, Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge ... such 
"gifts" always come at a significant price.  for more of these, from 
more cultures, check out a quarterly name of Parabola (a journal 
dedicated to myth and tradition ... have been a subscriber for almost 
20 years) 

'wolf